2024 Sydney Film Festival
If you arrived here after a search, either scroll down to the film you were looking for, or search the text for the name of the film.
My notes of all Q&As are just notes - they are not complete transcripts, but they should be representative summaries.
This year I was only able to be in Sydney from Wednesday to Saturday in week 1, and Wednesday to Sunday in week 2, so I am only reviewing the films I was able to see on those days.
Of those, my top 5 films, in accordance with the rating I gave them, are:
There’s Still Tomorrow 10/10
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger 9/10
The Outrun 9/10
Thelma 9/10
Every Little Thing 9/10
This year, unlike previous years, I have not detected a strong connecting theme between the films. …
Wednesday 5 June
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
UK, USA, Dir: David Hinton 9/10
I was off to a flying start at the Festival, with a wonderful homage to the great Powell and Pressburger (together called “The Archers”), heroes of British cinema. But this, the first film I saw, was wrongly racked (initially)! Nothing changes. Still….
Martin Scorsese narrates – and supplies many personal anecdotes concerning – the story of the trail-blazing collaboration of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Although I am very familiar with nearly all of the Archers’ films (I’ve never seen Ill Met by Moonlight (1957) or The Elusive Pimpernel (1949)), I was still rivetted by this excellent doco. The films look great in the selected clips, mainly because Scorsese has funded many restorations. They all look like I should watch them again. Not only because they look beautiful and intriguing all over again, but also because in this doco, Scorsese shares his insights about the influence of these films on his. Although there must have been a script of some sort, much of the tie you can see that Scorsese is just talking from the heart, such is his sincerity.
Some of the films he discusses in some detail include: The Edge of the World (Powell directing alone), The Spy in Black, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (which influenced both Scorsese’s Raging Bull and The Age of Innocence), A Canterbury Tale (their first “flop,” according to Scorsese, but I love it), I Know Where I’m Going!, A Matter of Life and Death,
Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes (again influencing Raging Bull), The Small Back Room, The Elusive Pimpernel, Gone to Earth, Tales of Hoffman, Oh Rosalinda!, The Battle of the River Plate, Ill Met by Moonlight, Peeping Tom and The Age of Consent (both Powell directing alone)
Anyone unfamiliar with the Archers’ films should watch this doco. And anyone familiar with them should do so too. Both will be amply rewarded and both will learn a lot.
Thursday 6 June
City of Wind
France, Mongolia, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, Dir: Ukhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, 7/10
This is quite a surprising film in many ways. It tries to reconcile the spiritual with the venal in the life of a Shaman (who is actually a teenaged boy named Ze), and the family, friends and neighbours he tries to help. A great opening shot establishes what seems to be the remote, yet quite large city (Ulanbataar) in which the characters live, and subsequent establishing shots provide the context for the events that follow.
Ze is a good student, and devout, but he not only has to cope with his spiritual calling and its attendant duties, he is also a teenaged boy with all that that entails. And when he meets a girl he likes, and she turns out to be a bit of a firecracker…. There’s drama in the classroom too, as the film dares to criticise the education system (or perhaps it’s just the tyrannical teacher to blame?).
Ze’s work is not only symbolic: it also involves quite practical help at times. He carries it out, but as the film goes on, we wonder: does he really believe he is channelling spirits? “Let the people in”, he tells his mother. But does he still have the spirit? We can clearly see the need for it. Perhaps he can settle for that, as the drone shot backs us away from this fascinating slice of life in Mongolia.
Pepe
Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Namibia, Dir: Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias 6/10
This film was introduced by Nishen Moodley, SFF director, by saying it “totally evades description” and was one of the most fascinating films that he'd seen in preparing for the SFF. It combines TV news imagery with some scenes that were reenacted from the reality he’d uncovered.
The director said that we needed to create new forms and images for contemporary film. And so, the film proceeds, unusual at first, but gradually settling into a more familiar form and familiar images. Having the film narrated by a dead hippo at first seems clever, but it is never entirely coherent. If anyone wants to see a more successful attempt at creating a new form of narrative and a fantastical style, the Portuguese fantasy Grand Tour, which also showed at this year’s SFF (see below), is more effective and just as cerebral.
Ultimately, I was frustrated by Pepe. I wanted to know more of the historical detail and media coverage, and cared so much less about the fantasy. So even though the end-credit sequence was annoying – both the music and the graphics were irritating, I was grateful when they arrived.
All Shall be Well
Hong Kong, Dir: Ray Yeung 7/10
This fascinating film from Hong Kong opens with an Autumn Festival family dinner being given by an older Lesbian couple. The two lead characters (Patra Au Ga Man and Maggie Li Lin Lin) are so engaging and their performances are so good that even if the film were less fascinating then it is, it would be still a compelling watch. And it manages to give us a terrific shock early on, which then takes the film in an important direction.
It’s an important film politically and legally, and the Q&A discussion amplified this. But it is also entertaining, culturally enriching, and beautiful to look at. This is a well-made film with its points well-made too. It forces us to focus on the meaning and the value of “family” both to society as well as to family members individually.
Q&A with Director & Producer, moderated by Sandy George:
Q (Sandy). Have there been changes to the law since the film was made?
A (director, Ray Yeung). No, there is no same sex marriage. But at the time of the film people married overseas were able to be considered married in Hong Kong. However, the Hong Kong government has appealed the decision and the result will be handed down later this year (2024).
Q. How was the film marketed locally and how has it gone?
A. (producer, Stan Guingon): The film opened the Hong Kong film festival. We did a marketing blast and social media splash at the Hong Kong Film Festival. It opened in cinemas in Hong Kong on 1 May, in 25 cinemas.
Q. How is the climate if you are queer in Hong Kong?
A . In Hong Kong the LGBT community situation is slowly improving. Many people take cases to Court but the government always goes to the Court of Appeal. Decisions are mostly favourable to LGBT. But one Court said the government has to come up with a legal framework for the LGBT community, in two years, of which one has expired. The government has announced community consultation just in the last few days.
Q. The title has a lot of hope in it, but it is difficult to be LGBT in Hong Kong.
A. We came up with the title when interviewing couples for the script. We got weird answers from couples saying (for example) we don't have a will, but my sister will understand! So it is an ironic title. “All shall be well” – Not.
