The twin spectres of China and capitalism haunt every frame of KEFF’s gangland debut Locust, with shades of Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day.
Capitalism Is a Locust
Category: Festivals
Reviews and dispatches exploring the best new cinema premiering around the world.
When the Light Breaks Has (Almost) All The Right Takes
When the Light Breaks is Rúnarsson’s return to his earlier, sadder work, but is undone by an unnecessarily sentimental streak. Opens Un Certain Regard.
Internationales FrauenFilmfestival asks WHAT IF(FF)?
From tales of familial trauma to body horror, documentary to fiction, Internationales FrauenFilmfestival provides a lively cross-section of female-led kino.
Okurimono Captures the Long Shadow of History
A personal tale of atomic devastation set in the stunning town of Nagasaki, Laurence Lévesque’s Okurimono is a slow-burn inquiry into the ever-present past.
Mother Vera. Breaking the Habit
Mother Vera displays its photography origins with stark yet visually striking black-and-white photography, depicting the life of a nun in remote Belarus.
Fragments of Ice Dances Under a Crumbling Empire
Blessed with a treasure trove of archive material left by her father, Maria Stoianova shares her story growing up during the collapse of the Soviet Union
Mall of Us Strangers
In All, Or Nothing At All, presented in two unique, each-way versions, Jiajun Zhang captures the modern malaise of contemporary Chinese capitalism.
Malu. The Bout of the Brazilian Bohèmes.
With shades of Cassavetes, Pedro Freire’s Brazilian debut Malu is a spirited and claustrophobic homage to the influence of his chaotic mother.
Otro Sol. Only Crime Will Tell.
Francisco Rodriguez Teare’s hybrid debut Otro Sol is a creative and crafty investigation of criminal and colonial legacies — in Chile and beyond.
To Be An Extra Examines a Self In Parts
Long consigned to the cinematic sidelines, perpetual extra Henrike Meyer gathers her manifold experiences into a touching journey of self-actualisation.