Review: "Orlando, My Political Biography"

by Cláudio Alves

The future of cinema is in non-fiction. Though conventional narrative cinema still dominates the mainstream, it's within the documentary realm that the medium's most radical innovations tend to manifest, paving a path to the seventh art's tomorrow. That said, to consider cinema in binaries may be holding on to an outdated model. The way forward could entangle the cinema, as Iranian and Portuguese filmmakers have done for decades. In that regard, Orlando, My Political Biography is the future of cinema dressed in ruffs, non-binary, and transgressing past neat categorization.

Philosopher turned director Paul B. Preciado rejects structural dualities in search of something somewhere between academism and anarchic theater, a reflection of his and his subjects' essential queerness…

Click to read more ...

"Fallen Leaves" and "The Zone of Interest" lead the EFA nominations

by Cláudio Alves

Because of their specific focus and disconnection from the mainstream release calendar, the European Film Awards are rarely seen as part of the long road to Oscar. Then again, there's always the exception that proves the rule, and this year is exceptional, alright. Many Academy Award contenders showed up across the board, even beyond those submitted for the Best International Film category. Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest and Aki Kaurismäki's Fallen Leaves, for instance, scored nominations for Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, and Screenplay. Sandra Hüller even managed to double-dip, getting recognized for this Nazi nightmare and her turn in Justine Triet's Palme d'Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall.

Discover the complete list of European Film Awards nominations, plus some additional commentary, after the jump…

Click to read more ...

Doc Corner: 'Another Body'

By Glenn Charlie Dunks

Well, this is upsetting.

When college student Taylor Klein receives a chat message from a male friend with a PornHub link, she naturally assumes he’s been hacked. Turns out he is informing her that a sex tape of her has appeared online. Except that it’s no such thing. It is a fake. A deepfake; a video in which her likeness—taken from a social media sweep of images wherein she eats ice-cream, kisses her boyfriend and spends time with family—has been digitally imposed upon pornography. We’ve certainly come a long way from putting a celebrity’s head on a porn star’s body and saying it’s legit. Several sad yet logical steps down the ladder to the bottom of the barrel.

Click to read more ...

Doc Corner: Raoul Peck's 'Silver Dollar Road'

By Glenn Charlie Dunks

Raoul Peck has proven himself several times over to be one of the great workers of non-fiction today. Whether its biography or history lesson, he applies a deeply clinical look at his chosen subjects without the tar of stale formula or compromised intent. In the Haiti-born filmmakers latest work, he has taken a ProPublica article by Lizzie Presser, “Their Family Bought Land One Generation After Slavery. The Reels Brothers Spent Eight Years in Jail for Refusing to Leave It”—a title too long for a film, but which tells you exactly what is at the heart of its story.

For Peck, Silver Dollar Road is actually part biography and part history lesson, taking in a large family tree and the forces that came together to break their connection to the place they’ve known as home since emancipation.

Click to read more ...

Doc Corner: 'Last Stop Larrimah' and 'Mister Organ' are a return to true crime

By Glenn Charlie Dunks

The popularity of true crime as a subgenre appears to have subsided dramatically in the last couple of years. Following the boom times, it seems following the uber-success of Tiger King, the film, television and podcasting staple has receded somewhat from public consciousness. Although there is no shortage of new titles littering the catalogues of streaming services week on week, two new titles with antipodean links feel like a modest but successful return to the spotlight.

Speaking of Tiger King, the first of these two films is one that appears to very much takes some inspiration from that Floridian nightmare. It does it better, though, I would say.

Click to read more ...