Q. [missed]
A. Relationships can change with the family. For example the story of the watches shown in the film is real.
Q. The film is very restrained and there is a lot of symbolism: the drain, the goldfish. Are these artistic choices?
A. The story is very dramatic – she loses her home, her family and her relationship. So the more restrained you get, the better you feel the pain. When you put music in, the audience can relax. So we decided not to use any music at all. The goldfish (lanterns and the gift) are a sign of prosperity. Home ownership is difficult in Hong Kong. It is very expensive.
Q. You were putting the camera behind the windows, the curtains, screen doors, outside gates and at the end of the hall. You used a slightly floating camera. This made us feel we were spying on the people.
A. Yes. I was obscuring from afar what is going on. I also wanted to show the objects in the houses. We needed to see all the props belonging to the people and in the apartment. A slight documentary style. Slight movement at the beginning. After Pat passes away the camera is more static.
Q (from a woman born in Hong Kong). I have mixed feelings. It is bad that the legal system doesn't protect a minority. But I'm also proud of Hong Kong. You have captured the real Hong Kong character.
A. Thank you.
Q (from a filmmaker from Hong Kong). How did you manage to put a film out in Hong Kong that is not really accepted? Thank you for keeping Hong Kong cinema alive .
A. Film festivals make the film able to stay alive! This makes a difference a big difference for a film with a very different subject matter. That's the only way to market it.
Q. One of the actors came out of retirement after 30 years for the film.
A. That’s the actress who pays Pat, Maggie Li, a household name on TV in Hong Kong in the 1980s. She hasn't worked for 30 years. I asked her husband if I could meet Maggie. She liked my last movie. She said yes a few days later.
A (producer). In Suk Suk we had Angie [Patra Au] as well [as Maggie].
The Bikeriders
USA, Dir: Jeff Nichols 8/10.
This is not a world-shattering film, but it is awfully good fun, and really good-looking. It features Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, so say no more. Austin Butler is channelling James Dean and Tom Hardy out-Brandos Marlon Brando! He’s quite astonishing. But even with those two featuring majorly, the film is completely stolen by Jodie Comer as Kathy, who becomes involved with the early biker scene in the Midwest of the USA, when she falls madly in love with Butler’s character, Benny and leaves everything behind to go with him: “It can’t be love; it just must be stupidity.”
Directed by the excellent Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories, 2007, Take Shelter, 2011 and Mud, 2012), and based on a photographic/ interview-based book by Danny Lyon published in 1968, the film veers away from the book in its second half, portraying the darker side of bikeriding (a term coined by Lyon) and the change in culture from the freewheeling 50s & 60s into the drug-dealing 60s & 70s.
This was one of those films that begins really well, and before you know it, it’s over. I just flat-out enjoyed it.
Friday 7 June
The Cats of Gokogu Shrine
Japan, USA, Dir: Kazuhiro Soda 7/10
Introduced by the Director, Kazuhiro Soda.
My score is somewhat generous for this film, which had quite a bit to admire about it, but was over-long. The director is a fan of Frederick Wiseman, so he does not explain what the film is about as it goes along, and we must glean the meaning for ourselves.
We see an isolated Japanese fishing village, populated by a lot of older people and overpopulated by cats. Gradually we see that there is a program to regulate their population by neutering them humanely. Some residents agree and some disagree with the work being done. Some are resentful of all the fuss being made over the cats, who inhabit the grounds of an important shrine. We gradually get to know the cats, and we can even begin to see their personalities, to the extent that we worry when one goes missing.
I guess the fact that I was just back from Japan (which I love visiting) made this film hold more interest for me than perhaps it may for others. But I do think it needed some severe pruning.
Q&A with Director, Kazuhiro Soda, moderated by Jenny Neighbour:
Q. (Jenny Neighbour) What draws you to this area of Japan?
A. The area is Ushimado. My wife’s mother is from there and we rented a house in which we still live. I shot Oyster Factory (2015) and Inland Sea (in 2018) in the same area. We were in Tokyo but we were stuck and we wanted to escape to Ushimado – to a totally different world. The place had nothing to do with Covid. Fish and cats don't wear masks.
Q. Cats are very independent – was that a problem?
A. Not really. I don't force anything. If they come to me, I film. If they leave, I don't chase.
Q. As a documentary maker, your presence will impact the story. How do you find that balance?
A. I call my films observational: “It is about looking and listening carefully.” These days we are surrounded by so much information, we failed to listen and look. I observe the world, which includes ourselves. My wife got involved in the trap and release programme [of the cats].
Q. Why does Chata-kan have a collar on the others don't?
A. He wanted to live with us. He was fixed and he was supposed to be adopted. But his ear wasn't cut to indicate he had been fixed. So I put a collar on him to let it be known that he was being looked after.
Q. Have you been to the cat shrine in Tokyo? I found out about it in Chris Marker’s film.
A. No, I haven't been there.
Q. How did the community accept the story you were trying to film?
A. The community is equally divided. Many are worried about the [program], but no one talks about it. We were almost the only ones who could bring up the topic. We were trying to be accepted in the community, both the cats and us.
Q. The street photographer said don't tell anyone about the place. Has the film screened in Tokyo?
A. That's a big issue. We had a special screening for neighbours who were in the film. We invited that photographer. I was worried, but he was happy, actually. He said these cats are being taken care of and his friend was the man who noted that all the cats were fixed and we are showing the world that it's not OK to abandon cats.
Q. What ratio of film did you use compared to that you did not use?
A. We shot 90 to 100 hours of footage and kept two hours. We throw away most of the stuff. There's a rigorous selection process. I do all the editing, sound mixing, colour grading and even subtitles.
Q. About aesthetics. In Japanese there's a concept of “mono no aware” – a sensitivity to ephemera. Was that in your mind?”
A. Mono no aware is about cherishing this time in the world which is passing. That is why I made the film. If I see something, I have the urge to record it and keep it as a time capsule. I don't do any research beforehand. We always found our structure in the editing room. Until the third or fourth cut I had a linear structure: spring / summer / autumn / winter. Then Kiyoko (his wife) suggested we come back to spring. Then I realised we were filming a cycle. Then a cat passed away and some new kittens came: naturally it was a cycle. The transience of life.
