Hursto's five minute films: March 2022

Monday, 28 March 2022

March 29th

Nowhere Special

Tick, tick . . . BOOM (streaming on Netflix)

Ascension (streaming on Amazon Prime)

House of Gucci

Summer of Soul (streaming on Disney +)

After months of build-up, the Oscars are done and dusted. Most of the contenders (and winners) have been reviewed by me in the last couple of weeks and months, but since then I've managed to catch a couple more. I must confess I was not very good at picking what would win. Overall a strong field, and hard to pick between many of the fine films. Great to see so much honoring of the deaf community, but not so great to see violence erupt on stage; the controversy surrounding that one will no doubt go on for a long time to come.

Nowhere Special

Dir: Umberto Pasolini

Length: 96 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLTQxSyT3mc

John (James Norton) is a 35 year old single dad who works as a window cleaner. He is terminally ill, with only months to live and is desperate to find the "perfect" family who will adopt his three-year-old son Michael (Daniel Lamont). In lesser hands this film could have fallen victim to overblown melodrama and sentimentality, but Pasolini keeps a firm hand on everything, to bring us a sublimely moving yet restrained and understated story. You cannot fail to be torn apart by the deep grief of the father knowing he will soon die and desperate to do right by his beloved son. The relentless interviews with prospective adopters, as cherubic-faced Michael sits on his father's knee, are gut-wrenchingly sad. John's attempts to explain why the mother has left, and what death means will surely have you in floods of tears, while the bond between father and son is immeasurably moving. Little Lamont is a screen revelation. Norton, scruffy, tattooed and unshaven oozes love and protectiveness for his child. It's often the "small" films that slip under the public radar, yet for me leave the deepest impression. This is one of those.

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

tick, tick . . . BOOM!

Dir: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Length: 115 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJserno8tyU

Imagine spending eight years writing a musical then having no producer pick it up. Imagine finally having one of your works recognized with four Tony awards, and becoming one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. Imaging dying at only 35 years of age, having never got to see the success of that show! That is the tragic story of Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), the writer of the ground-breaking musical Rent. This film is based on the show Larson wrote before Rent, a semi-autobiographical musical in which he explores his passion to be part of the creative arts, and how to juggle it with the the pressures of relationships and friendships, while heading for 30! Set in the era of AIDS and friends dying, there is a lot of meaty content here, plus a brilliant array of songs which break the boundaries of traditional musical song-writing. Alexandra Shipp is wonderful as Jon's long-suffering girlfriend Susan, while Garfield, nominated for a Best Actor Oscar (but not winning), does all his own singing while giving what could be a career-defining performance. The convoluted time framework and story within story keeps you constantly on your toes, and the variety of narrative techniques, from traditional to alternative, works really well to make this an exciting, moving and energising film experience.

4 - highly recommended

Ascension

Dir: Jessica Kingdon

Length: 97 mins

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS64La58Dok

Want to see China from a new perspective? This could be the doco for you! Nominated for Best Documentary Feature (but not winning) at the Oscars, this is an already much-awarded film which presents, in a highly creative and visually dramatic way, China's "dream" - the pursuit of wealth, doing everything on a very large scale and being number one. At the same time we see the vast social disparities between the pathetically paid factory workers and those aspirants who are moving up in society by "branding" themselves on social media. The images move from people assembling sex dolls, to bodyguards undergoing brutal military style training, to western style butler academies, to vast assembly lines churning out horrific amounts of plastic goods, to meat factories and clothing factories on gargantuan scales, to women being coached in office etiquette, to people crammed into water parks like soldiers - every scene seemingly more bizarre that the previous one. All is accompanied by a eerily apocalyptic score, and yet no-one editorialises - the images just speak for themselves, revealing the director's perceptions and leaving the viewer to reach their own conclusions. This is revelatory and impressive film-making.

4 - highly recommended

House of Gucci

Dir: Ridley Scott

Length: 158 mins

Streaming on Amazon Prime, still in some cinemas

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HAlmH_QI4Q

Another Oscar nominee which hasn't won, this is nevertheless a stylish and fascinating story of backstabbing and rivalry within an iconic fashion house. No need to be a fashionista to appreciate a powerful and true tale of just how ugly things can get when an ambitious young woman Patrizia (Lady Gaga), sets her sights on Maurizio (Adam Driver), son of Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) one of three heirs to the Gucci empire. All hell breaks loose with Paolo (Jared Leto), son of Aldo (Al Pacino) creating rivalry, and revenge then being on everyone's agenda. The family dynamics are all a bit complex, and the film is a tad long, but as you can see, the cast is brilliant (even if, for my tastes, Driver is not the ideal actor for the role). The mish-mash of accented English is troublesome, but again Gaga proves what a brilliant actress she is, and having heavyweights such as Irons and Pacino brings every scene they are in up a few notches. Leto is also memorable as the erratic and eccentric Paolo.

