66th BFI London Film Festival: “The Woman in the White Car” Review

In a small Korean town, a police officer, Kim Hyun-ju (Lee Jeong-eun: Parasite, Hommage), alongside her partner, are called to a hospital to check on two sisters with one being severely injured and unconscious. We quickly learn that one of the siblings is called Do-kyung (Jung Ryeowon: Castaway on the Moon, Wok of Love, Gate),…

66th BFI London Film Festival: “Decision to Leave” Review

It may not seem like it at first glance, but Park Chan-wook’s films are those of a distinctly romantic disposition. His narratives typically explore the tension that arises when erotic and emotional idealism meets cold, hard reality; in his films, the only happy romances can be found in either the dispassionate confines of a mental…

Yoon Seo-bin on Music, Acting and Korean Cinema

Who is Yoon Seo-bin? Born and raised in South Korea, Yoon Seo-bin found his love for music during his teenage years. After being discovered on the streets of Seoul, the singer trained for over a year and seven months. Despite leaving Produce X 101 (2019 – reality survival show), he decided to wait for a…

“The fans are the 11th member of Golden Child, and we don’t [and wouldn’t] exist without them” – In Conversation with Golden Child, a K-Pop Idol Group

Golden Child distinguish themselves by their musical variety. Although they represent K-pop in its pure form, the group finds it easy to combine the genre with funk, disco, and electronic sounds. Visually, when it comes to their music videos, the group values simplistic aesthetics blended with satisfying choreography instead of the flashy, complex music videos…

Fragments Festival: In Conversation with Kim Bartley, Director of “Pure Grit”

What does it mean to explore non-fiction narratives through film? Accompanying other people with a camera during their everyday life is always difficult, but at the same time, it is an extraordinary journey for all parties involved, including the director, the film crew, and also the subject of the film. While documentaries capture meaningful moments,…

Fragments Festival: “Mama Bears” Review

24 June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. This is just the first step by the Republican Party in removing the American people’s hard-fought rights. Next up on the Christian nationalist agenda by the MAGA republicans seems to be same-sex marriage and the further erosion of trans rights. On the day that Trump was elected…

Fragments Festival: “Pure Grit” Review

Horses have been a part of Native American culture for a very long time, and most of their cultural iconography is filled with equestrian imagery, making a clear distinction in Indigenous art. Pure Grit, a documentary directed by Kim Bartley, depicts the story of Sharmaine, a young Native American woman who lives in the Wind…

Fragments Festival: “To Kill The Beast” Review

To Kill The Beast is the first feature film of Agustina San Martin, whose short films have garnered prestigious awards at film festivals including Cannes with Monster God (2019). The Argentinian director has also worked as a screenwriter, colourist, and cinematographer. Between 2020 and 2022, she was mentored by Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor, singer, songwriter and…

When is a Zombie not a Zombie: “The Retaliators” Review

A word to the wise, never show characters watching a seminal film that is far better than the one they are in (here the film is Romero’s classic The Night of the Living Dead). A pastor, Bishop (Michael Lombardi), loses his eldest daughter as a result of a drug exchange that goes wrong and must decide…

79th Venice International Film Festival – “Burning Hearts” Review

Deep in the Apulian countryside, resides two powerful families with a venomous hatred of each other – the Malatestas and the Camporeales. It’s been around 40 years since their last bloodshed and ever since both families have been stuck in a tense stalemate with each other. All until the young Malatesta heir Andrea (Francesco Patanè)…