Laura Poitras’ documentary following Wikileaks founder Julian Assange suffers from a scattershot focus, unable to coalesce into anything more than an interesting collection of hard-to-get footage.
Napalm
Eschewing intellectual history for the personal, Claude Lanzmann’s North Korean journey explores the sadness beyond the political facts.
An Insignificant Man
Directors Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla rely almost exclusively on a broad brush to paint the narrative of political figure Arvind Kejriwal.
Happy End
Though formally demanding, the latest film from Austrian director Michael Haneke feels thematically easy for those familiar with his work.
Ciao Ciao
Ciao Ciao is focused on the malfunctions of China’s urbanist ideology, and how they are realised in the setting of uncertain personal lives.
The Grown-Ups
Maite Alberdi’s nuanced documentary is refreshing and non-patronising glimpse into the lives of people with Down’s Syndrome.
The Young Karl Marx
Raoul Peck’s biopic treads with caution, but despite its flaws it’s an accessible, gripping introduction to it subject.
Roller Dreams
Despite its exuberant archival footage, Kate Hickey’s Venice Beach skating doco never quite does justice to the themes it explores.
Maliglutit
Maliglutit offers a meticulous preservation of an endangered lifestyle unsullied by the grot of America’s cultural imperialism.
Axolotl Overkill
Helene Hegemann’s stylish debut uses its teenage abandon for a deeper reflection on the world of adult disarray.