April seems to be film festival month here in Los Angeles. Both the French film festival COLCOA and the Indian Film Festival just ended. The Israel Film Festival is still going on and the Turner Classics Movie Festival is being held over the weekend.
Fatherhood is a complex state of being—and for some, it’s simply inserting the sperm into the proper vessel. In the totally fun and moving Canadian film Starbuck, now playing here in Los Angeles, our shlepp of a hero David, does just that—in a sperm bank. Over and over again. It seems to be David’s best and most reliable way of earning a few extra dollars, over and over again. What David doesn’t realize is that the sperm bank uses his donations in a most enthusiastic…
War Witch, one of the five recent Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film, has a reputation as a powerful but almost unbearably grim film. Is it difficult to watch? At times, very much so, but don’t let that dissuade you. A story of human resilience in the face of terrible cruelty and sadness, War Witch is a remarkable film on every level: emotionally raw, profoundly moving, totally engrossing and superbly acted, shot and directed. First-time actress Rachel Mwanza gives an extraordinary performance as Komona, a…
The Gatekeepers is one of the most remarkable and important films ever made about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli director Dror Moreh’s riveting documentary looks at the long-running dispute through the eyes of six individuals whose authoritative views and voices are unimpeachable: the six men who led the nation’s domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet (akin to America’s FBI), from 1980 to 2011. The significance and power of The Gatekeepers, therefore, lies not only in the message being communicated but also in who the messengers are. While…
In 1964, Britain’s Granada Television embarked on a novel sociological study of England’s famously rigid class system. Conceived as a stand-alone TV documentary, Seven Up consisted of interviews with 14 seven-year olds from various socio-economic backgrounds.
Director Michael Apted sat down with film critic Jean Oppenheimer, on behalf of Writers Bloc Presents to talk about 56 Up, the latest installment in his groundbreaking documentary series. He started the conversation by confessing, “I never know what the new film is going to be until I see it with an audience.” WritersBlocpresents.com: Not even while editing it? Michael Apted: I know each individual life but, until I see the completed film with an…