Two young men are standing side by side outside a laundrette storefront (the neon "LAUNDRETTE" sign visible above the doorway behind them). The man on the left has bleached blond hair and wears a plaid flannel shirt over a grey hoodie with a necklace visible at the neckline. The man on the right has dark curly hair and wears a formal dark pinstripe suit with a white shirt and striped tie. Both stare directly at the camera with neutral expressions, lit by a warm/blue-toned cinematic glow, with the laundrette's washing machines and fluorescent lighting visible through the glass doors behind them.

About Pay What You Choose: My Beautiful Laundrette

My Beautiful Laundrette follows the fortunes of handsome young Omar who, together with his white English friend Johnny, takes over a run-down laundrette given to him by his rich uncle. Against a background of racial tension and poverty in a London suburb, their relationship blossoms to love.

As part of the BFI’s nationwide Rip It Up season, Birmingham actress and MAC cinema devotee Enva Lewis (How To Have Sex, Your Fault: London) has put together a season of films about the defiance, joy and vulnerability of growing up as a city kid in Britain. 

Enva Lewis on why she chose My Beautiful Laundrette - ‘The 80s has always been my favourite decade for film. There’s something so heavily stylised but also disgustingly gritty about it. This film is a beautiful example of that and it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.’
 

Booking info

To book Accessible tickets and free Companion tickets, please visit our Accessible Bookings page. Companion tickets will initially show a standard ticket price, but once your account is set-up and you are logged in, this will be reduced to £0 at checkout.

Duration includes trailers, adverts and any Q&A/panel. For events such as NT Live, Colour Box and Reel & Meal there will be minimal advertising. We do not admit latecomers after the main feature has started and we have a limited food & drink policy.

MAC’s cinema programme has been generously supported by BFI Film Audience Network and Film Hub Midlands.

Dates and times