Puan
IN COMPETITION
Argentina, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Dirs: Maria Alché, Benjamin Naishtat 8/10
Introduced by Sandy George, with Director/Writer Benjamin Naishtat:
“This is sort of a comedy.”
From the impressive opening titles, we know that we are in good hands with this “sort of” comedy. From there, we are given various impressions of academic types of various kinds. The rotter, Rafa purports to teach, but merely lectures. Our hero, Marcelo, is the true teacher (but he’s hopeless). Except that when push comes to shove, and the university od shut down, he knows exactly what to do. And the poetic ending, though unexpected, is based on a true event.
Again, my lack of detailed notes about this film indicate that I enjoyed myself too much to write things down. Luckily, the Q&A revealed a lot about the truth of what we see in this film, and of its importance to Argentina. Now read on….
Q&A with co-Director, Benjamin Naishtat, moderated by Sandy George:
Q. (Sandy George): You are no stranger to making political films, but this is a comedy. What was the experience like?
A. All films are political. Even Marvel superheroes films. But this comedy, co-written with my partner Maria [Alché], was our first collaboration. When we decided to deal with death, philosophy and a country going down the drain, we knew it must be a comedy.
Q. And the experience?
A. Sometimes when your script is funny, you can't tell from the shooting if it is funny. The actors are tired, etc. It is only when you have a random audience that you can tell.
Q. Is there a point where in Argentina a university really closed and the class was held in the street?
A. That situation has happened in the past – always there are reasons to protest in the street. Often there are problems with budget cuts. In 2020 we wrote it – during the pandemic. Since, there's been a new presidential election. Now we have a far-right party and the script became a reality. The current President says he's stopping financing what was free education.
Q. Is there a groundswell of interest in philosophy in Argentina?
A. The university's nickname is Puan (it’s on Puan Street). The subscription of students for philosophy has been dropping in BA (Buenos Aires), but it is also a global phenomenon. Yet today philosophy could play a great role.
Q. Talk about the singing of the tango in the end.
A. It was written in the script. During the scriptwriting a philosophy chair died and the homage was a walking homage (because it was during Covid). One a guy sang the tango that Marcelo sings. It is a very metaphysical tango, very significant for the people of BA.
Q. I am [from Argentina]. This film captures the spirit of BA so perfectly. It is so recognisable. How did you do it?
A. I don't know. It is a personal story. Maria is studied philosophy at Puan and my father was a philosophy professor.
Q. What do you think about the government cutting off funding to the national film fund (INCA) since December, along with nearly all cultural organisations.
A. It is really bad under this President.
Q (Mine): Was the use of the iris written into the script? I notice you use it to close out major scenes.
A. It is a technique used in silent comedy films. We are familiar with it in Chaplin’s films. We actually crafted a device: so we did it [the irising] in the camera to make it muted and funny at the same time.
Q. Could you have a swapped the actors Marcelo and Rafa?
A. No. Marcelo was a clown in early life. Rafa (the actor) is a star and handsome, and it was like that on the set: whenever he came on set people treated him as a star.
The Contestant
UK, Dir: Clair Titley 8/10
Introduction by Director Claire Titley
This is an extraordinary film about truly extraordinary events. It was remarkable for me, as I had just come back from a walking trip in the Tohoku region, which passed close to rural Fukushima, where our hero, cruelly nicknamed Nasubi (meaning eggplant, for the shape of his face), grew up. I could recognise some of the landscape.
But the opening credits weren’t promising. They seemed clichéd, as is often the case with the Western view of Japan. Is there a rule that filmmakers must always show the famous pedestrian crossing at Shibuya as an establishing shot? But things soon improve, and the true story of what happened to Nasubi – and who he became – is absolutely jaw-dropping. And the efforts the filmmakers went to to tell the story, and the way they have done it, is exemplary. Which is not to say the film doesn’t have faults – it does (choice of music, missing captions etc), but these are mere quibbles compared to the drama of the story of Nasubi.
This is the story of one of the world’s first reality shows (The Truman Show came out the same year, 1998, and Big Brother a couple of years later). It’s beyond cruel, what the producers did to Nasubi, and yet the filmmakers basically get almost a confession out of the show’s Producer, who actually gave them a lot of help making the film. I think it is this Producer who says in the end: “Nasubi wanted to save Fukushima, but Fukushima saved Nasubi.”
The Q&A was very illuminating, revealing the detail from behind the scenes….
Q&A with Director, Claire Titley, moderated by Jenny Neighbour:
Q. (Jenny): How did you end up as an English director making a Japanese story?
A. I went on the Internet and found the stories [about the TV show] negative and derogatory. I wanted to make the story from Nasubi’s POV.
Q. [To Nasubi] How was it going back over it?
A. Yes, I was definitely traumatised by the whole thing, but Claire assured me that she would treat it with respect.
Q. [To Claire] How was it getting footage?
A. It was hard to get footage. The producer [of the TV show] helped me get the footage and I'm grateful.
Q. Claire, I read you are considering taking Nasubi to the apartments.
Q. Are you doing an English voiceover of Nasubi’s Diaries?
A. (Claire): It was a long process, this film. It went over different routes and we did shoot a lot of exteriors. The Fukushima location shots made it [into the film], but not the Tokyo ones. We felt you needed to be in the room with him [rather than outside]. But also Covid made it difficult. I couldn't go to Japan. The English producer was quarantined in a hotel room in Japan and we did it from the UK to Japan and talked together [by Zoom etc].
A.(Nasubi): It is really hard to go back over all those times. In the Diaries I was just trying to get through it and also my anger is on the page. I feel a bit embarrassed about it, but it was what I went through. I'm discussing with Claire if we could translate it to English. Would you buy it?
Q. The Japanese found it funny at the time, but do they look at it differently now?
A. (Nasubi): At the time it happened I didn't know it was going to air. It all gave me a deep misanthropic destruct distrust of human beings, fundamentally. But this was 25 years ago and I've changed and those people have changed.
Q. Could the TV show “A Life in Prizes” be made in the same way now?
A. (Nasubi): It was part of a variety show and it was all about ratings at that time. After that, Western media approached me and suggested that maybe my human rights were violated Maybe the Japanese media was all wrong.
Q. What are you doing now and what does the future look like for you?
A. (Nasubi): I'm working as an actor in Japan on stage mostly, and in Fukushima I work as a TV presenter and commentator.
