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…
Category: Foreign Films
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: 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…
Singapore International Film Festival: “The 4PLY Clandestine System” Review
Directed by the emerging talent Natalie Sin, The 4PLY Clandestine System has earned its place as one of Singapore’s five standout short films at the 36th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), competing in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition. The film’s strength lies not only in its craft but in its local soul; it re-examines…
62nd Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival: “The Long Departure” Review
One of the greatest pleasures, or perhaps essential rituals, at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (TGHFF) is exploring its consistently strong shorts program, particularly the documentary section. They usually struggle to reach wider audiences outside of the festival circuit, making this showcase a rare opportunity. This year, among a blossom of Taiwanese short films,…
20th London Korean Film Festival: “Frosted Window” Review
Kim Jong-kwan is surely one of a kind as a filmmaker. His work reveals a keen sensitivity to the human condition. His cinema has always been a dialogue between isolation and empathy, often exploring how people drift in and out of each other’s lives, guided by memory and the delicate tremour of feeling. From Worst…
Tibet Film Festival London 2025: “MOLA” Review
Every once in a while, a documentary comes along that makes you pause and reflect on your own life – and how you move through the world. Shown at this year’s Tibet Film Festival in London, MOLA: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss is a beautiful portrait of family and faith, and a story…
Tibet Film Festival London 2025: “Wisdom of Happiness” Review
In today’s fast-changing and uncertain world, wisdom, happiness, and compassion are no longer just ideals; they’re essential tools for finding balance and connection. Wisdom today isn’t simply about intellect or knowledge; it’s about discernment, the ability to see clearly through the noise and distraction that fill modern life, and to make choices that serve not…
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