3.5 - well recommended

Summer of Soul

Dir: QuestLove

Length: 118 mins

Streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slFiJpAxZyQ

Awarded the BAFTA and now the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature this one's a winner, both as a historical document and a treat for music lovers. In 1969, as Woodstock happened and humans walked on the moon, a little known cultural festival was happening in Harlem. Over the course of seven or so weeks, 300,000 people attended to hear the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Mongo Santamaria. BB King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, The Fifth Dimension . . . the list goes on and on. It was against a backdrop of huge social and cultural change, especially for Afro-American people. The word "black" replaced the word "negro", and people of color began to be proud of who they were. Harlem at that time was a melting pot of black, Latino, and more, and music was the glue that bound them together. Race riots against the police were common, and shooting of colored people ubiquitous (so what's changed?!) The film employs much concert footage that was shot but never shown for 50 years, while also interviewing people who today reminisce back on those days and what it all meant to them - both the music, the emerging black pride, and the social upheavals going on around them. Excellent viewing.

4 - highly recommended

Saturday, 19 March 2022

March 20th

It Snows in Benidorm

The Last Mountain - available on digital download

CODA - streaming on Apple +

At last a small reprieve from endless viewings! Good new films in the streaming department, with CODA being an Oscar nomination. Remember also that JIFF is still running for a couple more weeks.

It Snows in Benidorm
Dir: Isabel Coixet
Length: 117 mins
Cameo, Lido, Classic and Palace Balwyn
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=137bvyXCEsE
© Rialto - Tim Spall at his grumpy best
Peter Riordan (Timothy Spall), an introverted, glum, but good-hearted man, is given early redundancy from his bank job. He decides to visit his brother, Daniel, whom he hasn't seen for years and who lives in Benidorm in southern Spain. When he arrives, Peter discovers Daniel is nowhere to be found. But he soon meets the beautiful Alex (Sarita Choudhory), an erotic dancer at the Benidorm club, which, Peter discovers, is owned by Daniel. This intriguing film is a refreshing change from the usual late in life romance tales. It brims with intrigue, unsolved mysteries, dodgy characters, and an atmosphere to be at once delighted in and repulsed by. Benidorm is one of those Spanish tourist meccas infested by loud drunken Brits. The beautiful camera work and lighting of many of the scenes takes on an almost surreal quality that captures both Peter's confusion and the tacky carnival atmosphere of the town. Spall is an actor who always brings something extra to a film, and paired with the sultry Choudhory, with Benidorm almost a character in its own right, he helps make this film most worthwhile viewing.
4 - highly recommended

The Last Mountain

Dir: Christopher Terrill

Length: 107 mins

Available on digital download

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39EHWdQcV6U

Who doesn't love the thrill of a mountain climbing film? This is a good film, but a very sad one, as both a mother and her son die several years apart, chasing their passion for scaling dangerous peaks. In 1995 Alison Hargreaves died scaling K2 in the Himalayas. At that time her children Tom and Kate Ballard were four and six. 24 years later, Tom dies in an attempt to climb Nanga Parbat in Pakistan. The film traces all the years from the children's magical childhood, going along with their parents on walks, hikes, modest climbs, up until Kate's return trek to go as close as possible to where her beloved brother died. The film focuses heavily upon the personal aspects of both Alison's and Tom's passions (obsessions?), along with the family's grief, and how Jim Ballard and Kate coped. A particularly moving episode involves Kate reuniting with porter Big Ibrahim, who had carried her on his shoulders 24 years earlier. Definitely a good addition to the mountain climbing library of movies.

