NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS 2020 (April 28-May 9, 2021)

[Chris Knipp]

BEBIA, À MON SEUL DÉSIR (Juja Dobrachkous 2021)


Story of a f--cked up Georgian fashion model home for a funeral is overwhelmed by its own ambition. Everyone in this family is a jerk.

[Chris Knipp]

STOP-ZEMLIA (Kateryna Gornostai 2021)

Young Ukrainian filmmaker has made a feature debut, using kids to play high school juniors often like themselves, to depict the year in the lives of four connected students, and various others. Very appealing work, but a little bland and not much new, and it raises some issues- bixexuality, PTSD, cutting, bullying and sexual harassment without any comment.

[Chris Knipp]

ALL THE LIGHT WE CAN SEE (Pablo Escoto Luna 2020)

Shot near the two volcanoes in Mexico, this is an amalgam of Mexican (and other) folkloric legends mainly focused on lost love and the search for eternal union. The director is 24 years old. I was out of my depth, though this reminded me a little of Eugène Green, a filmmaker it has taken me a while to get used to. Original title: Todo la Luz Que P:odemos Ver.

[Chris Knipp]

MOON, 66 QUESTIONS (Jacqueline Lentzou 2021)

Young woman reconciles with estranged dad by returning to Greece to be his caretaker. Tough to swallow, but bold and skillful physical acting of the dad's disability, if that works for you.

[Chris Knipp]

DESTELLO BRAVÍO/MIGHTY FLASH (Ainhoa Rodríguez 2021)

Stylish picture of Catholic hypocrisy, gender disparities in a dead-end Spanish town wanting to explode which the young people have all left. Go for the painterly images, stay for the rhythm of the dialogue

[Chris Knipp]

GULL ( Kim Mi-jo 2020)

Powerful Korean film school film about a 60+ fishmarket vender, the family breadwinner, who is raped after a drunken evening. Never shows the assault, but focuses on how she got there and what happens after. The petite, vibrant Jeong Aehwa is memorable in the lead role.

[Chris Knipp]

EYIMOFE (THIS IS MY DESIRE) (Arie & Chuko Esiri 2020)

Two brothers from Lagos, Nigeria returned there after many years of studying and living in the UK, with a new concern and respect for their birthplace, and for their feature film debut present a dual drama of a man and a woman and their warm hearted trials and tribulations. A bit loose, but a great picture of the vibrant largest city in Africa.