IDFA
IDFA Review: White Noise
Whilst the Tea Party movement may have eventually been unsuccessful, it did have one huge and lasting impact on US society. The politics of fear, which its proponents used as a weapon, has become commonplace. The rise of Trumpism and the alt-right has resulted in a spike in white nationalism and proto-fascism. Combined with the …
IDFA Review: Nardjes A.
Protests have sprung up across North Africa since the Arab Spring in 2010. Algeria has been no exception and witnessed two years of unrest at the beginning of the decade; against rising unemployment, housing shortages and soaring inflation, amongst other things. It has been fairly calm of late. However, sparked initially by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s …
IDFA Review: Garage People
Deep in rural northern Russia, in the outskirts of a mining town, live row upon row of garages. Coming in a range of colours and conditions, these well-used buildings play a vital role in the lives of their owners. They provide an escape from everyday life. A place where they can be themselves and indulge …
IDFA Review: Crazy, Not Insane
Over the last fifteen years, Alex Gibney has been frighteningly prolific, releasing amammoth twenty-eight feature-length documentaries. What is more impressive, is how consistently excellent they are. Not to mention award-winning, with the likes of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark Side in particular receiving a lot of plaudits. During …
IDFA Review: Bitter Love
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience a holiday romance, you’ll know that there’s nothing quite like it. Caught up in the moment. Just the two of you. Without a care in the world or a thought for what that rendezvous will mean in the long or medium term. Time stands still. A cruise …
IDFA Review: ‘Til Kingdom Come
Evangelical Christianity is an anathema for reasonable and liberal people. It has been around for centuries but is most often seen today in the intolerant bile you witness on TV networks across the United States. Indeed, it’s a weapon which President Trump has (successfully) employed in his political rise. Characterised by hectoring preachers and wildly …
IDFA Review: City Hall
Within documentary film circles, Frederick Wiseman is something of a legend. He’s easily one of the greatest living American documentarians and continues to work in a refreshingly unique way. Since 1970, when he established his own production company (Zipporah Films), he has self-released a raft of wonderful observational films, including Ex Libris – The New …
IDFA Review: The Magnitude of All Things
Our world is dying. It has been for millions of years. However, since the industrial revolution, the actions of man have greatly speeded up this process. The acceleration has spiked within the last two decades, driven by the incessant demands of consumerism and the perpetual need for more energy. The Earth has reached a tipping …
IDFA Review: Once Upon a Time in Venezuela
Lake Maracaibo is a large tidal bay and a major fishing route in the North East of Venezuela. Whilst it’s one of the oldest lakes on Earth, its claim to fame is a weather phenomenon called the Catatumbo lightning; producing storms on almost half the night of the year. It is also the home for …
IDFA Review: Petit Samedi
When people talk about drug addiction, they’re normally referring to junkies breaking into houses or homeless people collapsed on the street from spice. They think of someone who is out of control and unable to function within polite society. However, in many cases, this cannot be further from the truth. Whilst it still undoubtedly takes …