3.5 - well recommended

CODA

Dir: Sian Heder

Length: 111 mins

Streaming on Apple+

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmfrE1YL4I

Nominated for three Oscars this year, CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) is an American film based upon the French film The Family Belier. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the child of deaf parents Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin). Her brother Leo (Daniel Durant) is also deaf. Ruby is relied upon constantly to be the speaking person for her family who communicate through sign language and run a fishing business. When her talent for singing is discovered by her flamboyant teacher Mr Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez), her own ambitions start to clash with her family's needs. I prefer this anglicised version to its French counterpart, because it is less "cutesy" and try-hard. Kotsur has just won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, and is nominated for an Oscar. Justifiably so, while Matlin, herself deaf, came to fame way back in 1986 in Children of a Lesser God, and also gives a strong performance. Although the narrative arc is somewhat predictable, this is a heartfelt and highly entertaining film, which comes with a serious message about people with hearing disability.

4 - highly recommended

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

March 10th

Wash My Soul in the River's Flow

Bergman Island

Facing Monsters

Friends and Strangers

Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo

Chef Antonio's Recipes for Revolution

Parallel Mothers

More JIFF - The Meaning of Hitler; Here Today

What a blockbuster week for film reviews. I have square eyes! Half of this week's films are Aussie (or have the Oz connection); half of them are documentaries. A truly eclectic selection of movies.

Wash My Soul in the River's Flow

Dir: Philippa Bateman

Length: 90 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN9ZgIwiPbQ

In 2004 singers Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter performed a concert at Hamer Hall: Kura Tungar - Songs from the River. It was a collaboration with the Australian Art Orchestra and its leader Paul Grabowsky. The songs in the concert told the story of Ruby and Archie, their lives, their love and the grief that came from being members of the Stolen Generation. This wonderful film takes parts of that concert, plus behind the scenes footage from rehearsals, and weaves these into an incredibly moving whole. The doco also features exquisitely shot scenes of the Murray River and of the Coorong area from which Ruby, a proud Ngarrindjeri woman, came. Many of the songs are hauntingly beautiful, while Archie's present day reminiscences, combined with Ruby's intense connection to her culture, makes for captivating viewing that should help white Aussies to better understand First Nations Australians.

4 - highly recommended

Bergman Island

Dir: Mia Hansen Love

Length: 112 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrlVHVid-20

Married couple Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are film-makers who head to the island of Faro, off the Swedish coast, to stay and work for a while. Famously, Swedish director Ingmar Bergman had lived and worked there and the couple hope to get inspiration for their latest creative endeavours. Tony is forging ahead but Chris feels blocked. She tells a distracted Tony about the screenplay she is working on. Chris's film plot features Amy (Mia Wasikowska), who goes to a wedding on Faro, and runs into her ex-lover Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie). Though a certain spark is rekindled, the complexities of both their lives make a relationship unlikely. A film within a film always makes for a few mind games, and this one certainly has them. In the initial story Chris and Tony seem to drift further apart as their stay on the island progresses, especially when Chris stands him up for the Bergman Safari. Soon, as viewers, we find ourselves suddenly enmeshed in the film version of Chris's script, and the whole moves between the Chris/Tony story and the Amy/Joseph one. The intriguing ending is open to interpretation. A nominee for the prestigious Palme D'or at Cannes 2021, this is a deceptively quiet film, with several much deeper themes bubbling under the surface. Examinations of creativity, marriage, women's recognition, love and of course Ingmar Bergman weave through the film. The four leads are wonderfully authentic in their roles, and you don't have to have seen Bergman's films to get a lot out of this deviously enticing film where fiction and reality somehow blur into one another.

4 - highly recommended

Facing Monsters

Dir: Bentley Dean

Length: 90 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZkQ8Nwn9yw

Kerby Brown is one of those guys who just has to push himself to the limit. In this feature doco the filmmaker explores what makes Kerby tick (not that we really discover it; he believes if he doesn't surf he'll revert to drugs and drink). And so the guy sets out to surf a monster "slab wave" in the south of WA, a wave that no-one has ever surfed before. Although films like this tend to be a bit self-indulgent, what impresses me is the remarkable work done by the cinematographer, whether it be in the water, from helicopters or drones. Every angle of these vicious waves is explored, and my adrenalin sure got pumping. The movie also looks at Kerby's relationship to his beloved family, and how having kids changed him. Now he has to consider more than his own passion if he want to be around for a long time for those who love him. For surfing fanatics it's probably a must-see.

