★★★★☆ In short: a delicately directed and highly emotional drama set in contemporary Morocco highlighting stifling social inequalities and patriarchal…
The Dead and The Others (2018) by Nader Messora and Salaviza: a magnetic story about the cruel divide between indigenous and western lives in rural Brazil
★★★★☆ In short: The beautiful and melancholy portrayal of a 15-year-old indigenous Krahô at a crossroads between an anxious and…
A Fantastic Woman (2017) by Sebastián Lelio: the poetic and enthralling fight for justice of a trans superwoman at odds with her world
There’s something timeless and dreamlike about A Fantastic Woman by Sebastián Lelio. Perhaps because it’s set in a far-off yet…
BFI Flare: Martyr (Lebanon, 2017), My Years of Mercy (US, 2017) and Paternal Rites (US, 2017)
This year again BFI Flare festival programme is offering an exciting perspective on the huge diversity in contemporary LGBTQ+ cinema,…
Loveless (2017) by Andrey Zvyagintsev: a chilling tale of emotional detachment in materialistic Russia
After The Return, The Banishment, Elena (reviewed here) and Leviathan, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Loveless offers another ruthless yet stylish perspective on…
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Denis Villeneuve: Razor-sharp film-making, acute artistry, honed soundtrack – but more of a long-distance racer than a sprinter
With all the hype around the release of Blade Runner 2049, everything and anything will have been said about Denis…
120 BPM (2017) by Robin Campillo: a must-see film as intense and uncompromising as its subject
Before the critical and French box office success of his new film 120BPM (120 Battements par Minute, 2017), Robin Campillo…
Djam (2017) by Tony Gatlif: an emotional musical trip between two continents.
Djam is one of those films whose uplifting soundtrack instantly transports you to a different place and proves how music…
London’s Raindance Festival turns 25: a bold celebration of independent film in all its glory
The 25th Raindance Film Festival launched in London last Wednesday with an ambitious selection of contemporary international cinema including features,…
Oh Lucy! (2017) – the slow-motion roller-coaster ride of a Japanese middle-aged woman in search of love
Starring late 90s heartthrob Josh Hartnett, Oh Lucy! (2017, Japan) by Atsuko Hirayanagi is the tragic and farcical portrayal of…