Festivals | Journey Into Cinema | Reviews and Dispatches

Two men try and find love amidst the horror and bruality of a German slaughterhouse in Simon Schneckenburger’s excellent short Skin on Skin.

Despite its preponderance of gorgeous images, The Visitor provides an emotionally-detached experience that can’t match the magic of its visuals.

Mark Jenkin’s loopy tour of the Celtic regions of the world (and Los Angeles) is British cinema and its most pure and eccentric. Essential viewing.

Ondřej Provazník’s sophomore film is a slow-burn look at abuse featuring a brilliant performance from Juraj Loj as a manipulative choirmaster.

Two balding men travel to Instanbul for a transplant in Manoël Dupont’s uneven yet fascinating hybrid film Before/After.

With careful drone footage and plenty of nature shots, Dmytro Hreshko creates a powerful portrait of how Russia has commited ecocide in Ukraine.

At once an abstract exploration of mental health and a potent political piece, Action Item is a fine mid-length essay doc from Paula Ďurinová.

While the story of Out of Love is nothing new, Nathan Ambriosioni’s carefully-measured style shows him off as a director of great techincal talent.

The spirit of Éric Rohmer lives on in João Rosas excellent Crystal Globe entry The Luminuous Life, capturing the perils of love under capitalism.

With no voiceover used, Maciej J. Drygas relies entirely on montage, music and sound design to use trains to tell the story of the twentieth century.