Film Festival
IDFA Review: Racist Trees
While America will claim that it’s a multicultural country which treats all its citizens the same, it has a really troubling history with race. While slavery was officially abolished in the 19th century, it wasn’t until the Civil Rights Act a hundred years later that segregation and discrimination on the grounds of race became illegal. …
IDFA Review: Much Ado About Dying
As a society, we are both living longer than ever before and also much more likely to have chosen to live somewhere far away from home. This creates a number of problems in itself. Traditional family support structures are less likely to still be in place. At the same time, the social care sector is …
IDFA Review: Look What You Made Me Do
One in three women has experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner, such as pushing, shoving and slapping. A quarter have suffered this in a more extreme form, including sexual violence, stalking and actual bodily harm. The vast majority of the perpetrators in these cases are men. The levels of protection afforded …
IDFA Review: The Lost Souls of Syria
One of the biggest issues in holding despots and authoritarian regimes to account is how to prosecute offenders for their crimes. There is the International Criminal Court, but not all countries, including the United States, Russia and China, have signed up to it. You can try the UN, but it’s likely that someone will veto …
IDFA Review: A Compassionate Spy
Over the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in the Manhattan Project. While the result of countless hours of research would provide a blunt and terrible end to World War II, the focus tends to be on the work of a handful of scientists. The likes of Robert Oppenheimer, Glenn Seaborg and …
IDFA Review: Geographies of Solitude
Since the birth of Homo sapiens, we’ve been moving inexorably towards population centres. While early man lived alone or in family groups, more and more banded together for safety in numbers. This evolved into small settlements, which have grown in size ever since. Today, major cities are now hubs for young people and those seeking …
IDFA Review: Paradise
As long as there has been mature plant life on Earth, there have been wildfires. While these often decimate areas of forest, they’ve also played an important role in the evolution of life on this planet. However, climate change is driving an increase in both frequency and intensity. Warmer weather, increased prevalence of drought and …
IDFA Review: Stuntwomen
There’s nothing quite like watching a huge action film on the big screen. One which is full of explosions, gunfire, car chases and fighting. While everything usually looks so slick and stylish, there’s a lot of craft which goes in to choreographing those big moments. To create each set piece, it takes much planning and …
IDFA Review: In Viaggio
When Pope Francis, aka Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became head of the Catholic Church and God’s emissary on Earth in 2013, he became the first pontiff from the Americas. He took control at a time of great difficulty for the ancient institution. While the world had entered a period of political and social turbulence, the church …
DOC NYC Review: The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
While great music can spring up anywhere in the world at any point in time, it’s difficult for any band to grow a following and become known outside of their own hometown. It takes a lot of talent and hard work. Blood, sweat and tears. This is a lot easier when you’re part of a …