A. (Claire): He also does a lot of philanthropy in Nepal and has cleared debris in NYC. He's also an incredible ambassador for Fukushima.
Q. Did you receive any payment for the show or the sale of books?
A. At the end of 15 months I got paid a lump sum, but I calculated that the hourly rate was ¥105 per hour. On the diaries, I never signed a contract, and I only got a “buyout” fee. So please, if I do the English translation [of the Diaries] closed brackets by it!
Q. Have you screened it in Japan?
A. (Claire): No. And they’re different kind of audience.
The Convert
New Zealand, Australia, Dir: Lee Tamahori 6.5/10
Introduction by Lee Tamahori
“Welcome to the third of my triptych of ‘dysfunctional family’ films.” It’s a true NZ/ Australian co-production, he said.
Why didn’t I like The Convert? Is it because it looks a bit like he was trying to remake The Piano (Campion, 1993)? I just felt it had the whiff of inauthenticity about it. Overall, I found it very slow and predictable. It only really came to life in the last quarter or so, with the battle and the peace thereafter. There were some really beautiful set-pieces there.
I also liked the ending, in which the British colonisers attempt to impose customs and excise upon the Maori, who counter by offering to make the English pay rent. It’s a very funny scene.
Guy Pearce as the lead never convinces, I’m afraid, and in the end, with his facial tattoos that tell “the story of my life – so far”, I fear there might be a sequel or even a TV spin-off!
Saturday 8 June
The Monk and the Gun
Bhutan, France, USA , Taiwan, Dir: Pawo Choining Dorji 8/10
This is one of those films that I would only ever see at the Sydney Film Festival. Which is one of the reasons I go. Because this was a lot of fun and the narrative was constantly surprising and challenging.
The film has a sly sense of humour – the first hint of that was the sign at the airport, to attract the attention of passenger “Ronald Coleman”, whose name film students might recognise as the star of the 1937 film Lost Horizon (Frank Capra), set in a fantasy Tibet. He’s one of the main figures in this film. And The Monk and the Gun is also set in the past – in 2006, when MTV was the next big thing in Bhutan, and the government is trying to tech people about democracy before the first elections occur in Bhutan (Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage only in 2008).
A meandering plot comes satisfyingly together with lots of sly comments on democracy, consumerism, the police, gun culture and traditional values. A charming, clever, funny film.
There’s Still Tomorrow
IN COMPETITION
Italy, Dir: Paula Cortellesi 10/10
THIS IS IT!
That was my first thought after the opening credits and first scene of this film. I went out on a limb and immediately predicted it would win the Sydney Film Prize (for – as I keep reminding people – an “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film). It duly did win.
The first scene is a shock. You think you are in an Italian neo-realist film of the 1940s, and you kind-of are, but the things that happen in this film would never have been in a film of the 1940s. For this is a film about domestic violence, and it literally pulls no punches. So it is quite shocking in the way that we see the extent of the violence, but it is also shocking in the way that it shows domestic violence in different ways (such as dance routines to fabulous Italian pop songs!). These are not gimmicks, they really make us think about the nature of the domestic relationship that ends in violence, or which does not end at all. And there’s a bravura performance from the star and director, Paola Cortellesi.
This black-and-white retro style has been done before, for example in The Artist (2011, Hazanavicius) or Blancanieves (2012, Berger), but not in such a drama. And not in a drama that goes in such an unexpected (but very moving) direction. This is bravura filmmaking, and all I can say is “See it!”
Revealed: Otto by Otto
Australia, Dir: Gracie Otto 7/10
This film proved to be quite controversial in the Q&A, because this is ostensibly a love-letter from daughter Gracie to father Barry, Otto, in which she records (unintentionally at first) his journey into dementia. She thought she would record his preparation for the theatre production of A Stretch of the Imagination, a really challenging one-man theatre piece. As Gracie said, she set out to capture a bit of her Dad’s life, and she ended up trying to capture everything about his life (as it was slipping away from him).
When questioned in the Q&A about whether she had proper permission to film these events (given Barry’s (presumed) inability to give informed consent), Gracie became angry. “I know deep in my heart Dad gave me permission to make this film,” she said. And watching Barry on film, you’d have to agree: he was such a showman. Everything was about putting himself forward as an actor playing a role. If the last role was this one, it’s a hell of a performance!
If nothing else – even if flawed – this is a very important record of the life of a great artist, and a great man.
Q&A with Director, Gracie Otto and Producer Nicole O’Donoghue, moderated by Jenny Neighbour:
Q. (Jenny): How is Barry?
A. OK. He's in a lost phase in his own world (crying). He's happy.
Q. How did the film change over the 5 years?
A. (Producer Nicole O’Donoghue) 7 years. Barry was going to do Stretch (A Stretch of the Imagination) and Gracie he was very busy and kept coming back to it.
A. (Gracie): It wasn't the film it set out to be. Often in documentary you don't know what the third act will be.
Q. What bits about the film did you find hard?
A. We had a great archive producer. Moving people.
Q. You have no talking heads.
A. The last two of my films had talking heads. Under the Volcano and The Last Impresario. But Dad’s very engaging on camera. I wanted it to be him. And it helped with Covid.
Q. Barry wasn't always playing a part. But who is the real Barry?
A. Dad is such an amalgamation of things – he goes so deep into roles. Actors are amazing and precious souls that need to be nurtured.
Q. My mother had Alzheimer's. You knew he had Alzheimer's and he couldn't give consent…
A. (Gracie, angry): I know deep in my heart that Dad gave me permission to make this film. Mum’s decision not to tell people turned out 100% to be the right decision
Q. [How did you Cope making such an emotional film?]
A. Documentary is so beautiful and you work so intimately with people. The four of us had to check on each other. A lot of tears and a lot of laughs.
Q. Out of all the performances of your Dad, which one left the greatest impression on you? A. I love Cosi. I love Night on Bald Mountain.
Q. Will there be an exhibition of your Dad's paintings?
A. We did an exhibition for his 80th birthday and a lot of actors have his paintings. I love his post-Alzheimer's work.
Q. Would you speak to your anticipatory grief?
A. It's like having all the lights on and then they gradually go off one by one. I'm grateful to have Dad and that's that he's still around. It's a f***ed-** disease, but there are worse.
