Summer of Soul
SUMMER OF SOUL assumes a natural position alongside a group of the essential American music documentaries.
Category Archives: Reviews
Death on the Streets
While an imperfect effort, DEATH ON THE STREETS is an interesting outside-in angle on a forgotten America. Heart and honesty make up for lack of polish, and it treats its subject with uncomfortable, unrelenting respect that drives home the lack of quick fixes and easy answers.
Scarecrow
The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in far northeastern Russia is far removed from the political, social, linguistic, and cosmopolitan realities of Moscow or St Petersburg. In this environment, a local cinema culture has flourished, and Dmitry Davydov’s SCARECROW (PUGALO) brings Sakha cinema to an international audience at IFFR.
Shiva Baby
SHIVA BABY, the feature debut from director Emma Seligman, is a whirlwind of anxiety where a conflict between the personal and the familial erupts at a shiva while surrounded by relatives, community, and salmon and cream cheese bagels.
Edinburgh Shorts: Guilt, Then Absolution?
GUILT, THEN ABSOLUTION? is a diverse program about sin and reconciliation, boasting a variety of genres and screening as part of the postponed 2020 Edinburgh Short Film Festival.
After Love
AFTER LOVE is the debut film of British-Pakistani director Aleem Khan, and beautiful exploration of the complex and complicated emotions on top of raw grief and loss.
Edinburgh Shorts: Escape Plan
If there’s one running theme of the absolute tyre fire that was the year 2020, it’s that we always need ways to escape. As such, it’s suitable that this block of the long-postponed 2020 Edinburgh Short Film Festival focuses on this very topic.
Cowboys
COWBOYS is a touching story about accepting who your children are, that uses the masculine norms of the cinematic depiction of cowboys to situate its discussion about gender identity and gender presentation.
Memories of my Father
MEMORIES OF MY FATHER features some sweet moments between a parent and child but cannot fully capture the bond on which its entire premise depends.
Scottish Competition 3: Care to Express
The Care to Express programme aims to look at the ways in which “art, passion and care work together to enrich our lives.” The five films in the programme present a world of culture, environment and art during a turbulent year. Music producer Patrick Cowley was instrumental in the San Francisco club scene’s evolution, with … Continue reading Scottish Competition 3: Care to Express