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,…
Tag: film festival
75th Berlin International Film Festival: In Conversation with Florian Pochlatko, Director of “How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World”
Mental health film narratives are arguably among the most challenging to bring to the big or silver screen due to their complexity, requiring a delicate balance between authenticity, artistic interpretation, and emotional sensitivity. Yet, Florian Pochlatko rises to the occasion with How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World, a film that…
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…
Takeuchi Hideki Returns to the Far East Film Festival
Historically, cinema has predominantly engaged with the human body through the lens of science fiction, often depicting miniature characters – reduced to the size of ants – who embark on fantastical journeys within our physical form, confronting its mysteries and the limited special effects technology of bygone eras. Iconic films like Richard Fleischer’s Fantastic Voyage,…
International Premiere of “The Wedding Banquet” to Open The 39th BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
LGBTQIA+ cinema is more essential than ever, offering visibility, promoting empathy, and challenging societies. It provides a space for storytelling that reflects diverse identities and experiences, creating a sense of belonging for marginalised communities. Festivals like BFI Flare play a crucial role in strengthening these voices, ensuring that queer narratives – whether exploring love, family,…
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…
“By the Stream” Review
There is no easy entry point to the work of Hong Sang-soo. Even though his style remains consistent, his Eric Rohmer-inspired narratives frequently built around off-the-cuff drunken conversations and meandering walks around Seoul, there’s a density to the storytelling not always immediately apparent. His earlier work could often be in conversation with itself, with metatextual…
Wang Bing’s “Youth” Trilogy: Voices from China’s Hidden Factories – Film Review
The history of cinema, in many ways, began in the factory – its first frames capturing the daily lives of male and female workers as they filed out of the Lumière factory in Lyon in 1895. This simple, silent image marked the inception of the filmic medium, recording not just the physical movement of workers,…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 