Directed by Patric Chiha, A Russian Winter offers a necessary portrait of the post-2022 lives of Russians who chose exile. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian identity has often been flattened into a single political narrative, leaving little space for those who reject the regime, or for the difficult, uncertain process of…
Category: Film
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Papaya” Review
A compact and light-hearted Brazilian animation, Papaya, screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, feels exceptionally sincere and heartening as director Priscilla Kelle’s feature debut. Without dialogue, the constant adventure of the papaya seed reflects a teeming Amazonian forest landscape blazing with colours through its vitality and the complex interactions of plants coexisting within…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Iván & Hadoum” Review
Hadoum, a Moroccan woman, and Iván, a Spanish trans man, are colleagues in a greenhouse in southern Spain, where they fall in love. However, this love is tough. It has to face problems such as class and race, and, most practically, it interferes with Iván’s promotion. Behind it all lies the expectation of his entire…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “The River Train” Review
In many regions of Argentina, the malambo exists not only as a dance but also as a cultural inheritance etched into the body – a percussive ritual passed from father to son, from dust to bone. Each step lands with such force that it feels like the earth itself is trembling. The more you watch…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “I Understand Your Displeasure” Review
In I Understand Your Displeasure, Kilian Armando Friedrich creates a powerful and moving portrait of domestic and migrant workers, focusing not only on their daily labour but also on the psychological pressures they face while trying to keep both life and work in balance. Friedrich’s camera remains intimately close to Heike (Sabine Thalaou), the cleaning…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: In Coversation with Kilian Armondo Friedrich, Director of “I Understand Your Displeasure”
Premiering in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival, I Understand Your Displeasure, directed by Kilian Armando Friedrich, is a wonderful work. Known for his background in documentary cinema, including Nomades du Nucléaire, which debuted in Berlin and later won the German Short Film Award, Friedrich brings the same observational intimacy and ethical…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Paradise” Review
Paradise is a cinematic odyssey spanning two distant countries. Directed by Jérémy Comte and co-written by Will Niava, this debut feature interrogates the seduction of deception while celebrating the stubborn, unquenchable beauty of human life. The film confronts the shadowed world of scams and street crime, yet both directors remain committed to portraying the vibrancy,…
76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Yellow Letters” Review
Premiering in Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, Yellow Letters, directed by İlker ÇATAK and written by him alongside Ayda Meryem ÇATAK and Enis KÖSTEPEN, begins as a simple, intimate family story that gradually reveals itself to be far more powerful and troubling. The opening is shattering in its simplicity. Under the dark lights…
As a New Dracula Due to Hit Cinemas, the Original 1931 Version Takes the Top Spot in Ratings
With a new Dracula movie set to hit cinemas next month in the US, a new study reveals that the 1931 classic Dracula remains the highest-rated Dracula-inspired film of all time. The study, conducted by QR Code Generator, evaluated over 50 movies and TV shows inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula and ranked them using IMDb scores and Rotten Tomatoes ratings…
“Dead to Rights” Review
In December 1937, the city of Nanjing was thrust into an unimaginable nightmare. During what has become known as the Nanjing Massacre, Japanese forces captured the Chinese capital, committing atrocities that left tens of thousands dead and countless others traumatised. This dark chapter of history, filled with destruction, brutality, and human suffering, provides the setting…
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