3 - recommended

Friends and Strangers

Dir: James Vaughan

Length: 82 mins

ACMI 10-20 March; various other dates Australia wide

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zmn4y0dfAE

This film is billed as "a surreal comedy-drama that explores

displacement, disconnection and ennui in contemporary Australia through the eyes of two upper-middle class millennials". Young video-maker Ray (Fergus Wilson) meets Alice (Emma Diaz) wandering around Sydney and the pair spontaneously head off together on a camping trip. No romance develops, Alice disappears from the film and we go along with Ray as he heads off to interview for a wedding video job. Fans of deadpan films which show up society's flaws may well be intrigued or even engaged by this one; I am simply not on the wavelength of this type of film; perhaps I fail to grasp the subtleties of the satire. Several characters offer observations that show themselves to be either total bozos, or culturally ignorant and inappropriate. The film-maker seems to want to comment upon Aussie society, but it's simply too obscure for me. It is however beautifully shot, with an opening scene like a Manet painting, and subsequent scenes alternating between showing the beauty of Australia, its countryside and cities, often using very creative camera angles. Other scenes and episodes depict the visual and psychological underbelly of urban life and the total disconnect of those living it.

2.5 - maybe

Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo

Dir: Ali Ray

Length: 90 mins

Releasing at Melbourne's Palace cinemas Friday 11 March

To find other screenings: exhibitiononscreen.com/find-a-screening/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D76y2YhjV8A

Exhibition on Screen are renowned for their wonderfully detailed films on various artists. Now, to coincide with the recent International Women's Day, they have brought us this insightful doco on one of the world's most amazing painters. Framed with a recreated voice-over narration by Diana Bermudez, the film examines all aspects of Frida's short life (47 years old at her death). She contracted polio as a child, and had a bone-shattering accident as a teen, which marked her poor health from thence on. Her fraught marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera is explored, and of course we also discover her incredible body of work; 143 paintings, of which 55 were self-portraits. Various art critics commentate upon the symbolism and deeper meanings of many of her paintings, which are also often a celebration of her indigenous Mexican heritage. The film is visually extremely beautiful, meticulous in its research, and a wonderful tribute to an artist who redefined the role of modern female painters.

4 - highly recommended

Chef Antonio's Recipes for Revolution

Dir: Trevor Graham

Length: 99 mins

Special screenings with Q&A:

Nova Carlton March 12 4pm & Pivotonian Geelong March 14 7.30 pm

Australia wide screenings: antidotefilms.com.au/chef-antonios-recipes-for-revolution

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxMVve-_fDo

Antonio de Benedetto is a big man with a big heart and huge, life-changing ideas. His mission has been to change the lives of people living with disability through food and work. So, in 2009 he set up a restaurant and hotel in the picturesque village of Asti in northern Italy, employing people with Down Syndrome. The aim is to train them in all aspects of hotel management, table service, cheffing and kitchen work, depending upon their abilities. This uplifting and totally heart-warming film traces the journeys of several of the people working there - with focus on particular individuals, especially Mirco who has a fiancee and a lot of big dreams. The film works on every level - as a foodie film it is a mouth-watering advertisement for the local fare of the Piedmonte region, but most importantly it is a living, breathing testament to the power of inclusion, patience, and love. This Aussie Italian co-production from the director of Monsieur Mayonnaise is a delight.

PS: if you're thinking of a visit to gorgeous Asti, you can check out the hotel at:

https://www.albergoetico.asti.it/hotel-asti-piedmont.php

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Parallel Mothers

Dir: Pedro Almodovar

Length: 121 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL6JDYkRa2g

Janis (Penelope Cruz) is about to turn 40 and is delighted when she becomes pregnant to Arturo (Israel Elejalde), even if he is married and she is to be a single mother. In her hospital birthing ward she meets19-year-old Ana (Milena Smit), alone and scared. The woman bond and give birth at the same time. What ensues will change their lives forever. Almodovar is a master film-maker and this latest is high up there in his filmography. His plot deftly weaves many disparate threads, including the dark times of Spanish history, and the disappeared people under Franco's regime. Cruz, nominated for a Best Actress, gives a performance that is a career highlight, but equally, all the cast and their characters are compelling. I love the humanity of this film - it never goes into melodrama, even when situations are complex and fraught, and the sense of human connection is a standout. The film has a vibrantly gorgeous color pallette which somehow heightens all the emotions. Stunning film-making.

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

More: JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival

Melbourne until 4 April

For other states, dates, venues and programming, check out the website: www.jiff.com.au

JIFF is off to a flying start. Since last week's reviews I've caught a couple more for you.

