• Alfonso Morgan-Terrero – Verde (2020)

    2011-2020Alfonso Morgan-TerreroDominican RepublicDrama

    Three Dominican men deal with the repercussions of a botched gold mine robbery.Read More »

  • Maria de Medeiros – Capitães de Abril AKA April Captains (2000)

    1991-2000DramaMaria de MedeirosPoliticsPortugal

    Quote:
    In Portugal, late in the night of April 24 to 25, 1974, the radio broadcast an outlawed song: “Grândola”. It could have just been an act of insubordination by a rebellious
    journalist. It was in fact the preplanned signal triggering the military coup which was to change the face of this country and the destiny of vast territories in Africa.Read More »

  • Vivian Qu – Shuiyin jie AKA Trap Street (2013)

    2011-2020ChinaDramaVivian Qu

    “Shuiyin Jie’s straightforward approach to the harsh reality in 21st century China is as courageous as it is terrifying…” ScreenAnarchyRead More »

  • Christian Petzold – Ostwärts (1991)

    1991-2000Christian PetzoldDocumentaryGermanyShort Film

    Shortly after German reunification, three residents of a quiet area north of Berlin talk about their plans and attempts at new economic beginnings amid the changes brought by the fall of the Berlin Wall.

    Christian Petzold’s second film is his only documentary thus far, made with the help of fellow “Berlin School” auteur Thomas Arslan. Interviewing residents of former East Germany about economic change, the director probes a subject that would serve as an undercurrent to his later genre masterpieces.Read More »

  • Monte Hellman – Iguana (1988)

    1981-1990AdventureCultItalyMonte Hellman

    Quote:
    Iguana is an allegorical fable of the abuses of power which follows a disfigured and fiercely misanthropic sailor who jumps ship to become the improbable king of a remote barren island. Featuring a haunting score by Joni Mitchell and starring Everett McGill as a man raging against the calcified hierarchies of 19th century society, Iguana has gained the reputation of a cult film maudit for its harrowing depiction of the savagely exacting master-slave society created by the despotic sailor. Among Hellman’s least discussed works, Iguana will be presented in its rarely screened extended director’s cut. – HGRead More »

  • Denys Arcand – On est au coton AKA Cotton Mill, Treadmill (1976)

    1971-1980CanadaDenys ArcandDocumentaryPolitics

    Quote:
    One of the most controversial films in Canadian history, On est au coton is an examination of the exploitation and repression of textile workers in Quebec. This National Film Board production, more social inquiry than documentary, contrasts the lives of textile workers and their bosses and places their situation in an historical context by employing footage from old films about the industry. (The title is a pun which literally means “we are in cotton,” but it also connotes “we are fed up.”)Read More »

  • Orson Welles – The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice [European Version] (1952)

    1951-1960DramaOrson WellesUSAWilliam Shakespeare

    Winner of Grand Prix du Festival International du Film 1952 Festival de Cannes

    Criterion Collection writes:
    Gloriously cinematic despite its tiny budget, Orson Welles’s Othello is a testament to the filmmaker’s stubborn willingness to pursue his vision to the ends of the earth. Unmatched in his passionate identification with Shakespeare’s imagination, Welles brings his inventive visual approach to this enduring tragedy of jealousy, bigotry, and rage, and also gives a towering performance as the Moor of Venice, alongside Suzanne Cloutier as the innocent Desdemona, and Micheál MacLiammóir as the scheming Iago. Shot over the course of three years in Italy and Morocco and plagued by many logistical problems, this fiercely independent film joins Macbeth and Chimes at Midnight in making the case for Welles as the cinema’s most audacious interpreter of the Bard.Read More »

  • Arunas Zebriunas – Velnio nuotaka AKA The Devil’s Bride (1974)

    1971-1980Arunas ZebriunasDramaLithuaniaMusical

    “This is one of the most successful and unique Lithuanian films. By choosing the form of a musical or a rock opera the author remained in touch with the book, but at the same time created an original work of cinematography. Vivid and expressive although boldly modernised spectacle driven by catchy music composed by Ganelinas was made in a funny and relaxed manner. The Devil’s Bride is busting the myth about the grim nature of the Lithuanians. It strikes with cheerful dynamics and remains an exclusive example of Lithuanian cinematography.” Film critic Saulius MacaitisRead More »

  • Konrad Niewolski – Symetria (2003)

    Drama2001-2010Konrad NiewolskiPolandThriller

    Twenty-six year-old Lukasz, well-educated and mild-mannered, is accused of assault on an older woman. Placed in custody awaiting trial, Lukasz’s mental stability becomes threatened as he attempts to find himself within the prison’s pervasive code of criminal ethics. But soon Lukasz discovers that it is his principles that are put on trial as he is faced to choose sides when a man accused of child molestation becomes his cellmate. Nothing will be the same.Read More »

Back to top button