A broken fridge-freezer becomes a metaphor for the breakdown of a family — and perhaps society itself — in uneven comedy Complaint No. 713317.
Freeze Frames
Tag: Rotterdam
Why Do I See Hybrids In Everything?
Why Do I See You in Everything? surveys the notion of home amid living in exile, but feels unfocussed while tending towards the tedious.
White Lies. Painful Truths.
Bright Future entry White Lies is a remarkable non-fiction debut about the lingering effects of living in a cult upon an ordinary Italian family.
Mickey & Richard. The Person Behind the Porn Performer.
Richard Bernstein and his alter porn ego Mickey Squires are explored in loving detail in Rotterdam documentary Mickey & Richard.
Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems. A Charming Cosy Mystery.
Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems by Claude Schmitz is a cosy French mystery movie that scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had. Sequels please!
Love is Art in Tell Me What You Feel
Despite, or perhaps because of, its cringe characters, Tell Me What You Feel is a heartfelt exploration of whether art and love can really understand trauma.
Blind Love. Tunnel Vision.
References to Alfred Hitchock and Edward Yang does the paper-thin queer Taiwanese love story Blind Love no favours.
Screen Rotterdam
Rotterdam Film Festival has more films in its 2025 edition than days in the year. We tried to hold its offerings, like collecting water in a sieve.
Perla Ponders the Perils of the Communist Patriarchy
While Perla looks and feels extremely well-made, its surfeit of style overwhelms the emotional heart of this communist-era tale. Live from Rotterdam!
Gay Men’s Book Club. Jubilee for Normal People.
The end of identity politics is discussed with nuance and heart in Matthew Lax’s simple yet effective mid-length documentary Gay Men’s Book Club.