Q. What do you hope people take away from the film?
A. (Gracie) An appreciation of Barry Otto and being reminded of his work and love for the arts and theatre – how important creative artists are.
A. (Nicole) It's a tribute to being an actor.
Wednesday 12 June
House of the Seasons
South Korea, Dir: Oh Jung-min 7/10
This film owes quite a bit to Ikuru (1952, Kurosawa). In that film, a man looks for his life’s meaning after he learns he is going to die of cancer soon. In this film, it seems the whole family is looking for life’s meaning in one way or another. But the climax of the film brings Ikuru particularly to mind – for reasons I’d better not divulge.
Some people at the Festival didn’t like this film at all, but I warmed to it. A slow burn.
Q&A with Director, O Jung-Min, moderated by Nishen Moodley:
Q. (Nishen): it's a beautiful film, looking at multi-generational story. It could be set in any context. Why a tofu factory?
A. First, tofu is very Asian, very effortful to build and easy to break. It symbolises family in some way.
Q. Anything autobiographical in it?
A. What you might think might be real is graphic and vice versa maybe. We wanted to take advantage of natural light. Very few computer graphics.
Q. I mean autobiographical, not graphical.
A. I did start with something from my childhood, but I wanted to generalise and include Korean history, so it is not autobiographical.
Q. How did you film the seasons?
A. We filmed from September 2022 and took six months to get through the seasons. I didn't think about that much when I was writing, but when filming I realised how much it would cost. Next time I'm only going to write one season!
Q. What's the lead actor’s favourite scene?
A. (Actor): I'd like to say I was in every scene of film the film, so I don't have a favourite scene, but as filming went on we had a deep connection – like family.
Q. The Korean title is “The Eldest” and the English title is different. Which do you prefer?
A. When I translate “The Eldest” into English it is “The Eldest Son”. It doesn't sound right or the same in Korean. So I used a different title indicating that the seasons change and the family stays the same.
Q. Did the grandfather give the bank back book to the grandson to continue the family line? A. (He pauses). The biggest aspect of the grandfather's life was to preserve the family. I wanted to embrace both love and a scary process in the movie.
Q. What is the significance of the character Hae-Sook? She went against the family grain and may have set the house on fire and she was a Christian.
A. Hae-Sook probably devoted her whole life to her family, like her mother did. This could be very troubling to her and by burning the home down she shows how dark she could get.
Q. What did the lead character think when he got the money? What would he have done with it?
A. I actually get this question a lot. Each time I say I don't know what he would do. It is the kind of money that you can neither use nor get away from.
September Says
IN COMPETITION
France, Greece, Ireland, Germany, UK, Dir: Ariane Labed 5/10
No no no no no! Very unlikeable people in a film that was pretty baffling. In fact my notes say: “This seems to be a nasty film” and “I’m not engaged after 20 minutes” and “Is this turning into Carrie?” There’s an attempt at a David Lynch scene, with a singer who sings “Baby I hope we die at the exact same time.” And the only scene I did like was a scene with the two lemurs (?) in the kitchen. But that was marred by bad sound recording in the bathroom.
One of my last notes was: “What’s the point?”
Indeed. I still don’t see it.
The Outrun
IN COMPETITION
UK, Germany, Dir: Nora Fingsheidt 9/10
In stark contrast to September Says, The Outrun is a very effective drama, and one of my favourites of the Festival. The Outrun refers to a place on the remote farm to which our heroine (Saoirse Ronan) retreats, but it also refers to what she has to do to beat her addition.
One of my fellow audience-member pointed out that this film does not have the typical narrative ark of what he referred to as “addiction-porn”. In fact, he makes an important point, because this film plays with time frames, but does so expertly. We get a gradual picture or what has happened and is happening to our heroine via a pastiche of scenes, which ensures that we must always pay close attention. Ut it is all so fascinating and fast-paced that we don’t feel it is a chore.
Our heroine wants to find a corncrake (rare bird), and I am aware of this bird through my Irish brother-in-law and through a podcast I listen to. So I realise the preciousness and the rarity of the bird. It is of course a metaphor, but its absence is no less effective for the metaphor’s obviousness.
I was a bit worried about the extent of our heroine’s headphone use, particularly since I find the sound of the wilderness is almost its most important aspect – and she’s missing that. Stephen Dillane is very effective as Andrew, but the film is Saoirse Ronan’s. She’s in virtually every scene, and it is hard to think of an actress who would be as effective. Excellent film!
Thursday 13 June
Thelma
USA, Dir: Josh Margolin 9/10
This is a comedy about aging which chimed with many of the SFF audience in my section. One audience member said it was so close to the bone that it almost felt painful. But if it was painful it was also hilarious, true and warm-hearted. Stay for the very last scene as it gives you important context. If this is all ahead of me, I hope I remember to tell my fellow oldies to watch this film and laugh.
With an incredible cast (including Malcolm McDowell and Richard Rowntree – Shaft! – in his last released role) and an extremely funny script, this film will keep you engaged and will keep on surprising you.
Shambala
Nepal, Norway, France, Hong Kong, Turkiye, Taiwan, USA, Qatar, Dir: Min Bahdur Bham 6.5/10
This is a beautiful-looking and intriguing film, with some very interesting and attractive actors – and yaks! But ultimately I found it unsatisfying because, after the novelty of the setting and the culture wore off, I thought it descended into a kind of soap-opera/ melodrama. And, worse, one that seemed to defy logic in the end. Admittedly, it was difficult for a Western audience to understand what happened in the end of the film: it only made sense once the director explained it. But even with the explanation, I could only rate this film 6.5.
Q&A with Director, Min Bahadur Bham, moderated by Jenny Neighbour:
Q. (Jenny): You filmed at 4000 to 6000 metres above sea level. What was it like?
A. This is the area of the highest human settlement. It was very difficult for cast and crew. There were breathing problems, helicopter rescues, especially difficult for the French and Khazakhs etc. We realised how tiny we are in the front of the mountains. Crew and cast bonded and understood this. We survived!
Q. Finding the cast?
A. Most were from the local villages. Never had experience of being in front of camera. … It took me almost five years to find Pema, but I told her she had to learn horse riding, acting class, and to survive in the mountains.
