64th BFI London Film Festival – ‘Supernova’ Review

The term ‘supernova’ is used to describe the powerful and monumental explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s life cycle; accompanying a supernova is often a large and shrouding black hole encapsulating everything in its perimeter. In more earthly terms, Harry Macqueen uses the phrase in his latest venture Supernova to liken the…

63rd BFI London Film Festival: Moffie Review

Tucked up in their dorm beds, sandwiched between lumpy mattresses and itchy blankets, South African soldiers are swapping stories. One of them starts to tell the story of two soldiers found kissing in a bathroom stall – ‘Moffies’ they’re derogatorily named. After being caught the pair are dragged out and thrown in front of their…

In Conversation with Steven Yeun of ‘Burning’

Steven Yeun greets me with a big smile and a warm handshake as we meet at the Mayfair hotel in London on a cold October morning. We sit down and chat about what it means to be a Korean-American, his latest production Burning, and working with Lee Chang-dong. Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised…

Roma Review

Roma follows the story of Cleo (Yalitza Aparico), a young indigenous housekeeper working for a middle-class family in Mexico City during the early ‘70s. Partly based off Alfonso Cuarón’s own childhood, Roma is an ode to the woman who helped raise him. Reflecting on a perspective of his upbringing that is different to his own,…

62nd BFI London Film Festival: Outlaw King Review

Is Outlaw King, directed by David Mackenzie, Netflix’s direct answer to Mel Gibson’s Braveheart? Where William Wallace’s tale ends, Robert the Bruce’s (Chris Pine) begins. After the guerrilla war against England, Scotland falls under the rule of Edward I (Stephen Dillane). It doesn’t take long for Bruce to learn that oppressor is even crueler than…

62nd BFI London Film Festival: Leto Review

In the Soviet Union, like in many other communist countries, a free growth of specific music genres was quite limited. The story of Kirill Serebrennikov’s new work, Leto (Summer), begins in the 1981 Leningrad, at a concert of an underground rock band. But unlike what a person would expect when there is a rock concert…

62nd BFI London Film Festival: Birds of Passage Review

Guajira peninsula, northern Colombia. It’s the late 60’s; while the western world is amidst its social and cultural revolutions, a young woman, dressed in a bright red ceremonial robe, is engaged in a frenetic courtship dance with her soon-to-be husband. Set at the backdrop of a wide and windy desert, this visually striking scene introduces…

62nd BFI London Film Festival: United Skates Review

“If this world don’t change its ways, we’ll all perish”. Roller-skating rinks in the U.S were once a booming hub of hip-hop and disco culture, a form of cathartic expression and freedom for many African-Americans. However, due to increased land taxes and gentrification forcing many rinks to close, they are now a rare find. Dyana…