30 Mar 2009 0
“How is Fidel?” asks the interviewer. Some say he’s well. Others, say he’s dying. After watching Alessandra Magnaghi and Ortensia Visconti’s Fidelity, we come to realise that no one really knows. Castro is like a mystical deity, a figurehead; asking ‘how is Fidel?’ is like asking ‘do you believe in God?’
28 Mar 2009 0
The United Colours of Benetton – anyone growing up in the 80s would remember the advertisements for this clothing brand: images of people of all colours, nationalities, races interacting on an equal footing, enjoying a harmonious existence and joyfully pushing societal boundaries. We were impressed by Benetton – clearly he was using his clothes to send out a great message about equality and freedom. Ale Corte’s Colours at the End of the World shows us that this was merely a very cleverly crafted marketing campaign, with one aim: to make money.
27 Mar 2009 0
Voices Across the Wall is unlike anything you’ll ever see. More revealing than any BBC political commentary, this stunning piece gives a balanced and evocative picture of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli struggle. The haunting piano soundtrack will reverberate the thoughts and images depicted in the film through you long after its end. It feels like we are there with the director…
26 Mar 2009 0
Eva Weber’s The Solitary Life of Cranes is a thought-provoking journey above London and its surrounds, as seen from the perspective of crane drivers. Living in this crazy, frenetic, whirlwind of a city, we see cranes all the time, their seemingly static, spindly arms breaking up the regular flow of the city’s skyline. Rarely would we think about the perspective of the man at the other end, the operator of this city fixture. Never would we dream that he may already know all about us!
24 Mar 2009 0
“May all beings be happy and create the causes of happiness,” sings a young boy from the Himalayas. This constitutes the key message of Donagh Coleman’s lyrical Stone Pastures – a story of one’s family’s struggle to make ends meet and ensure a better life for their children with good education. The theme seems familiar but the setting and cultural context of this film is not.