Q. In the movie there was a sound of a bell. What was it significance?
A. In Buddhism, the sound of the bell represents harmony and love between human beings.
Q. The ending? Ambiguous? Could you clarify, because after all her struggles and her loyalty to her husband, to turn this around...?
A. I get that question a bit. She gives birth to the baby and becomes a nun and the baby is reincarnated as Rinpoche. Everyone will love and respect him. Every child could be very special.
Q. What is the song over the credits at the end?
A. A Nepalese nun sings a prayer for sympathy and love towards the universe.
Q. The cinematography and the coordination of dozens of yaks – hundreds of yaks. Following the yaks. A general question: Two people talking and the camera pans to 50 people.
A. All credit goes to my cinematographer and his tricks. The yaks, we had to get all the yaks from lots of villages and all of the other animals too. It took two days to shoot those scenes. Day one was not good. Day two was OK, but we used lots of dummy yaks, because the yaks were wild and could be dangerous. We communicated by sign language. The last yak was really good.
Q. City life versus regional life. Contemporary life giving way to traditional life. How much engagement do city people have with the traditional life?
A. These regions didn't really have connections with cities, but now that is changing and young people go to the cities and India. The unique tradition in the mountains: I was born in this region. I always dreamed to make a film about my own people, my own traditions. So I tried my best to present these traditions. Re polyandry – it was part of peoples’ lives. But the tradition is going in the opposite direction. All the men want to have one true wife.
Q. I'm very proud to be Nepali. Is it the first time the film has screened here? You have deep insight. I was not aware of these traditions. What made you pick this topic?
A. As a filmmaker, I love to do stories that I am fascinated and curious about. I don't care for the stories I already know. I try to discover something that I don't know. This specific story: I started meditation with my father at 12. I always thought about my previous life. Did I go to school? Was I in a monastery? I thought I was a monk. I wrote a poem at school and a story at university. I wanted to visit this village to test if my ideas were true. And it was all exactly the same as I dreamed. So I decided to write a script – about spirituality and reincarnation.
Q. Going back to the ending... The blood – was it a miscarriage? The arrow?
A . The pregnant woman showed signs of miscarriage with the blood, yes, but doctors told me that it is not always a sign of miscarriage. It can just be a child changing positions. The Rinpoche also told me that if a child is being reincarnated, then they change positions. As to the arrow, there is a tradition. Men use it to check facts in a kind of fortune-telling way. We turned the men into women. Women were actually not allowed to touch the bow and arrow. Doing it this way, it shows the friction in the culture.
The film has an Australian distributor now. (Audience applause).
Sujo
IN COMPETITION
Mexico, USA, France, Dirs: Astrid Rondolo, Fernanda Valadez 7/10
Intro by Sandy George:
This film was directed by two women. One will be here for the Q&A.
This quite complicated film had its moments, but somehow I think it is not as good a film as the directors’ earlier film on the same topic, Identifying Features (2020). The multiple generations were often a bit confusing. The film is divided into 4 “Parts” which I often think betrays a certain narrative confusion. There is an attempt to foreground the strength of some women against this macho society, but ultimately it is impotent. And depressing. Interesting to hear this sad story, and this film is important in bringing more attention to the problem of drug cartels taking over regional and remote Mexico, but in terms of pure cinema, I couldn’t connect with the characters enough to rate it higher.
Q&A with co-Director, Astrid Rondolo, moderated by Sandy George:
Q. (Sandy): You could call this a companion piece to Identifying Features (2020). Please spell it out.
A. It's a story about enforced recruitment – so here we asked what it would take for a young man to leave all that behind. So many rural areas have been completely taken over by cartels.
Q. There's a lot of overlap of actors [between your films].
A. The options are in rural areas are:
1. Get recruited by the cartel or
2. Leave and go overseas or to the city.
That's how we met Jesús.
Q. There's a line early in the film: “Who told you these stories?” “Nobody, they've always existed.” This is said by Nemesia, the Aunt.
A. A lot of the cultural and historical tradition is being lost. The Aunt (Nemesia) is the moral compass, and we wanted to surround Sujo by the women because they are the essence of Mexico and help show the sacred land in those parts.
Q. What does Sujo mean?
A. This young boy, Jesúo, also was a killer [when he grew up] and he named his son Sujo after the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. His father wanted the best for him.
Q. The involvement of the university in the production?
A. That's really important. Mexico is violent but there's another side. The University of Mexico has always been free.
Q. Tell us about the teacher.
A. She's not an actress, she's a well-known writer and she also teaches at university. And it really is her story. She left Argentina at 16 because of the dictatorship.
Q. I like both your films. We hear about journalists being killed in Mexico for telling stories. How is it for film makers?
A. They don't see these films – we see it feel safe. But we did get detained in a small [home] town of my colleague, Fernanda Valadez, for 30 minutes and it shocked her. We need to talk about all the orphan kids.
Q. How did you get out of that situation?
A. We know the [local police?] in that area and they sent the National Guard.
Q. What do you think of the new female president of Mexico?
A. We hope she can change things, but she comes from the current presiding party that doesn't ever change things, so....
Q. There are no adult males on screen [MMA: that's not quite true, there are scenes in bars etc]”.
A. Yes, that is happening. There’s a big absence. They used to migrate away and now they die younger and younger. Men are more vulnerable to the violence.
Q. Working with young actors and inexperienced ones, but very close to the camera and very still.
A. It's challenging. We had the best resource, for Fernanda and I, which is time. We prefer that to equipment or tools or resources. The kids did a wonderful job. Kids are more present than we are, actually.
Q. A man gave a speech about art and hurtful reality which he meant as a compliment.
Q. What are you going to do next?
A. We are already writing and preparing another film. We are in that process.
Friday 14 June
Agent of Happiness
Bhutan, Hungary, Dirs: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó 8/10
Intro by Jenny Neighbour with c0-director Arun Bhattarai:
The co-directors have been working together on this documentary for 6 years! “Let me take you to this country, where Happiness is really high on the national agenda.”
We begin with a class on why the country of Bhutan measures happiness. The music resembles that of a spaghetti western (cf Shambala, see above). We move to an interview of an old man of 84 who says he likes Bhutan now, as there are lots of houses that he can wander around! A lady whose cow has just calved rates her happiness as 10/10, but when it is combined with other questions asked about her life she only get 8/10.
