★★★★☆ Jonas Carpignano’s debut feature Mediterranea follows the fortunes of two African migrants, Ayiva (Koudous Seihon) and Abas (Alassane Sy), friends from Burkina Faso in search of a better life on the European continent. They endure a hazardous journey through […]
★★★★☆ Hooligan Sparrow, Nanfu Wang’s astonishing documentary about corruption in China, opened this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Many Chinese dissidents take on a pseudonym in order to protect their identity. Artist and activist Ye Haiyan, aka Hooligan Sparrow, […]
★★★★☆ Aptly, migration is one of the major themes explored at the 20th Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London. Photojournalist and filmmaker George Kurian’s absorbing documentary The Crossing follows the fortunes of a small group of Syrian refugees who leave […]
★★★★☆ Michel Franco’s assured English-language debut Chronic follows hospice nurse David (Tim Roth) and his care of terminally-ill patients. Initially, David appears efficient and compassionate and has an easy going rapport with his charges. He forges closes links with many […]
★★★★☆ Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams is an affecting feature about sheep which also speaks reams about the human condition. Hákonarson focuses on two estranged brothers who share a passion for sheep farming. Set in a remote part of Iceland, Gummi (Sigurður […]
★★★★☆ Swedish writer-director Sanna Lenken’s notable debut My Skinny Sister (2015) about a young teenager’s eating disorder is a simple tale given added poignancy by powerful performances from the two leads. Katja (Amy Deasismont) is a promising young figure skater […]
★★★★☆ Saeed Taji Farouky has carved out something of a reputation for directing and producing documentaries that are visually arresting and pack a punch. Tunnel Trade (2007), about Gaza’s illegal underground smuggling economy, was nominated for a Rory Peck Award, […]
★★★★☆ Cosima Spender’s fascinating documentary Palio (2015), released on DVD this week, is about the oldest horse race in the world, whose origins date from medieval times. The Palio is a ruthless bareback race around the Piazza del Campo, Siena’s […]
★★★★☆ Bruce Goodison’s impressive feature Leave to Remain (2013) confronts the issue of teenage asylum seekers struggling to adapt to life in London and dealing with past trauma as they wait for their permanent leave to remain. In Britain, unaccompanied […]
★★★★★ Fully deserving of its Oscar and Golden Globe award nominations earlier this year, Zaza Urushadze’s affecting drama Tangerines (2013) – in UK cinemas this week courtesy of Axiom Films – is a bittersweet portrait of cruelty and compassion in […]
★★★★☆ Sean McAllister’s award-winning film A Syrian Love Story (2015) is a searing documentary portrait of a family torn apart by dictatorship and war. Amer and Raghda met and fell in love in a Syrian prison fifteen years ago. They […]
