A political statement of intent by Panahi – one that is imbued with a sense of loss and frustration, yet shines brightly as a courageous beacon of hope for change.
Continue reading →
This Is Not a Film (2011)
Continue reading →
Author / Eternality Tan
Continue reading →
Sherman’s March (1985)
McElwee’s intended docu-travelogue about General Sherman’s American Civil War campaign turns into a narcissistic look at his faltering romantic exploits with the Southern women around him, yet its unabashed subjectivity feels surprisingly fresh and compelling.
Continue reading →
Sur, El (1983)
One of the holy grails of world cinema, there is an elusive, mythic halo cast over Erice’s ‘incomplete’ film, a memory piece about a daughter’s melancholy reflection of her secretive father during her post-Spanish Civil War days of childhood.
Continue reading →
Tharlo (2015)
Stunningly shot in black-and-white, Tseden shows immaculate control over his long take, slow cinema-style as a Tibetan sheep herder becomes stuck in a Kafka-esque scenario making his identity card, but an encounter with a hairdresser suggests the possibility of a new life.
Continue reading →
Grand Tour (2024)
One of 2024’s most beguiling films as the relationship woes of a European couple bring us all over colonised Asia, but the always deceptive Gomes plays with time as an artificial construct, celebrating modern Asia and traditional Asian arts with hints of Jia Zhangke and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Continue reading →
Structure of Crystal, The (1969)
We can already witness a crystalline vision in Zanussi’s debut feature as he gives us an existential take on what makes one continue to live the life that one now lives, as two physicist friends deliberate on their vastly different life paths.
Continue reading →
Alien: Romulus (2024)
There is enough time-ticking tension to make the age-old formula work to some extent, though it can also feel emptily spectacular but still somewhat entertaining in this half-decent entry to the ‘Alien’ franchise.
Continue reading →
Blade of the Immortal (2017)
A girl seeks the help of a samurai cursed with immortality to avenge the death of her family in Miike’s plot-heavy actioner that feels a tad sprawling and repetitive.
Continue reading →
Ghostlight (2024)
A construction worker becomes an actor in a theatre production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in this moving and sincere film about how art can help us process grief and cope with daily strife, played by a real-life family of acting professionals who give such naturalistic performances.
Continue reading →
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
Akin’s exuberant documentary is a work of real cultural value, capturing the vibrant if ‘unclassifiable’ Turkish underground and street music scene with an inquisitive spirit.
Continue reading →
