ANY CRYBABIES AROUND? – CIFF 2020 QUICKIE REVIEW

From the eyes of little children, the Namahage festival is a time of demons raiding their homes and scaring them silly. From the eyes of adults, it’s a time of reconciliation with their family, where these devilish folklore creatures ultimately help them rekindle their relationships with their children. In the latest feature from development producer […]

LITTLE GIRL – CIFF 2020 QUICKIE REVIEW

Trans representation can go a long way, when executed properly in modern media. Sometimes, just viewing a positive film on the subject that casts real trans-actors can help demystify the transphobic image that is usually painted on most far-right network spheres. The same applies with documentaries, where the purpose of images can go a long […]

STRIDING INTO THE WIND – CIFF 2020 QUICKIE REVIEW

Wei Shujun’s effortlessly impressive feature debut Striding into the Wind is an amusing and tedious dissection of two film students seeking for their place in the industry. A common starting ground for most coming of age stories, Shunjun’s unconventional and frequently formless film largely relies on the tomfoolery hijinks of the film’s rebellious simpletons. As […]

GAZA MON AMOUR – CIFF 2020 QUICKIE REVIEW

A gentle romantic drama can oftentimes be the perfect remedy to fix a bored soul; a pleasant little escape that can help the most willing of viewers escape from the mundanity of daily routine. Gaza Mon Amour, the latest film from the directorial duo the Nasser Brothers, is a gentle diamond in the rough. The […]

PADRENOSTRO – CIFF 2020 QUICKIE REVIEW

Italy strikes again! In the vein of any good mafia story, the latest film from Italian director Claudio Noce is a twisty subversion of the crime drama. Shrouded in ambiguity from its very opening scene, the film is an emotional and twisty rollercoaster of emotions. Unpredictable in its simplicity, Padrenostro is a complex film that […]