Written by Eric Zhu "Centered on the friendship between two female artists Hanna and Pari, the film opens on one of Pari’s shows, a piece of Brechtian performance art where actors enact their daily routines within a white soundstage. This … Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "...tensions surface in the merit ceremonies, where some temples have been refashioned to appeal to a modern audience and nearly all leverage spirituality as a means to earn donations. At the second temple, a monk stresses … Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "Many cinema-goers, even serious cinephiles, have little context for avant-garde cinema. It’s easy to understand the impetus behind a documentary like "Barbara Forever," which provides a rare introduction to a towering figure in the field."… Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "Dominga Sotomayor’s "La Perra" is both perfectly judged and ravishingly beautiful. Set on a remote island in the South of Chile, the film is situated within a community of seaweed harvesters, one of whom, Silvia, has … Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "In a better world, we’d have many more independent films like Zach Weintraub’s "Assets & Liabilities." This is a film that’s formalist but not over-directed, funny and anxious, but not solipsistic. It’s set in a specific … Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "The evocation of 16mm, which once seemed inextricable from Benning’s blue-collar class background, has an obvious connection to these hollowed-out landscapes. These resonances are enhanced by..."… Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "Like many of the best films, “Dry Leaf” is endlessly thought-provoking, but gracious and easygoing on a moment-to-moment basis. Unencumbered by narrative, it’s motivated by the simple pleasures of pastoral vistas, rich humanity, and..."… Continue reading.
Written by Eric Zhu "For us, unbound from the burden of direct representation, these images invite speculation of who these people are, of who they might be now, of lives before these images, and of Palestine’s future."… Continue reading.
Written by Taylor Baker "With some decent fight choreography and dedicated turns by Merritt Weaver and Ethan Embry as Christy's mother and father, this would-be redemption story amounts to little by the time we see Sweeney walk out and bump … Continue reading.
Written by Taylor Baker "Losznitsa, a director who primarily films documentaries, lets his cameras roll for extended sequences, allowing the spaces to come to life and the characters time to inhabit them. It is when Kornyev acts with kindness or … Continue reading.
