This is the first of three major film adaptation of Junichiro Tanizaki’s famous novel from the 1940s, the second one being the 11959 version directed by Koji Shima, the third one being Kon Ichikawa’s The Makioa Sisters from 1983. Abe’s version stars Hideko Takamine, Hisako Yamane, Yukiko Todoroki and Ranko Hanai in the roles of the sisters. Yukiko Todoroki would also appear in Shima’s version of the film, here in the role of a different sister.Read More »
During the 1930s in the remote highlands of Australian Tasmania, Ruby Rose (Melita Jurisic – Mad Max: Fury Road) lives with her husband, Henry (Chris Haywood – Muriel’s Wedding), and stepson, Gem (Rod Zuanic – Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome).
Ruby is alone for much of the time and, afraid of night’s darkness, she concocts elaborate mythical stories to survive, retreating into a private world. Eventually, she sets out to reconnect with her estranged father, and in the process recovers her past, and transcends the fear that had gripped her so tightly.Read More »
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A downbeat, hypnotic retelling of Mankind’s story from Adam and Eve to the present, played entirely by children. But don’t expect a romp — these kids are deadly serious as they tackle issues of mortality, religion, and the struggle of class against class. Brilliant photography enhances the deliberate pacing, yet the film is never boring. Literary sources include Emily Dickinson and William Blake, and every line is delivered with full conscious intention. Especially effective is the Byzantium sequence, where a single syllable (homousios, or homoiousios) means the difference between life and death. Seldom has the narcotic influence of religious power been so effectively portrayed. The use of a cast composed entirely of children is a conceit that lends itself to preciousness, but here it succeeds without the least trace of “cuteness”. In sum, a daring, challenging, and ultimately worthwhile experiment.Read More »
Synopsis:
Saeed who is suffering from injuries that he received in the Iran-Iraq War, is sent to Germany for treatments. In Germany, he meets his sister and her German husband. Saeed and his sister who have not had any relations in many years try to re-establish the close relationship that they had long time ago.Read More »
A portrait of a dedicated filmmaker who is a charming yet elusive figure in thrall to cinema and the constant perfection of his craft.Read More »
A woman is forced to sit under a hanged rotting corpse in the middle of a burnt forest, until the authorities decide that she has been punished enough.Read More »
Kanae, who broke up with her husband and moved to her uncle’s house, meets two men when her father, a university professor, collapses. Michihara, a wealthy man and Miyashita, a youth scholar. Kanae is attracted to Miyashita, but …Read More »
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Astrid, the wife of a renowned lawyer, has been silenced for 25 years. Her family’s equilibrium suddenly collapses when her children start looking for justice.Read More »
Beware Masterpiece!
Plot: Sahak Kamsaryan, a teacher from a mountain village, deciphers an inscription carved on an ancient stone and discovers that it dates back a thousand years to his native Lernasar. Determined to celebrate the village’s millennium, Sahak sends invitations to his fellow villagers scattered across the country, hoping to commemorate the occasion with grand festivities. However, news reaches the village that a procession is en route bearing the remains of Sirak Agayan, whose accusations once unjustly harmed many residents of Lernasar. As the funeral procession arrives in Lernasar, it is met by a group of elderly villagers blocking its path.Read More »