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TIFF 2023 Review: “Bye Bye Tiberias”

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Lina Soualem’s documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias” offers an emotionally charged and complex portrait of her family’s relationship with their Palestinian roots. Using archival footage, family interviews, reenactments, and personal reflection, the film examines the lasting emotional impact of displacement and the occupation on the Palestinian diaspora.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Mambar Pierrette”

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Cameroonian-born, Belgium-based director Rosine Mbakam, known for her documentaries, makes a noteworthy venture into fiction with her debut narrative feature “Mambar Pierrette.” The film blends narrative storytelling with documentary-style elements to offer a genuine and authentic portrayal of everyday life in Douala, Cameroon. It avoids clichés and offers a nuanced perspective on the struggles and triumphs of the local community through the eyes of a dressmaker who plays a vital role in her community.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Banel & Adama”

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From the up-and-coming Senegalese director Ramate-Toulaye Sy, known for her 2021 Oscar-qualifying short ‘Astel’ and her remarkable screenplay for the 2019 Rwandan film ‘Our Lady of the Nile,’ comes her debut feature, “Banel & Adama.” Having made its debut in the prestigious competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film manages to exceed all expectations and establishes Sy as a masterful storyteller. “Banel & Adama” is a searing romantic drama set in a remote Senegalese village, distinguished by its intimate characters and an intricate narrative that deftly tackles issues of tradition, gender, and disruptive climate change.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Valentina or the Serenity”

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Two years after captivating audiences with her debut feature, Angeles Cruz returns with another stunning work set in Oaxaca, Mexico. “Valentina or the Serenity” is a small film that serves as a haunting yet tender exploration of grief observed through the innocent eyes of a child.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Andragogy”

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“Andragogy,” directed by Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja, immerses the viewer in an exploration of the shifting social dynamics during the digital age, where the boundary between public and private life is increasingly blurred. With much narrative depth and a nuanced point of view, Bhanuteja crafts a thought-provoking and timely work about contemporary controversies and their ability to affect the most vulnerable among us.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Not a Word”

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“Not a Word,” The latest film from Slovenian-German director Hanna Slak, presents a psychologically profound examination of the troubled dynamic between a mother and her quiet son. Set between Germany and France’s wintery, frigid landscapes, the drama delves into the effects of passion and emotional neglect on its central characters. The story captures how the mother’s professional ambitions lead to a growing distance between parent and child, ultimately impacting the son’s emotional growth. With its jarring narrative, “Not a Word” delivers a commentary on passion, connection, and parenting. It’s a compelling look at a woman torn between her passion and the real-world emotional needs of her child that she’s failing to meet.

TIFF 2023 Review: “Hajjan”

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With “Hajjan,” Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky offers a seemingly straightforward and conventional sports narrative about the high-stakes world of camel racing in Saudi Arabia, only to subvert subgenre expectations as the film progresses. Five years after his acclaimed debut at Cannes “Yomeddine,” Shawky delivers another thought-provoking coming-of-age feature, this time focusing on the way the relationship between a boy and his beloved camel is tested by the society they live in.

TIFF 2023 Review: “The Monk and the Gun”

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In his second feature film, “The Monk and the Gun,” Bhutanese filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji presents a multifaceted story of various characters, each with a unique perspective on the influence of globalization on Bhutan and the country´s transition to democracy in 2006. Against the stunning mountainous landscapes, this culturally rich film offers a brilliantly written critique of a society caught between the perseverance of their culture, Westernization, and enforced ‘modernity’.

Venice 2023 Review: “The Summer with Carmen”

Zacharias Mavroeidis’ “The Summer with Carmen” is a milestone work of queer cinema that seamlessly captures the nuances of gay life. The film takes us on a journey through a day at Athens’ queer beach, exploring queer-related themes such as hookup and relationship culture, family acceptance, and representation. The story begins as a lighthearted comedy, but soon transforms into an emotional character study that offers a genuine glimpse into the complex lives of gay individuals. Ultimately, as one of the most major queer films in recent memory, the film delivers a thoroughly examined portrayal of gay friendships that is both touching and thought-provoking.

Venice 2023 Review: “Housekeeping for Beginners”

“A gay man and a lesbian woman walk to the altar together” might sound like the setup for a joke, but in Goran Stolevski’s serious drama “Housekeeping for Beginners,” it’s a central moment in a jarring journey into the world of marginalized people in contemporary North Macedonia. Making a return to his motherland after having directed two successful queer features in Australia, Stolevski brilliantly maneuvers through the intersecting lines of discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ and Roma communities, delivering a daring portrayal of a group of people who do not fit in.