IFFR 2020 Review: Isamu Hirabayashi’s ‘Shell and Joint’
“‘Shell and Joint’ thrives in being carefully discovered by peeling away one layer after the other.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Virgil Vernier’s ‘Sophia Antipolis’
“‘Sophia Antipolis’ is not a movie that will be easily digested outside of movie theaters, as it goes mostly for an aesthetic experience rather than a plot-driven story.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Brunna Laboissière’s ‘Fabiana’
“Documentaries always warrant ethical questions about the narrative process, and Laboissière is impressively restrained with her direction.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Brian Follmer’s ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’
“‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ finds a solidly affecting balance of lightheartedness, satire and true, resonant emotion in its final 20 minutes…”
IFFR 2019: An Interview with ‘We’re All Sailors’ Filmmaker Miguel Ángel Moulet and Cinematographer Camilo Soratti
Yoana Pavlova Interviews ‘We’re All Sailors’ Filmmaker Miguel Ángel Moulet and Cinematographer Camilo Soratti
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Miko Revereza’s ‘No Data Plan’
“‘No Data Plan’ is a story for our times. More importantly, it’s a snapshot of a way of life that’s already become commonplace for untold numbers of people in the U.S. and worldwide.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Ivan Salatić’s ‘You Have the Night’
“Waves are dark in Salatić’s sea, and the sound of a constant, unavoidable motor seems to be heard within every character.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Simona Kostova’s ‘Dreissig’
“By suggesting that this 24-hour period is a milestone, or page, of an ongoing story, Kostova creates an insightful portrait crafted from carefully-observed scraps and shards. The result is strangely dazzling, like a mosaic.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Asako I and II’
“With surprising poignancy, ‘Asako I and II’ channels the humbling smallness of life’s journey, and the human tendency to resist this banal, often disappointing reality with self-delusion.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Philippe Lesage’s ‘Genèse’
“Lesage has once more proven himself to be an astute chronicler of personal growth in those turbulent and anxiety-ridden years where the mind and the body are as mysterious as they are vulnerable.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Dan Schoenbrun’s ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’
“A thorough, engaging thesis that bridges physical and digital gaps both affirming and sinister, ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’ is a witty, gripping compilation of collaborative creativity and sterile self-interest.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Sophie Goyette’s ‘Mes nuits feront écho’
“We can’t always get what we want, but ‘Mes nuits feront écho’ shows that, in our dreams, we are in charge.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Pedro Aguilera’s ‘Demonios tus ojos’
“All in all, ‘Demonios tus ojos’ is a movie about the excitement of doing something prohibited.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Kevin Phillips’ ‘Super Dark Times’
“The beauty of ‘Super Dark Times’ can be found in its caring and sensitive vision for the characters’ world.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Elene Naveriani’s ‘I am Truly a Drop of Sun on Earth’
“In this promising debut, there is something beautiful about the resignation that humanity can be found in surprising places.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Marcelo Caetano’s ‘Corpo Elétrico’
“The film is more of a mood piece than a purely narrative feature, one that prefers to focus on the nuances of being different.”
