Ondřej Provazník’s sophomore film is a slow-burn look at abuse featuring a brilliant performance from Juraj Loj as a manipulative choirmaster.
Broken Voices Makes The Right Choices
Tag: Karlovy Vary
Before/After’s Enigmatic Ellipses
Two balding men travel to Instanbul for a transplant in Manoël Dupont’s uneven yet fascinating hybrid film Before/After.
Divia Bears Witness to Ecocide
With careful drone footage and plenty of nature shots, Dmytro Hreshko creates a powerful portrait of how Russia has commited ecocide in Ukraine.
Action Item. Individual Anxiety Meets Collective Rage.
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.
Out Of Love. Elevated Social Realism.
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.
Trains, Closely Observed
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.
Distant Voices, Windless Lives
With a tight 1:1 ratio and an eye for arresting visuals, Windless sure looks great, but its grief-laden tale fails to hit with the viewer emotionally.
No One is Watching in the Panopticon
A study of a young confused man that examines the changing mores of Georgian society, Panopticon fails to stimulate the brain or the heart.
Keeping Mum. Keeping Schtum.
Keeping Mum investigates the difficulties of breaking generational trauma with open-heartedness and a willingness to embrace the cringe.
Empty Nets. Empty Catch.
Love fights the forces of economics and corruption in the underwhelming Iranian drama Empty Nets — live from Karlovy Vary Film Festival.