Tag: FF2Media

‘An Angel at My Table’ is life captured in motion

A life’s journey captured in motion: female auteur Jane Campion is at her best in this canonical masterpiece from 1990. Based on writer and poet Janet Frame’s autobiographies, An Angel at My Table depicts in three parts Frame’s incredible struggle for existence in a world which was never made for her. (MJJ: 5/5)

‘El Camino’ Tells the Story of Village Life under Franco

TCM will feature films from 12 decades—and representing 44 countries—totaling 100 classic and current titles all created by women. Read more about this here!  Ana Mariscal’s El Camino is a historical document for anyone who wishes to study Franco era Spain, though the production values are admittedly not amazing. The film’s significance both to history and… Continue reading ‘El Camino’ Tells the Story of Village Life under Franco

A Community of ‘Military Wives’ Sing in Unity and Support

Writers Rosanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard work together with director Peter Cattaneo on British comedy feature Military Wives, available on VOD today. When war takes their partners away, a group of women find themselves searching for something to occupy their minds. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan, this is a film about the birth of a strong friendship between women of different backgrounds brought together by the act of singing. (KIZJ: 4/5)

‘Atlantics’ a Haunting Supernatural Tale of Romance and Societal Injustice

Mati Diop directs and co-writes Atlantics, a supernatural drama feature, which intertwines its fictional narrative with social commentary. The French-Senegalese director’s work boasts 17 wins and 14 nominations so far, including a win at the Cannes Grand Prix. Atlantics is a rude awakening, a melancholic loss, and a haunting romance with Dakar’s societal issues deeply rooted in its story. (KIZJ: 5/5)

Elizabeth Banks’ New Movie Makes Us Want to Be a ‘Charlie’s Angels’

Director and writer Elizabeth Banks’ new film Charlie’s Angels is the next installment of female dominated secret network of spies who save the world. This film empowers all women of any age to be independent and unashamed if their power. (SYJ: 4.5/5) Review by FF2 Intern Sophia Y Jin Charlie’s Angels begins with an intimate,… Continue reading Elizabeth Banks’ New Movie Makes Us Want to Be a ‘Charlie’s Angels’

‘The Warrior Queen of Jhansi’ Tells a Relevant Woman’s Story for Our Times

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From first-time director Swati Bhise, The Warrior Queen of Jhansi is a historical period drama following the matriarch who fought the British East India Company and British troops in the mid-1800s. Written and directed by women and following a historical female protagonist with whom common audiences might not be familiar, Swati Bhise’s directorial debut tells… Continue reading ‘The Warrior Queen of Jhansi’ Tells a Relevant Woman’s Story for Our Times

THE LAST HORSEMEN OF NEW YORK (2018): Review by Katusha Jin

Director and Cinematographer Mary Haverstick captures the two years of shaming, shunning, and controversy in her feature documentary, The Last Horsemen of New York. Through the horse carriage controversy, Haverstick educates the audiences about the sobering reality of how influential money is in today’s politics. Christina Hansen and Stephen Malone represent the community of working class carriage drivers, who fight a battle where ignorance is used, sympathy is ignored, and opinions can be bought. (KIZJ: 3/5)

GRACE JONES – BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI (2017): Review by Katusha Jin

Grace Beverly Jones is the electric, eye-catching, and uniquely bold subject of Sophie Fiennes’ documentary, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami. Fiennes accompanies the multitalented artist-entrepreneur for five years and showcases some of the most vulnerable, naked, and unknown dimensions of the star, famous for her fierce personality. (KIZJ: 3.5/5)

HUMAN FLOW (2017): Review by Amelie Lasker

Linger on people as they walk, hold their young children, tell their stories, and often cry. It becomes incredibly difficult for the audience not to address their reactions to it. Empathy on this scale is only an ideal, but the documentarians of Human Flow make an impressive attempt at reaching it. (AEL: 5/5)

VINCE GIORDANO: THERE’S A FUTURE IN THE PAST

Written and directed by Dave Davidson and Amber Edwards, Vince Giordano: There’s a Future in the Past brings us jazz musician Vince Giordano, the dedicated and eclectically gathered members of his band the Night Hawks, and the strange and magical corner of New York’s jazz world they influence. Giordano’s interest is in 1920s and 30s… Continue reading VINCE GIORDANO: THERE’S A FUTURE IN THE PAST

QUARRIES

In hopes of beginning her own journey to recovery and self-worth, “Kat” (Nicole Marie Johnson) leaves her abusive boyfriend and joins a hiking expedition, made up of other disparaged women, for a several-day long hike. Unfortunately, Kat gets much more than she bargained for, and so does the rest of the group when they realize… Continue reading QUARRIES

3000 NIGHTS

When an innocent Palestinian woman is thrown into a jail cell with Israeli women, her life becomes a living hell as she struggles to survive. Unfortunately, it is only the beginning for this young schoolteacher, she faces almost a decade of long nights, hard days, and endless fighting. 3000 Layla, also known as 3000 Nights,… Continue reading 3000 NIGHTS

DON’T CALL ME SON

Writer/Director Anna Muylaert brings to life the absolute and utter chaos that one family endures in her film Mãe Só Há Uma also known as Don’t Call Me Son. The film is about what happens when two kids suddenly discover they are not their mother’s children. It deals with the struggle to accept ones new… Continue reading DON’T CALL ME SON

BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE

From filmmaker and activist Crystal Emery, Black Women In Medicine highlights the experiences of a number of successful black women in the medical field, and it also suggests solutions to the challenges facing young black women entering medical careers today. Emery assembles an impressive array of interviewees, with the likes of Dr. Claudia L. Thomas,… Continue reading BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE

THE LITTLE PRINCE

In a tender reimagining of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, director Mark Osborne and writers Irena Brignull and Bob Persichetti bring us an entirely new protagonist, a “Little Girl” (voiced by Mackenzie Foy), who is captivated by the Little Prince’s classic tale. As the Little Girl figures the story out for herself, Saint-Exupéry’s poignant… Continue reading THE LITTLE PRINCE

VIRAL

Directed by Henry Just and Ariel Schulman and written by Christopher Landon and Barbara Marshall, Viral’s horror plays on the very real paranoia that sets in when discussion of new infectious diseases take over the news. When a parasitic infection takes over the United States, causing apocalyptic chaos, “Emma” (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and her sister “Stacey”… Continue reading VIRAL

GHOSTBUSTERS Boston

I don’t know what it’s like to have grown up with the original Ghostbusters, but I do know what it’s like to love a movie for its pure fun and to take comfort in going back to it. To me, that feeling explains the excitement surrounding Paul Feig’s 2016 Ghostbusters, a fittingly zany new story… Continue reading GHOSTBUSTERS Boston

L’ATTESA

Based on the play by Luigi Pirandello, L’Attesa (The Wait), directed by Piero Messina, and co-written by Giacomo Bendotti, Ilaria Macchia, and Andrea Paolo Massara, ventures into the most disorienting aspects of mourning. When “Jeanne” (Lou de Laâge) flies to Sicily to visit her boyfriend “Guiseppe” (Giovanni Anzaldo), his mysterious absence exacerbates her fears of… Continue reading L’ATTESA

HERE COME THE VIDEOFREEX

In 1968, when Sony made the first portable video camera available to the public, a number of ambitious young artists and journalists came together to see what they could make of this new medium. David Cort and Parry Teasdale founded a group of filmmakers who pioneered the genre of broadcast journalism, obtaining grants from television… Continue reading HERE COME THE VIDEOFREEX

THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST

When Islamic jihadists took control of Northern Mali in 2012, Malian musicians from Gao and Timbuktu were forced into exile. In They Will Have to Kill Us First, director Johanna Schwartz tells some of their stories, with reminiscences of life before they lost their freedom, details of their experiences during the rebellion, and celebrations of… Continue reading THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST

IP MAN 3

Director Wilson Yip and screenwriters Tai-Li Chan, Lai-yin Leung, and Edmond Wong have created the third chapter of the Ip Man series, paying tribute to master martial artist and teacher Yip Man. Like the other Ip Man movies, the third is heavy on action and speed. A number of high-stakes subplots concern the future of… Continue reading IP MAN 3

ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

When Jimmy Ellis tried to establish a singing career in 1970s Hollywood, agents and producers told him he sounded too much like Elvis to go anywhere. Meanwhile novelist Gail Brewer Giorgio was writing a story about a fictional musician, “Orion,” who was so successful he had to fake his own death to escape his suffocating… Continue reading ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

In The Summer of Sangailé’s colorfully-lit series of lazy day scenes and playful original soundtrack, Lithuanian filmmaker Alante Kavaite invokes gracefully, if a little simply, the feeling of the teenage summer. Lanky, serious “Sangailé” (Julija Steponaityte) is watching the airplane show at a summer fair, fascinated but too afraid of her vertigo to try herself.… Continue reading THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

CASA GRANDE

Casa Grande presents the Cavalcanti family, once part of Rio de Janeiro’s elite, but now running out of money fast. Father “Hugo” (Marcello Novaes) vigilantly denies their decline. His insistence on his family’s both luxurious and honorable lifestyle quickly reveals that the financial stability behind his elitism drawing thin. Mother “Sonia” (Suzana Pires) tries to… Continue reading CASA GRANDE

MAKING ROUNDS

Making Rounds follows cardiologists Valentin Fuster and Herschel Sklaroff as they visit patients at bedside, showing young doctors how to diagnose patients’ illnesses simply by listening to them. Fuster and Sklaroff are working to utilize these techniques to combat doctors’ common habits of resorting to expensive, technologically-advanced tests, which can often be inaccurate. One of… Continue reading MAKING ROUNDS

HEART OF A DOG

Artist and musician Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog is like a collection of journal entries, or a visual record of Anderson’s dreams. Anderson’s own memories and philosophical musings, often deliberately indistinguishable from each other, overlay a collection of images that mirror what Anderson might see in her life: details of Anderson’s favorite places, news… Continue reading HEART OF A DOG

AFTER THE BALL

Directed by Sean Garrity and written by Jason Sherman and Kate Melville, After the Ball is a Cinderella story reimagined, as a light romantic comedy in the corporate fashion world. Fashion school graduate “Kate” (Portia Doubleday) starts her career working for her father “Lee” (Chris Noth) at his retail company Kassell. Kate, hoping to become… Continue reading AFTER THE BALL

ANITA B

Freida Lee Mock’s documentary Anita tells the story of Anita Hill, law professor and civil rights activist. While then-Judge Clarence Thomas was being considered to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Hill spoke up about his sexual harassment of her when she worked for him. Since then, Hill has worked to spread awareness about sexual… Continue reading ANITA B