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Berlinale 2024 Review: “Who Do I Belong To”

_{© Tanit Films, Midi La Nuit, Instinct Bleu}

Following her 2018 Oscar-nominated short “Brotherhood,” Meryam Joobeur’s debut narrative feature, ‘Who Do I Belong To,’ is a sensitive and emotionally charged examination of a Tunisian family torn apart by radicalization. Through a lens that is both intimate and deeply affecting, Joobeur explores the limits of a mother’s love, faced with the harrowing realities of her son’s actions. Amplified by Joobeur’s incredible directorial vision, the film delivers a narrative that’s deeply embedded in the complexities of familial bonds and the pain of a mother’s disillusionment.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “A Traveler’s Needs”

“A Traveler’s Needs,” directed by celebrated auteur Hong Sangsoo, is a thought-provoking exploration of how engaging with foreign concepts—be it culture, language, or individuals—can profoundly shift our perspectives and challenge deeply held beliefs and culturally ingrained structures. This film navigates the philosophical and existential terrains of identity, expression and interpretation by focussing on language acquisition and reflections on art. Through a series of conversations, it presents a case for the enriching influence of embracing the unfamiliar, suggesting that our encounters with the unknown can lead to profound self-reflection and a broader understanding of life’s possibilities.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “Rising Up at Night”

While the news of the harrowing events currently occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is slowly entering Western spaces on social media platforms, it remains difficult to find comprehensive coverage on the matter. While Nelson Makengo’s “Rising Up at Night” does not necessarily cover all the cruelty the Congolese population is facing, the documentary, through a deafening call for help offers an essential perspective on the inability of the government to care for their struggling population.

This work by Makengo is an overwhelmingly evocative documentary that delves into the stark realities of life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly focusing on the struggles faced by residents in Kinshasa amid frequent power outages and devastating floods. Makengo depicts the struggle of his subjects that is as much about the physical darkness brought on by the lack of electricity as it is about the metaphorical darkness of living in a disaster-stricken area.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “Cu Li Never Cries”

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After presenting a series of compelling short films at prestigious festivals such as Locarno, Sundance, and Berlinale, Vietnamese filmmaker Phạm Ngọc Lân has finally premiered his eagerly awaited debut feature, Cu Li Never Cries, at the Berlin Film Festival. The film offers a poetic exploration of how the past continues to influence us and the journey of adapting to the inevitable changes of the present and future. It follows an elderly woman, Mrs. Nguyện, as she navigates a world that has dramatically transformed around her.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “Pepe”

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¨Pepe¨, the latest feature from Dominican director Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias is a bold outing that recounts the life and death of real-life hippopotamus Pepe in a wildly imaginative and stylistically exciting manner, covering a wide range of topics and concepts to explore themes surrounding colonialism, racism, exploitation and the feeling of being ¨othered.¨

Berlinale 2024 Review: ¨Memories of a Burning Body¨

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“Memories of a Burning Body,” the sophomore feature by director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, where the Costa Rican director once again takes the stage at the Berlinale Film Festival, shines with the director’s powerful approach to storytelling. Following the acclaim of her first feature, “The Awakening of the Ants,” for its strong feminist lens, Sudasassi Furniss returns with a narrative that pushes the boundaries of how the internal world of women, particularly those of advanced age, is portrayed in cinema even further.

Berlinale 2024 Review: ¨In the Belly of a Tiger¨

“In the Belly of a Tiger,” the sophomore feature by director Siddharta Jatla, takes audiences into the bleak realities of a Northern Indian village, grappling with poverty and the extreme choices some are forced to make in the name of survival. This Indian film, inspired by true events, unflinchingly portrays the life-and-death struggles of its characters, who are caught in a cycle of exploitative labor and increasing desperation. The narrative’s core, centered around the haunting possibility of self-sacrifice to a tiger for government compensation, introduces a unique blend of class drama and horror elements that sets the stage for an intense exploration of human resilience and familial bonds.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “I Saw Three Black Lights”

Set against the serene backdrop of the Colombian jungle, “I Saw Three Black Lights” unfolds as an evocative exploration into the realms of heritage, mortality, and the profound connection to ancestral lands and culture. Directed by Santiago Lozano Álvarez, this film transcends the boundaries of conventional storytelling, creating a mesmerizing audiovisual experience that honors Afro-Colombian and Indigenous cultures and confronts the ominous threats of external violence.

Berlinale 2024 Review: “Arcadia”

Yorgos Zois’s newest film, “Arcadia,” is a moving examination of human loss and resiliency that makes a significant addition to the ever-innovative Greek film landscape. With remarkable performances from Vangelis Mourikis and Angeliki Papoulia, the film takes a unique turn that both distinguishes it from other movies as well as elevates a genre that is prone to recurrence. With an intriguing and captivating viewpoint, Zois creates an artfully structured narrative that ties in common experiences.

Rotterdam 2024 Review: “78 Days”

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“78 Days,” the debut feature film by Emilija Gašić, premiering at the 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), is a remarkable Serbian production that delves into the heart of a family’s experience during the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia in 1999. Through an evocative narrative captured in the style of a home video, Gašić brings to the screen a story that intertwines the innocence of youth with the harrowing realities of war, making it a true standout example of found-footage filmmaking.