immigration
While managing to meaningfully touch on universal themes of community, self-identity, believing in others and caring for those in need, the messages of the Paddington franchise would mean so much more if it would just let go of its villains.
A frenetic, fantastical but frustrating piece of work, Jupiter’s Moon will be remembered not for its rather woolly handling of serious subject matter, but for a couple of excellent performances, and the stunning images and sequences.
Chris Watt spoke with Angie Reza Tures, the director of the Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase, a celebration of women filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border, which takes place on January 25th in Los Angeles.
Ana Asensio’s directorial debut, Most Beautiful Island, is an intimate view of the immigrant experience not as social realist drama or romantic comedy, but as a horror story.
God’s Own Country, a unique coming out story, is an amazing directorial debut for Francis Lee despite some minor, forgivable missteps.
Kaurismaki’s latest, The Other Side Of Hope, an intriguing take on the immigration crisis, keeps its important subject at arm’s length.
We have the Academy to thank for bringing this warmly humorous Swedish gem to our attention – it’s one of the year’s most likeable films.
The Big Sick is not another run-of-the-mill rom-com: it’s got heart, humor, a touching story, and a refreshing take of immigrant life.
Racism in France has been a long-discussed topic within cinema, from Mathieu Kassovitz’s eponymous film La Haine to 2011’s hit comedy Les Intouchables. In recent days Muslim/Arab citizens have been the focus of racial prejudice from the French justice system; Fatima could not come at a better time with its refreshing take on Arab/French culture. Philippe Faucon adds to this conversation with a portrayal of racial tension in France.
There is a moment about halfway through Brooklyn when Saoirse Ronan’s character is shown as a distant speck in a giant field of green grass, as if lost amongst the lush vegetation. The moment comes soon after she has decided to go visit her mother in Ireland after a loss in the family; though not immediately apparent, it foreshadows her soon-to-come inner conflict, which will make her question where she truly belongs. Such a gorgeous and symbolic shot is representative of much of Brooklyn, which is far deeper than its relatively straightforward subject matter would imply.
There are two thoughts that go through your head when you hear about a Romanian film which won the Silver Bear for its director Radu June (at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival), and which has been earmarked as the country’s entry into the Foreign Film category at this year’s Oscars. The first is that this must be a very good film indeed. The other is that this is the sort of film that groups of people gather around and agree is an artistic and important film, but ultimately it’s not very entertaining.
A Syrian Love Story is the latest investigative documentary from award winning filmmaker-journalist Sean McCallister. Renowned for his hard-hitting documentaries which go further than others dare to, McCallister follows a Syrian family over a 5 year period – through love, separation, prison, war and freedom. Beginning an extra-ordinary journey, activists Raghda and Amer meet in their youth in a Syrian prison, detained for their positions as high profile anti-Assad activists.
Le Havre (2011) is a still, quiet and dryly hilarious film. It has many of the qualities of a Japanese master like Mizoguchi, but if he had emigrated to a small French port and had been forced to make working class comedies. It focuses on a shoe shiner called Marcel Marx whose wife contracts a seemingly terminal disease.
In Elysium, the world has gone to shit. It is heavily polluted and poverty has risen to extremely high levels – the ghettos stretch as far as you can see. This is where the poor working class lives.