This is like a two-subject documentary. First, we have the story of Bhutan’s happiness index and how it is measured by collecting data from a proportion of the population. And then we have the story of one of the data-collectors, who is a very interesting and complex man in himself. It seems to be one of the happy aspects of documentary that (as Gracie Otto showed us in Otto on Otto, and as we will see shortly in Every Little Thing ), you can start out making one film, and it turns into another. In the first story, we begin to find out ever so slowly, that measuring happiness ids not so easy, and that the reporting and interpretation is a bit haphazard. In the second story, we follow Amber as he diligently collects data, but also concentrates hard on finding a wife. He’s not too good at the latter, but he’s charming and funny.
With regard to the first story, the strongest illustration of the flaws in the happiness index comes from the story of the man with 3 wives, who rates every measure of happiness as 10/10. His wives tell a different story to our documentarians! It’s very good work on their part to get the full behind-the-scenes story.
In the second story, it looks like our Amber is being badly used by his girlfriend. I think it is he who says “No matter what pain you carry, you need to learn to be happy.” He dances on a mountaintop and takes a selfie. Is he happy? He rates his happiness as 5!
The film ends with these statistics: 96.3% of Bhutanese are “happy,” an increase of 3.3% from last year. But this film is much cleverer than that.
Q&A with co-Director, Arun Bhattarai, moderated by Jenny Neighbour:
Q. What was your experience of the Gross National Happiness initiative?
A. Growing up, I couldn't escape it in school, and in the King's speeches. This was a motivation for me to do the film – to understand it.
Q. I work for the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Our surveys are similar. Teams of two do it all on paper. Each individual does two.
A. The survey itself is a holistic one. I'm not an expert, but it is based on 9 domains and four pillars, and 76 agents survey 10% of the population. We chose two agents. The survey takes 3 hours to complete. There are lots of questions. They submit it to the Happiness Centre and it is a guide. They then use the survey to develop policy. Based on 96.3%. If you are happy in six out of nine domains, then you are happy. If you don't suffer from sadness, you are happy.
Q. How did you choose Amber?
A. Eight years ago, two agents walked in and later I met Amber and fell in love with him – he such a great listener.
Q. Is Amber Gurung finally married now?
A. Not yet. He's still searching. I told him not to propose on the first date!
Q. Why did you choose amber who is Nepali and not a citizen, when this was central to your film.
A. I come from the same Nepali community as Amber. At one stage I did not have citizenship, but I didn't have struggles like Amber. He didn't tell me about the lack of citizenship for the longest time. We didn't understand why he couldn't find a partner, as he is so interesting.
Q. What has the effect of mobile phones been on the Bhutanese?
A. Bhutan was the last country to get to TV. When mobile phones came in there was an even bigger impact because people weren't used to screens. The younger generation is obsessed by them.
Q. On what basis are the 10% of participants chosen?
A. It is very random. The questionnaire is distributed to the countryside in all districts. A lot of people in my film wanted to share their personal problems. It's a form of therapy.
Q. Your co-director is not from Bhutan. How did this help?
A. She helped me with context – how to make this story more universal.
Q. If the level of happiness is high, how does it guide policy for the country?
A. It is positive propaganda. But they do try to use the answers to guide policy. Find things to work on.
Q. How did you achieve openness and honesty in your subjects, particularly the three wives?
One of the beautiful things about the film was you met very interesting side characters while dealing with many subjects.
A. We spent a lot of time with them all without the camera and became friends with them over a long period of time. It was a long-term film and a collaboration. They began to trust us. I had to tell the three wives: “ I'm on your side.”
Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line
IN COMPETITION
Australia, Dir: Paul Clarke 8/10
Introduction by Jenny Neighbour and director Paul Clarke
Jenny: it is a special documentary that speaks to so many aspects of today's world: what we make of our lives and activism.
Paul Clarke: There is a golden memory from each of the screenings. Midnight Oil’s lyrics have gone through an important time of 40 years as Australia works out who it is and what it is going to be.
Rob is the beating heart of the band
Jim is the artist-in-residence
Martin is the gatekeeper and glue and bullshit detector
Peter is the activist, the fine-tuner of the message.
This is an interesting and enjoyable documentary put together by people who are at the very top of their craft – and presumably with a whole lot of input by Midnight Oil members themselves.
In particular, I noticed how superbly edited this film is from a musical point-of-view. I know a little bit about editing music for film from my own amateur efforts, and there is quite a lot to it. Here, with so much material to choose from, the task would have been particularly difficult. But it all flows so beautifully, that you can only marvel at the skill of the technicians and artists involved.
The film paints a vivid picture of a band with strong-willed, intelligent members, struggling firstly to make it, then to make quality recordings (finding the ideal producer), and finally to have a beneficial effect on Australian society. This is all interesting and well-structured, and occasionally compelling. But all the while there is the music, which is powerful and varied and intelligent. Recommended – and not just for the fans. For anyone interested in the recent history of Australian society.
Q&A with Director, Paul Clarke, moderated by Jenny Neighbour.
Q. (Jenny): Why make a film about Midnight Oil?
A. Their music really sums up what happened to us in the last 50 years. The band are very particular and that was what we went through.
A. (Producer Carolina Sorensen): I was born in 1978, but they were always the backdrop of my life.
Q. The film was made over many years.
A. The editor was Gretchen Peterson. You can feel the determination and the power in the editing. The story kept changing. The campfire was in 2016. It kept changing and then there was Covid.
Q. It is a great editing job – including the archive footage.
A. Well that's Carolina.
A. (Carolina): Getting it into a form that is watchable – that’s Gretchen.
Q. The footage was difficult?
A. (Paul): The Olympics! That was difficult!
A. (Carolina): That was expensive!
Q. [missed]
A. When we hit on “The Hardest Line,” that was it – they never compromise.
Q. 1. Is this the end of the Oils or just the final concert?
Q. 2. Framing – some widescreen, some TV. Is that for this feature film or for TV?
A .2. (Paul): It's for this. We decided to leave the archive footage [in its existing framing] as it is very hard to stretch. So we decided to be honest.
A. 1. The management was saying “Let's call it the last song of the final tour.” But it felt to me that it was the final gig. But I can't speak for them.
