From Radu Jude’s latest essay experiments to Wang Bing’s second Youth film to Hong Sangsoo’s newest metafiction, Locarno 2024 brings the cinematic goods.
Locarno 2024: Something Fun
Category: Concorso Internazionale
Mond Offers a Nuanced Cross-Cultural Tale of Female Solidarity
A washed-up Austrian MMA fighter finds herself immersed in a strange Jordanian family in Kurdwin Ayub’s Mond, her much-anticipated follow-up to Sonne.
Weightless Goes in Search of Love Past
A man’s grief-induced amnesia provides excellent inspiration for a journey through the past in Sara Fgaier’s powerful debut Weightless.
Critical Zone Fails to Hold Interest
A stoner comedy without the comedy; an arthouse drama without the art; a deep dive into social ills without going too deep; Critical Zone is inessential.
“Any kind of worker has to put on a costume every day” — Sofia Exarchou on Animal
Sofia Exarchou, director of Animal, joins Journey Into Cinema to discuss sex, tourism, cheesy music and capitalism — live from Locarno Film Festival.
Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World / Malleable Monochrome Monotony Unfurls
History, traffic, corporate malfeasance and toxic online culture combine in Radu Jude’s genre-bending new film Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of the World.
Stepne Ploddingly Trudges Through Ukraine’s Tragic Past
Dull visuals and an unengaging plot make Ukrainian village tale Stepne, playing in competition, an enervating watch — live from Locarno Film Festival.
The Vanishing Soldier. Israel Smoulders.
The Vanishing Soldier uses its picarasque, free-wheeling form to investigate the complexities and paradoxes of modern Isreal — to mixed results.
Animal Oozes with Summertime Sadness
The pitfalls of always providing entertainment are perfectly probed in Animal, Sofia Exarchou’s excellent sophomore film.