Here Today: Billy Crystal plays aging comedy writer Charlie Burns. Though still working, Charlie is battling early onset dementia, and endures a fraught estranged relationship with his adult children. Singer Emma Paige (Tiffany Haddish) wins a dinner with Charlie and, after a catastrophic start, a friendship grows. This is classic sweet, schmaltzy and traditional fare, yet Crystal is such an appealing and enduring screen presence, while Haddish is a breath of fresh air. The film makes for light diverting and emotionally touching viewing. Also, against expectations, it redefines notions of care, trust, love and compassion.

The Meaning of Hitler: This confronting and thought-provoking documentary examines why our culture remains fascinated with Hitler and the story of the Nazis. Historians and writers weigh into the argument, while modern Holocaust deniers like David Irving are shown up for what they are. There is actually so much jam-packed into the doco, that it is almost fodder for several separate films: the re-emergence of white supremacist groups, Anti-semitism and Trumpism, the rewriting of historical truth, Hollywood's love affair with Hitler, scenes from many Hitler movies, archival clips from the Hitler era and more. There are even small moments of black humour amidst all the darkness, and ultimately no definitive answer is given. But this doco sure gives you something to chew on.

Tuesday, 1 March 2022

March 2nd

The Batman

Blind Ambition

Jewish International Film Festival - Melbourne opening night tonight

Unheard Stories FF - films about hearing loss - one night only - tomorrow!

This week a huge blockbuster, an uplifting surprising documentary, plus two new festivals, one running for a whole month and one for one night only! I'm a day early so you can organise yourselves for festivals.

The Batman

Dir: Matt Reeves

Length: 175 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u34gHaRiBIU

Though I've never been a huge superhero fan, this latest take on Batman has a lot to recommend it. Batman (Robert Pattinson) has stalked the streets of Gotham so long he has been drawn deep into police work, and now finds himself co-opted into solving the case of a sadistic serial killer who seems out to murder high profile people as punishment for corruption and lies. So you probably want to know what could set this Batman apart from the others. Firstly Pattinson's is a darker, more angry and introspective Batman, and the scripting feels closer to real life than previous incarnations. Deep into the seedy side of Gotham, Batman takes on corrupt politicians and police along with groups of nutters organising themselves to wreak havoc on society. Ring a bell in today's world? Casting is strong: Jeffrey Wright as Batman's cop ally, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, the ever reliable John Turturro as mafia boss Falcone, Peter Saarsgaard as the DA, an unrecognisable Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler and Andy Serkis as Batman's reliable valet Alfred. The action sequences are beautifully shot; high-octane and slick yet don't stretch credibility too far (hmm. . . ) It is a tad too long; I believe a half hour edit would have kept the pace more unrelenting. However big fans of the Bat will love it and as a more complex and thoughtful blockbuster it's a winner. (Note: not for little kids!)

4 - highly recommended

Blind Ambition

Dir: Robert Coe & Warwick Ross

Length: 96 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAG_DG7I-EI

Pardon, Joseph, Marlvin and Tinashe were all refugees from Zimbabwe to South Africa, where they became involved in the world of wine. Though never having previously imbibed alcohol, they became top sommeliers at top Cape Town restaurants, and then formed Team Zimbabwe, to train for the World wine-tasting Championships in France. This crowd-pleaser of a doco is brought to us by the Aussie filmmakers who gave us Red Obsession, about China's love of French red wine. There's a lot to enjoy about this gentle film, which reveals the level of skill and knowledge that goes into wine tasting. The men are guys one can enjoy spending time with, and the wine coach, loudmouthed Denis, is an entertainment in his own right. Beautiful landscapes of South Africa and France add to the film's appeal, and below it all is the undercurrent of the stark comparisons between opulent life in the wealthy French wine regions, compared with the challenges of life in South Africa, where violence and poverty is commonplace. Without being manipulative, the film champions the unexpected success of the underdog.

3.5 - well recommended

JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival

Melbourne from 3 March - 4 April

For other states, dates, venues and programming, check out the website: www.jiff.com.au

JIFF is always an exciting and thought-provoking festival. This year's JIFF features 25 documentaries and 31 feature films, along with special live events. Most of those I've reviewed here are really fantastic!

I Am Here: Ella Blumenthal is celebrating her 98th birthday, and finally opens up to her family about her horrific experiences during World War Two. Born in Warsaw in 1921, she experienced the horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto, Maijdanek, Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. Out of a family of more than 20, only Ella and her niece survived. This beautiful documentary memoir employs today's celebration of Ella, her resilience, her compassion and her love for family. The actual retelling of her experiences is illustrated mostly through animation and a little archival footage. A terrifically affecting doco.

