“Aïcha” explores life as a working-class woman in contemporary post-revolution Tunisia, a nation grappling with its fractured identity and deep-rooted social inequalities. Directed by Egyptian director Mehdi Barsaoui, the film centers on Aya Dhaoui (played by Fatma Sfar), a 30-year-old woman from a traditional village in southern Tunisia. Her story is of survival and self-reinvention, set against economic despair, patriarchal oppression, and a changing yet consistently oppressive society.
Tag Archives: France
Venice 2024 Review: “Super Happy Forever”
“Super Happy Forever,” by Japanese filmmaker Igarashi Kohei, is a beautifully tender and subtle exploration of grief, coincidence, and how our relationships with those we’ve lost continue to exist in the small, everyday things that remind us of them.
Cannes 2024 Review: “When the Light Breaks”
In Rúnar Rúnarsson’s latest film, “When the Light Breaks,” Una and Diddi, two young Icelandic art students and band members, are deeply in love. They find themselves lost in the mesmerizing dusk, their thoughts drifting away as they smoke joints together. They dream of traveling, ultimately choosing Japan as their destination. When the sun rises, Diddi will break up with his girlfriend, Klara, allowing him and Una to openly embrace their relationship. The future seems bright for the couple, but their hopes are shattered dashed by a tragic event.
Cannes 2024 Review: “The Other Way Around”
Jonás Trueba’s “The Other Way Around” is a sensitive, cerebral rom-com that balances humor, philosophy, and meta-cinematic elements and uses the latter two elements to distinguish itself from the genre. The film follows Ale (Itsaso Arana) and Alex (Vito Sanz), a couple on the brink of separation after 15 years together. Trueba’s approach to the narrative is unconventional and refreshing, turning the typical breakup story on its head by having Ale and Alex throw a party to celebrate their separation and repeatedly finding themselves in the same situation.
Berlin 2024 Review: “Who by Fire”
“Who By Fire,” the third feature film by Canadian director Philippe Lesage, delves into the various dynamics of relationships against the isolated backdrop of a Canadian wilderness lodge, with seventeen-year-old Jeff at the narrative’s core. Invited for a holiday by his friend Max to director and family friend Blake Cadieux’ home, Jeff is introduced to a set of complex relationships, leading to life-altering revelations and events.
Berlinale 2024 Review: “Who Do I Belong To”
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 strong directorial decisions the film delivers a narrative that’s deeply embedded in the complexities of familial bonds and the pain of disillusionment.
Berlinale 2024 Review: “Cu Li Never Cries”
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”
¨Pepe¨, the sophomore 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: “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 culture and confronts the ominous threats of external violence.
Leiden 2023 Review: “The Old Oak”
The Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF), spanning from October 26 to November 5 this year, presents a rich array of cinema, stretching from the thought-provoking arthouse to the more accessible mainstream, offering a feast for all film lovers. Since its first edition in 2006, it has blossomed into one of the Netherlands’ most-anticipated film gatherings. This review of Ken Loach’s ‘The Old Oak’ kicks off a series of reviews spotlighting some of the films showcased at LIFF.
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