If you’re a Vietnamese filmmaker, presenting a story to the world about two star-crossed lovers nicknamed Viet and Nam is all but asking the audience to interpret the trajectory of their relationship as a metaphor for the nation itself. The third film from writer/director Truong Minh Quy attempts to avoid this straightforward categorization due to…
Category: Foreign Films
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “The Good Sister” Review
Sarah Miro Fischer’s The Good Sister, screened in Panorama at this year’s Berlinale, is a haunting exploration of family bonds tested by the unimaginable. The film depicts the emotional turmoil of Rose (Marie Bloching), whose brother Sam (Anton Weil) is accused of a sexual offense. By centering the narrative on a sibling rather than the…
75th Berlin International Film Festival: In Conversation with Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys, Directors of “We Believe You”
At this year’s Berlinale, We Believe You made an impact with its unflinching portrayal of the intersection between the legal system and the emotional toll of a custody battle involving abuse allegations. Directed with precision and sensitivity, the film explores the labyrinth of judicial procedures while centering on Alice, a mother fighting to protect her…
75th Berlin International Film Festival – “Village Rockstars 2” Review
Seven years after the release of the critically acclaimed Village Rockstars (2017), filmmaker Rima Das revisits the vivid terrain of Kalardiya to continue the subtle narrative of Dhunu (Bhanita Das). Now on the cusp of adulthood, 17-year-old Dhunu confronts the complex realities of life in her small Assamese village, a world shaped by cyclical floods,…
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World” Review
Much like the greyscale outlook of those with depressive disorders, sometimes cinema is so uninspired it seems like the entire industry has been lost to shareholders. But on one’s first watch of Florian Pochlatko’s How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World, it’s like trying fudge after a lifetime of eating cardboard….
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “The Message” Review
Screened in Competition at this year’s Berlinale and winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize, Iván Fund’s The Message is an unconventional coming-of-age story that balances the ethereal with the tangible, creating a narrative about family, perception, and connection. At its core, The Message captures the defining moment when a child gains the awareness that…
75th Berlin International Film Festival: “Hysteria” Review
A study in humanity might be one good way of summarising Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s 2025 film Hysteria. Where is the line between a righteous act and a performative spectacle? Büyükatalay attempts to answer the question when a dishonourable burning of a Quran for a shoot sparks conflict between parties, and Hysteria becomes a meta film…
“Cottontail” Review: A Masterful Directorial Debut
The recently bereaved Kenzaburo (Lily Franky), travels to the UK in order to scatter his late wife’s ashes in Lake Windermere accompanied by his son, Toshi (Ryo Nishikido), his wife, Satsuki (Rin Takanashi) and their daughter. Once in London, the fractious relationship between father and son intensifies leading to Kenzaburo deciding to fulfill his wife’s…
The World of Shaina Magdayao: Acting, Advocacy, and International Acclaim – Exclusive Interview
Before cinema’s advent in the Philippines, theatrical traditions thrived through indigenous rituals and Spanish-imported zarzuelas and vaudeville. These laid the cultural groundwork for the cinematic evolution to follow. The country’s first public film screening occurred in 1897 under Spanish auspices, marking a watershed moment for Philippine entertainment. By the turn of the century, cinema rapidly…
18th Asian Film Awards Have Announced the Nominees for its 16 Award Categories
The Asian Film Awards have once again shown the genius of Asian cinema, with Exhuma taking the lead in this year’s nominations. Earning an impressive 11 nominations across major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Screenplay, and more, Exhuma has quickly become a prime example of the power…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 