Neighbours: This award-winning film is set in northern Syria where the Kurdish area abuts Turkey. Young Kurdish boy Sero attends a school where his despotic teacher preaches love of Assad and hatred of Jews. Sero is torn as his beloved neighbors, for whom he lights the candles every Friday night, are Jewish. Overall, the people of the small village cohabit peacefully, but hostility is ever present around them. The film, based upon director Mano Khalil's experiences, walks a delicate line between humour, satire and drama. The tone is perfectly pitched, with a stunning performance from Serhed Khalil as Sero.

Tiger Within: Casey can no longer stand living with her mother and drop-kick boyfriend in Ohio so gets on a bus for California, ostensibly to live with her father and his new family. But she can’t stand the thought of that either, so takes a job as a masseur. When that job falls over she takes to the streets where an old Jewish Holocaust survivor Samuel (Ed Asner) finds her and takes her home with the offer of a meal and a shower. The unlikely friendship that ensues is rewarding for them both – she gives him companionship while he gives her the confidence and courage to start a new life (harness the tiger within, he tells her). The film is amusing, poignant and touching with terrific perfs from veteran actor Asner and newcomer Margot Josefssohn as the punk teen Casey. As a lesson in being non-judgmental, forgiving and compassionate, Asner's Samuel is a memorable character.

Wet Dog: Soheil comes from an Iranian Jewish family. When they move from a smaller German town to a predominantly Muslim neighborhood of Berlin, Soheil is eager to fit in. He hides his Jewishness and joins a local gang who spent their time fighting another gang, all Muslims. He starts dating a Turkish girl, Selma. But can he keep up the pretence for ever? This is a powerful film, which drives its message home hard. Performances from all the young people are wonderful, and the tension along with the excellent portrayals of allegiances, friendships, irrational prejudices and ultimately coming to terms with one's identity make for a gripping and moving film.

Tahara: Hannah, white and straight, and Carrie, black and queer, are best friends. Their Hebrew school classmate Samantha has suddenly suicided and the class is having a day of grief management. This stylish film is so very teen-oriented, with Hannah (played by Rachel Sennot of Shiva Baby) being beyond infuriating, as she postures and primps in a desperate attempt to appear cool, all the time experiencing the same insecurities as those around her. The film is stylishly shot, and an interesting addition to the teen genre, evoking a time many of us remember with major cringes.

Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful: Anyone with knowledge of the world of photography knows the name Helmut Newton, photographer extraordinaire, renowned for his erotic, off-beat and sometimes confronting photos. In this wonderfully engaging doco we meet the man, look at his work, and hear from many of his subjects, while we try to decide if he really was a misogynist, or a champion of women. The film is chock-full of intriguing reminiscences with the likes of model/singer Grace Jones, actors Charlotte Rampling and Isabella Rossellini, vogue editor Anna Wintour, and many more who have been the subject of Newton's iconoclastic way of recording the world, with particular focus on the female body. Newton comes across as such an entertaining and self-confident man, and his ground-breaking photography has influenced the art-form forever.

Sublet: Michael, a conservative fifty-something journalist, is writing an article on Tel Aviv and decides to sublet an apartment which belongs to young film student Tomer. Over the five days, the two men, almost polar opposites, learn much about themselves. Winning the audience award at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, this delicate, sweet film is a sure crowd pleaser, appealing to diverse age groups. The dialogue is beautifully written, and the various scenarios and emotions feel authentic. The two leads, who pretty much anchor most of the film, create two characters we can really relate to.
Unheard Stories
Thursday, 3rd March: One night only film festival for World Hearing Day
Classic Cinema Elsternwick
For tickets and more info visit:
https://events.humanitix.com/unheard-stories-film-festival.
With two short documentaries and a one-hour feature, this festival should be of great interest to those experiencing hearing loss.
Hear Me Out (run time 9 minutes): This documentary features two people who have had cochlear implants.
Amplify This! (working title, run time approx 15 minutes): This short documentary explores the issues of identity, access and belonging for people who are deaf and people who have hearing loss.

We Hear You (run time 1 hour) depicts the stigmas and challenges of living with hearing loss. The documentary was conceived, filmed and directed across two continents, all during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was a winner at the Cannes World Film Festival 2021.