Most recent articles
14 October 2024
The Fisherman and the Banker: aesthetically powerful and ethically chilling
by Judy HarrisIt’s odd that, given the current state of things, online lists of ‘films that make you cry’ rarely include political documentaries. Maybe to be seen crying at such a film would betray a shameful naivete (‘didn’t they know the World Bank is evil? (…) Continue Reading »
10 September 2024
Girls Will Be Girls Review: Being a Girl in a Man’s World
by Jana Al-MughrabiSchuchi Talati’s first feature film Girls Will Be Girls (2024), starring Kani Kustruti and Preeti Panigrahi, is a tenacious yet tender tale of a mother and daughter in this quiet but dazzling coming of age story. Set in the Himalayas, the film (…) Continue Reading »
17 July 2024
Films of Resistance: A Night of Shorts
by Zhaleh BahrainiFilms of Resistance: A Night of Shorts was held at the Genesis cinema in London. The programme of Palestinian shorts was put together by the newly created Films of Resistance initiative, backed by magazine Culturala.
The films shown were:
- (…) Continue Reading »
13 May 2024
Of The People, For the People: Militant Palestinian Cinema (1968-1982)
by Asma IbrahimThe screening programme Of The People, For the People: Militant Palestinian Cinema (1968-1982) was held as part of Doc City Festival. It was curated by filmmaker Saeed Taji Farouky.
Before attending Of The People, For the People, my main (…) Continue Reading »
23 April 2024
Talking Spectacles - Airplane!, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Bram Stoker’s Dracula
by Judy HarrisI spoke to film critic and stand up comedian Nick Bartlett about the Karl Strauss technique in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the mirror gag in Airplane! and the old school effects used to create the beautifully macabre world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (…) Continue Reading »
22 March 2024
A Short Film About Kids: Bethlehem-based Ibrahim Handal on his second ClermontFF entry
by Abla KandalaftFour kids from the refugee camp in Bethlehem decide to visit the sea for the first time in their life. Ibrahim Handal is a cinematographer and filmmaker living in Bethlehem, who graduated in Cinematography in 2019 from Dar Al-Kalima University. (…) Continue Reading »
3 March 2024
Talking Spectacles - Matt Houlihan
by Judy HarrisIn the first instalment of Talking Spectacles I spoke to Matt Houlihan from The Garden Cinema about the drooling aliens of Alien, Event Horizon’s gothic spaceships and the wonderfully absurd animatronics of The Thing.
Alien - This is (…) Continue Reading »
12 February 2024
Q&A with Dwan Kaoukji, director of Canary in a Coal Mine
by Mydylarama teamOne night, while guarding his aunt’s house in a remote Lebanese village, Anis is forced to pretend he is a burglar to save his life during a break-in. An amusing short with a likeable cast. Very impressive debut short by Lebanese (now) filmmaker (…) Continue Reading »
1 February 2024
Q&A with Morad Mostafa, director of I Promise You Paradise - Clermont-Ferrand 2024
by Abla Kandalaft, Elise LoiseauEissa, a 17-year-old African migrant in Egypt, races to beat the clock and save his loved ones after a violent incident, no matter what it takes.
Morad Mostafa has a real knack for telling complex, intimate and three-dimensional stories from (…) Continue Reading »
28 January 2024
Q&A with Phoebe Arnstein, director of If You’re Happy - Clermont-Ferrand 2024
by Abla Kandalaft, Elise LoiseauA woman struggles with the pressures of motherhood and uses a childish game at a local baby group to vent her fury, sparking an unexpected chain reaction.
The chaos, misery, elation, isolation and general upheaval - positive or negative - (…) Continue Reading »