HORSE MONEY demands a lot from but ultimately rewards its viewer and testifies to Pedro Costa’s evolution as an filmmaker.
The Thoughts That Once We Had
While Thom Andersen’s The Thoughts That Once We Had will appeal above all to cinephiles familiar with Deleuze’s philosophy, its flashes of imaginative criticism make this a valuable reflection on image-making.
These Are the Rules
Croatian director Ognjen Sviličić’s fifth feature film’s dedication to the minimal social realist aesthetic produces some touching reflections on the family unit outside of its overarching narrative.
The Pearl Button
Another nuanced and moving rumination from Patricio Guzmán tracing the contours of Chilean history in the natural phenomena that has born witness to centuries of human misdeed and injustice.
Iris
Though it probably won’t be spoken about in the same breath as the major films directed together with his brother David in the Direct Cinema heyday, Iris is a tempered, intimate piece of portraiture and a fine end to an important body of documentary filmmaking.
From What Is Before
Lav Diaz’s epic 6-hour opus is a solid cinematic experience, more than worth a look in a theatrical context if such an opportunity presents itself.
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
For those just beginning to dip their toes into the Godfather of Soul’s universe, one could do worse than to start their education with Alex Gibney’s Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, on of three films by the director playing at this year’s Sydney Film Festival.
Fish Tail
FISH TAIL is a sensitive and intelligent piece of personal documentary filmmaking from Joaquim Pinto (WHAT NOW? REMIND ME) and Nuno Leonel, focussing on the disappearing working methods of fishermen in the Azores as well as the relationship between filmmaker and subject.
The Water Diviner
As a film about the legacy of Gallipoli, Russell Crowe’s attempt to make a story that speaks to both Australian and Turkish history result in the first-time director over stretching himself.
Under the Starry Sky
Dyana Gaye’s UNDER THE STARRY SKY is an intimately scaled but still powerful reminder that the forces of globalisation cannot produce a singularised migrant experience.