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‘Das Licht,’ A Wild Cinematic Ride Opens The 75th Berlin International Film Festival

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival opened with a sense of wonder. Besides the enchanting snow that gave the Opening Ceremony a spectacular Narnia effect, the first film that kicked off the German kermesse enveloped all the possible genres in the realm of motion pictures. If Richard Wagner was fond of the term Gesamtkunstwerk —…

Sundance Film Festival: ‘The Things You Kill’ Transcends the Genre with Its Powerful Symbolism

©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival After participating in the most prestigious European Film festivals like Cannes, Venice and Berlin, the American Iranian author Alireza Khatami lands at the Sundance Film Festival with his latest, stunning feature film. Selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, The Things You Kill tells the story of Ali, a college…

Sundance Film Festival: Sugar Babies is a Nuanced Exploration of a Female Influencer’s Social-Economic Identity

©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival The dedicated obsession many young adults develop to social media and technology isn’t always just a mindless addiction. The new film, Sugar Babies, is both a deeply personal and broadly resonant documentary. Its story offers a poignant commentary on how young adults, through the lens of its protagonist, Autumn Johnson,…

Sundance Film Festival / Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) Review: World Cinema Grand Jury Prize Winner is a Gentle, Indian Triumph

Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival There are layers behind the title “Cactus Pears“ (Sabar Bonda in Marathi). In these red pears there’s a soft, juicy flesh that’s bursting with sweet flavor. Filled with vitamins, indigenous people have used the juice for centuries to treat burns and hepatitis. It takes years to grow, but the sweetness…

Love Hurts : Video Review by Matthew Schuchman

©Courtesy of Universal Pictures Critic : Matthew Schuchman In the early 90s, while at the video store with his friends who wanted to rent Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Matthew asked the clerk if they had any copies of Naked Lunch available. A film buff from an early age, he would turn his fascination…

Sundance Film Festival: ‘Sorry, Baby’ is a Moving Debut for Author Eva Victor

©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival The most difficult challenge that the first-time screenwriter/director/protagonist Eva Victor had to face with Sorry, Baby was certainly to find the difficult, delicate balance between the tones that she wanted to develop through the story. Her feature film starts with the reunion of two college best friends, Agnes (Victor) and…

“Attack on Titan: The Last Attack” Provides Many Fan-Favorites with the Fitting Warrior’s Send-Offs They Deserve

©Courtesy of Crunchyroll Hajime Isayama’s bestselling manga franchise sold over 140 million copies during its original run, spawning 94 episodes of a long-running anime adaptation, as well as two live action films and a theatrical stage-musical. Eventually, all good things come to an end. Unfortunately, that might include humanity. After initially swearing vengeance against the…

Sundance Film Festival: Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Powerfully Reflects on the Pioneering Actress

©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival Nearly 40 years after her groundbreaking breakout film role, for which she was he first deaf performer to win an Oscar, Marlee Matlin’s career and hearing-impaired identity is finally receiving the recognition she deserves. The new documentary, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore shares how the challenges of language deprivation has…

Sundance Film Festival / DJ Ahmet Review: Music Throbs in Timeless, North Macedonian Charmer

©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival In a scene in DJ Ahmet, the winner of the Special Jury Award: World Cinema Dramatic, a horde of escaped sheep crash a rave party in the countryside. The beats pulsate as the sheep bleat. The bells jingle in the blinking lights while cool dudes dance and spray graffiti. But in…

2025 Sundance Recap Pt 2: ‘Brides,’ ‘bunnylovr,’ ‘Love, Brooklyn,’ ‘Bubble & Squeak’

Hopefully, you’ve read and enjoyed the first part of my Sundance wrap-up which included reviews of some of the best things I’ve seen over the past few days of virtual viewing, but not everything at Sundance Film Festival can be wine and roses, and now, here are four reviews of some of the weaker offerings….

Sundance Film Festival: ‘Last Days’ is an Intriguing Story of One Man’s Deadly Quest for Unachievable Salvation

In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed on North Sentinel Island, located off the coast of India and home to a tribe that has had very minimal contact with the outside world. Some described Chau’s death as a tragedy, while others blamed him for breaking the law and attempting to approach a population…