Borscht Belt Film Fest Review (Short): Joel Perez’s ‘Villa Encanto’
“‘Villa Encanto’ seems destined to be adapted into a feature.”
Short Film Review: Laura Checkoway’s ‘The Cat Man Eshete’
“‘The Cat Man Eshete’ is more of a psychological character study — one worthy of repeat viewings, especially for immigrants — than a traditional documentary short about trauma and redemption.”
On Dark and Lonely Waters: PIFs and Rural Landscapes as Sites of Danger
“Public Information Films, once tools for instruction, became haunted reflections of a nation’s growing uncertainty and discontent…”
Short Film Review: Chloé Groussard and Julie Pacheco’s ‘Manucure 24/24’
“‘Manucure 24/24’ betrays the formula of so many short film productions, as the filmmakers fully embrace the task at hand with a vibrant color palette, a catchy needle-drop and an always-relevant feminist message.”
Short Film Review: Marcellus Cox’s ‘Liquor Bank’
“‘Liquor Bank’ is a fine example of economical indie filmmaking.”
Short Film Review: Miss Dylan and Spencer Wardwell’s ‘Sweet Talkin’ Guy’
“If the aim of ‘Sweet Talkin’ Guy’ was to function as an intervention for single men everywhere, then Miss Dylan and Spencer Wardwell couldn’t have done the job better.”
An Interview with ‘Nehemich’ Filmmaker Yudhajit Basu
‘Nehemich’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2023 short film with director Yudhajit Basu.
Weird Worlds: The Short Films of Ari Aster
“Aster’s short films are at present the best representation of his eclectic taste and elastic interests.”
Collecting Movies with Raymond Rea
Raymond Rea Interview: Greg Carlson and the filmmaker/educator discuss movie collecting.
Review: Ryan Marley’s ‘Candidato 34’
“‘Candidato 34,’ a documentary short by filmmaker Ryan Marley, raises important questions about disability ethics and sociopolitical norms.”
Berlin Critics’ Week: Tripping Through Cities and Centuries in ‘Detours’ and ‘Nosferasta: First Bite’
“The same way our minds shift under the influence of drugs, so too do they shift under the influence of new information, new truths. The higher the walls, the taller the ladders people will build to overcome them.”
Interview with ‘The Miniaturist of Junagadh’ Filmmaker Kaushal Oza
‘The Miniaturist of Junagadh’ Interview: Vague Visages’ Dipankar Sarkar discusses the short film with director Kaushal Oza.
EIFF 2021 Documentary Reviews
EIFF 2021: Vague Visages’ Marc Nelson on the documentaries Bosco, The Gig Is Up, Faceless and Radiograph of a Family.
By the Rivers of Babylon: Structure and Setting in Margaret Tait’s ‘Orquil Burn’
“In ‘Orquil Burn,’ an internalised inquiry meets external spaces with a quiet yet insistent beauty.”
Encounters Film Festival: ‘Betty’ and the Failed Romance Movie
“‘Betty,’ through the simplest of guises — bare-bones animation, a bit of music and a wry, haphazard director’s commentary — is an impressive feat of doing a lot with extremely little.”
Don Hertzfeldt Expands the Universe Again in ‘World of Tomorrow’ Episode Three
“If Hertzfeldt’s ability to successfully expand on the emotional terrain and metaphysical considerations of previous chapters is a recipe, then he is an impeccable cinematic chef de cuisine.”
Encounters Film Festival: Science Fiction and Islam Meet in ‘So What If the Goats Die?’
“How much is our response conditioned by our willingness to see causality in correlation, regardless of the original artistic intention?”
Encounters Film Festival: The Importance of Geopolitics, Poverty and Donkeys in ‘The Heavy Burden’
“Whether it is economic, ethnic or geopolitical, ‘The Heavy Burden’ keeps finding new ways to frame the marginal life of its protagonists.”
Encounters Film Festival: Troubled Pasts and Open Futures Collide in ‘Father’
“In just 23 minutes, ‘Vader’ presents a nuanced and complex picture of fatherhood, as shaped by both individual personalities and wider social events.”
Review: Lynne Ramsay’s ‘Brigitte’
“‘Brigitte’ is a slight and sweet addition to Ramsay’s catalogue, and it gently leaves its impressions.”