What’s on: October 23rd — More alike than you may think
Heimat Europa headlines stable of international films that show universality of human experience
Still: Sweet of Your Tongue (dir. Rafael Mog) Brazil
Jason Pchajek, staff writer
Day five of the 2020 UWPG film may turn out to me the best. This is not to take away from the brilliant films previous, but there’s something special about the second half of international shorts program. Whether it’s a coming of age story from Germany that explores how female and refuge experiences transcend time, or a quirky Mexican superhero film that will make any comic nerd smirk, these films will delight.
Tremor – India
“In this long shot film, Explores the tremor that morning brings in the lives of a group of labourers, visually recreating Sabeer Haka's poem Eklauta Dar/ My only fear.”
This film is beautiful.
Quiet, visually stunning, and deeply meaningful. Ramesh Laxmanrao Holbole’s Tremor feels like it’s the intro to a Hollywood drama. It’s slow, and quiet – so quiet – but has a visual style that sets the scene perfectly and immerses the viewer from moment one.
The first tremors of morning, as workers begin to stir and gather themselves for the day ahead, is the perfect way to start a Friday night of movies, stirring us from our daily slumber and drawing us in to the evening ahead.
Criteria of Rape – Sweden
“How come victims of rape don’t dare to push charges? Why do they feel shame? Do the rapist realize what they have done? And why is it so hard to say that you have been raped? These are some of the question that “Criteria of Rape” asks and Emelie Kastberg, a rape victim on a feature film production, tries to answer.”
Are you awake now? Good, because Emelie Kastberg deserves your attention.
This film comes at the perfect time. With a world more attentive than ever – yet still not enough – to victims of sexual assault, Kastberg shares her story of assault in the film industry. Little do we as a society consider the perspective of a victim, rather we stand and question them, blame them, and leave the perpetrator to calls of ‘he’s a good man’ or ‘he couldn’t possibly have done this.’
Enough, says Kastberg, who made this film to “turn the spotlight on the right thing,” does so masterfully. For this effort she’s been nominated for Best International Short, and will certainly be a favourite of many.
Sweet of Your Tongue – Brazil
“During the military dictatorship in Brazil, there were censors, the journalist replaced the political news with cake recipes. But today Alessandra hadn't sleep a second because Marcelle spent the night protesting in the downtown. She returns injured to the apartment, where they have a silent discussion.”
Queer cinema is something to behold no matter where you can view it, and the UWPG Film Festival has a great one to share. With a scenario that feels too real, too possible, Rafael Mog has crafted a beautiful and emotionally charged film. Credit goes to the actors involved, who turn in powerful performances that deserve praise.
The Fregoli Project – United States
“The debut short of Sam Broadous, The Fregoli Project is a short comedy that comments the white savior complex through the story of Danny as he tries to complete a construction project with an all Black team, but fails to distinguish anyone apart.”
With a few moving films and difficult topics out of the way, we can turn to a bit of levity, starting with The Fregoli Project.
The satire here is so biting I think it drew blood. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but how good can those intentions truly be if the people making those decisions are so far removed from the experience of those they attempt to serve? A critique of corporate diversity, inclusion, and astroturfing, where the whole façade of allyship comes down with one exchange.
“…but I want in all-Black staff, and I want them to be members of the community.”
“Do you know how hard it would be to conjure up what you’re asking for?”
This film will make you cringe from how accurate it is, and you’ll love it for it.
SELF MOCRAIT – South Africa
“The film is an exploration of Afrikaner family politics showcased through a series of character tableaus.”
Did Wes Anderson go back to film school and not tell anyone? Oh ok…
Strange does not even come close to describing what Tana Pistorius has made here. Shots are framed and performances made that will confuse and intrigue, and by the end you’ll be left scratching your head but all the better for it. This experimental film is far from its fellows in that genre on display so far at the festival, but it really makes its mark.
The Amazing Sanchez – Mexico
“The daily life of Sanchez, a young fanatic of comics, who works in a call center. One day his life changes when he finds an advertisement looking for superheroes, therefore Sanchez will have to get out of his monotonous daily life, and while doing so he will discover how super he can become.”
I love The Amazing Sanchez, I really really do.
It’s silly, it’s fun, and it’s a must-watch at the festival. A quirky film by Mexico’s Giorgio Rossentino that careens so hard into the absurd that it’ll give you whiplash, then leave you wanting more. Delving into the story of a young man trying to break away from the life of monotony he’s been saddled with, and into the high octane life of a caped crusader, it is well worth the runtime.
I just wish it was longer.
When The Sea Turns Red – Philippines
“A young girl in the middle of the sea was deflected by a man that will change who she is, forever. Both characters are represented by a huge name in the world. Inspired from the most controversial event that is still happening today.”
Turning back to the experimental, Brian Caacbay brings economic conflict to the fore with the simplicity of human interaction. No words can explain better than the man himself who says, “This is a protest film that I want to show the audience that we should protect our territory no matter what. The Philippines will not be complete without its missing island.”
Sanitation in the Park – India
“After being recently fired, a man finds himself in conversation with a complete stranger who tries to build back his self-worth.”
It’s really hard to pick yourself back up again. Whether you’ve been fired, broken up with, or received difficult news, sometimes light can come from the strangest of places. Dark and silly, this comedy film shows there’s a lot more to Indian film than meets the eye, and you need to see it to believe.
The Binoculars – United Kingdom
“Cadence runs away during an unwanted road trip with her mother. Looking through her binoculars leads her to an unexpected meeting with two refugees.”
One of two films at the festival about a woman meeting refugees on a road trip, Rahul Sharma’s film is simply something to behold. With a visual style on par with coming of age films coming out of major studios today, mixed with a well written exploration of tense mother-daughter relationships, you’ll be forgiven for thinking Lady Bird while watching The Binoculars.
Road – Belarus
“The most important thing in life is people and the relationship between them. This film is about that. It doesn't matter when this story took place and where, only people are important and what everyone in the audience will discover for each other while watching.”
It’s still hard to believe that Kirill Khalestsky made this when he was 19 years old. A nominee for Best International Short, the only word that can describe this experimental drama is masterpiece. Rarely do you find a film that can mean so many different things to so many people, yet be so expertly made, and even more rare to come from someone so young.
Do yourself a favor. Shut off your phone and dim the lights. Watch this film, and then think.
Heimat Europa – Germany
“Minna takes the old refugee diary of her grandmother Lore to follow her path through Poland during the end of The Second World war. On the way she meets Amar, a former refugee from Kurdistan who is traveling Europe looking for a new home. They discover similarities in their wounds of the past and experience a continent on the edge between national isolation and an European identity.”
Speaking of masterpieces, we have Heimat Europa.
The longest film at the festival, and well worth it, as Isabel Jansson’s mid-length film is absolutely phenomenal. Intertwining storylines, timelines, and locations, a large cast, multiple languages, brilliant costuming, location scouting, writing, and acting. On a technical level alone this film is superb. Then you get to the meaning.
Exploring the universality of the female and refugee experiences, and how those transcend time, Jansson earns her nomination for Most Promising International Filmmaker ten times over. While the field for the award is dense, this young German filmmaker shines.
Look out for Jansson everyone, she is going places.