Film Festival
LFF Review: The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao
Whilst siblings are often close, there’s something rather unusual about the bonds between sisters. A connection which, despite being invisible, is incredibly hard to break. An understanding and intimacy which is difficult to describe. This complex relationship has been captured on celluloid in the likes of Ginger Snaps, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Virgin Suicides …
LFF Review: So Long, My Son
When the Communist Party decided to relax the one-child policy in 2013, and subsequently changed the national family planning to two children per couple, it marked the end of a controversial and disquieting era in China’s history. Whilst adherence to the law sometimes depended on where you lived and your economic position, it has caused …
LFF Review: Burning Cane
There has been a reckoning over the last few years and finally we’re beginning to see black voices being given the opportunity to make the films they want to make. One such film-maker is Phillip Youmans. At the age of nineteen, the New Orleans born, New York resident made Burning Cane. Despite still being in …
LFF Review: Adoration
We all remember our first love. Even though it probably ended in tears, lies, betrayals and recriminations in the playground. However, as we go through life those bad memories seem to fade into the abyss, leaving just the warm and reassuring ones behind. It’s easy to get carried away as our hormones run rampant. To …
LFF Review: Martin Eden
Jack London was one of the most important and influential American novelists of his generation. His writings embodied the thirst for adventure which epitomised the era but also were a product of his radical political opinions. Much of his work reflected his socialist leanings, most notably in The Iron Heel and Martin Eden. The latter …
LFF Review: The Whistlers
The Romanian new wave is arguably the most interesting current movement in modern cinema. Of those directors working under this banner, Corneliu Porumboiu is possibly the most interesting. With award-winning films such as 12:08 East of Bucharest and The Treasure, he has wowed audiences on the festival circuit. His new film, The Whistlers, is his …
LFF Review: Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Whilst, to the outside world, the movie business might seem full of glitz and glamour, there’s a lot of sweat and tears which go into making a film. Much of which could hardly be seen as an exciting or luxurious career. There’s a ludicrous amount of money floating around the film industry but it’s only …
LFF Review: Only the Animals
The French have a knack when it comes to stylish and sexy thrillers. There’s something about the Gallic temperament which provides for scintillating and electric cinema. Over the years we’ve been spoiled by a high standard of output. From such classics as Chabrol’s Le Boucher or Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques to modern greats like Canet’s Tell …
LFF Review: Talking About Trees
The cinema of Sudan is almost completely unknown on a world stage. Whilst not overly surprising for an impoverished African country, this hasn’t always been the case. Years of oppressive governments, hard-line religion and a struggling economy has resulted in almost all the cinemas closing down. Film-makers, who at one stage were winning awards on …
LFF Review: Fire Will Come
Crime and punishment. It’s a tale as old as the hills. You do the crime and pay the time. When you’re released, your slate is wiped clean. Fully rehabilitated and ready to be an active and useful member of society once more. Welcomed back into the community with open arms. Obviously, this hardly ever happens. …