Sputnik
The opening scene of Egor Abramenko’s SPUTNIK is as promising an opening as any film. Ben Woodard reviews.
All posts by Ben Woodard (Student Writer)
Sweat
In recent years, the rise of the social media influencer has become an interesting phenomenon, with their faces, products and ads flooding the internet. Magnus von Horn’s SWEAT is an intimate look at the mechanisms of modern influencer life and the reality of popularity in the world of tech. Most notably, he moves away from … Continue reading Sweat
Rom
ROM details the life of a lottery runner, a young boy tasked with delivering betting slips to his neighbours, and supplying them with numbers to bet on, all the while avoiding the local gangsters and his fierce rival Phuc. Set in the heart of a Vietnamese housing complex, and supported by a powerful cast, ROM … Continue reading Rom
The Fourth Wall
Science fiction has slowly become a much more introspective genre- replacing large set pieces and technical jargon for minimal sets and contemplative screenplays that question man, the universe, and morality. The claustrophobic dwellings of a deer farmers apartment may not sound like the most obvious setting for a sci-fi drama about alternate realities, however, Chong … Continue reading The Fourth Wall
Radio Silence
RADIO SILENCE is a documentary that gives a voice to those that have had theirs stripped away.
The Painted Bird
Vaclav Marhoul’s new film is a raw and visceral horror – a film that shows humanity at its absolute worst in an unnamed area of Eastern Europe during World War II. Ben Woodard reviews at Glasgow Film Festival 2020.
Ara Malikian: A Life Among Strings
Nata Moreno’s ARA MALIKIAN: A LIFE AMONG STRINGS is an intimate documentary focused on the Armenian/ Lebanese violinist, indebted to his ancestral history. Following Malikian’s childhood in war-torn Lebanon, his emigration to Germany and his later move to Spain, Moreno intimately traces Malikian’s lineage and influences to the man he is today. From the outset, … Continue reading Ara Malikian: A Life Among Strings
Paper Boats
PAPER BOATS is primarily a story about the loss of the American Dream. Given the current political culture of America it seems all too important a story to simply let slip by. Ben Woodard reviews.
The Last Male on Earth
THE LAST MALE ON EARTH is a short, sweet but wholly important documentary. Ben Woodard reviews from Open City Doc Fest.
I Trapped the Devil
Many effective horror films unsettle their characters by forming a narrative of doubt. It is this exact sense of dubiousness that I TRAPPED THE DEVIL, Josh Lobo’s feature directorial debut, uses to great effect. Ben Woodard reviews at FrightFest 2019.