Q. Would you describe yourself as a rusted-on fan and what's your favourite album?
A. I've always been aware of them. I grew up on the Northern Beaches. I'm aware of the pendulum that goes from rage to hopeful. And I can't help but admire what they've done for our culture. I think they're the greatest lyricists in Australian history.
Q. About the lyrics’ importance. Why did you settle on “The Hardest Line” as a subtitle? A. (Carolina): He'd (Paul had) already used “The Power and the Passion”.
A. (Paul): With each film you do try to find the core of the story. You can't do everything. With Farnham we did “Finding the Voice”. With the Oils – they did it so hard. Four or five people in a room came up with this together.
Q. Given they're all stroppy, how many versions of the film were there?
A. I think we were at cut 92.
A. (Carolina): 93!
Q. Did “Farnham” help?
A. full stop “Farnham” was such a simple and clear film, so it did.
A. (Carolina): “Midnight Oil” started first, “Farnham” finished first.
Q. At the end, were they happy?
A. I think you can assume that they were. We did a final edit session, six hours in the dark together. We got a compliment from Peter – after six years! They are very difficult to argue with.
Q. What are the plans for the film? What will it produce, do you hope?
A. The theatrical release is on 4 July (2024) across Australia. I hope people think about their place in the world. There's lots happening now, and we can be complacent. I hope it's a reminder that we are all connected and can take and use our privilege.
Q. I have never seen at band that “tore the audience another one” like Midnight Oil. Thank you for making me 17 again.
A. Thank you.
All We Imagine as Light
USA, Dir: Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall 7/10
The story follows two nurses working in Mumbai, one estranged from her husband and one searching for love with a Muslim boyfriend. The director introduced the film by suggesting that Mumbai, though long known as the “City of Dreams”, is rather the “City of Illusions”.
We follow these women through their nursing shifts, their long commutes, and their modest lifestyle, as they try to find some kind of love. It’s a fascinating journey that takes us (eventually) from the big city to the countryside, where at last people seem to be able to breathe and relax. There’s a subplot about the drowning of Prabha’s husband, but is that yet another illusion?
This film is more about atmosphere and emotion than it is a narrative, and it is no less fascinating for that. The final scenes are mystical and beautiful, but you won’t find resolution here. One for those who like the lyrical.
Touch
Iceland, UK, Dir: Baltasar Kormákur 8/10
A romantic and sweet film, reminiscent of The Age of Innocence (Scorsese, 1993), including a scene where a man suits under a building with a bunch of flowers, reluctant to enter to see his old love, and we hear the random sounds around him. I love that scene, so I love that reference here.
The film moves through different time frames and different countries: England, Iceland, Japan. It begins with John and Yoko’s bed-in in Amsterdam, and continues with The Zombies’ song “Time of the Season.” A promising start. We move through to Nick Drake, so we know the film is tending mushy. But love affairs are cut short, studies are interrupted, skills are acquired, Covid intervenes and life goes on.
My only quibble is with the rather dramatic reason revealed for the breaking up of the main love affair. I found it hard to believe that the feisty, strong-willed girl we are introduced to would be overwhelmed by her father’s will and undergo such a dramatic procedure. I don’t believe the concept of “Atomic Survivor was introduced well enough to justify the sudden turn of events.
Still, for atmosphere, sense of place and romance, this is a lovely film.
Saturday 15 June
Every Little Thing
Australia, Dir: Sally Aitken 9/10
This was my favourite doco of the festival. It stood out from the others because of its cleverness, the intricacy and clarity of its storytelling, and the great humanity it showed. It is also another example (as the Q&A shows) of how a filmmaker can often start out making one film, and, part way through, find that another story worth telling has also emerged.
Here, a wonderful nature documentary, with unbelievably charismatic and photogenic little creatures as its stars, also encompasses the story of the wildlife carer’s personal tragedies. But this doesn’t derail the documentary, or overwhelm it. It is all part of the whole, a story skilfully told. We follow a lot of the detail about saving Hollywood’s hummingbird population, and we learn a lot about what these little birds need. But we also see what it costs the carer, and we can begin to see where her dedication to the cause comes from.
The title music is perfectly chosen, but not too obvious: a very sweet song that is optimistic as well: Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” And these little birds, like Gloria Swanson, are always ready for their closeup.
Q&A with Director Sally Aitken and Producer Bettina Dalton, moderated by Jenny Neighbour.
Q. (Jenny): how did an Australian filmmaker get involved with hummingbirds?
A. I can get excited about anything. My film “Playing with Sharks” had been successful, and Bettina had read the book during Covid and [missed] husband had been killed. A lot of healing in the book. Incredibly, the book had not been optioned. I met Terry in Portland. I didn't know her background.
Q. How did you capture the birds?
A. With great difficulty and effort. We had three cinematographers: a wildlife one [Ann Johnson Prum], Dan [Freene] and Nathan Barlow. Terry's book is very metaphysical. The birds themselves are very mystical and magical. 990 frames a second, shot with the Phantom Flex camera. The hummingbird hovers and keeps its head in the perfect focal frame. Getting close to the nests – we employed a specialist nest finder! This is in Beverly Hills and Hollywood!
Q. Did your ideas change as you went into the edit.
A. There’s always an aspiration to reach for something metaphoric, poetic and otherworldly. But this was a challenge. I didn't know Terry's childhood story or anything else about her life. Also we had an incredible opportunity with the cinematography. But this is also a film about kindness and compassion. We wanted to craft a film that was an invitation to emotion. These ideas are being trampled on right now and we need to simplify, simplify, simplify.
Q. How much of the year does Terry do this?
A. Terry runs the hotline year round. 90% of problems are handled on the phone. She always tries to keep the birds in their own habitat. She has to assess the Finder to see their competence. She also says the period in LA is April – [missed]. But it is getting earlier, even to February.
A. (Producer Bettina): We all lived in the house with Terry to be on the spot and avoid LA traffic. Also the nesting season – but trees are being lopped like crazy and they are trying to get people to defer lopping till July.
Q. The way you put it together was very beautiful. Does Terry get funding?
A. She does everything on a volunteer basis. It is entirely her and she lives alone.
A. (Producer Bettina): We'd like to make the film a fund-raising opportunity and also we want her to train up some more people. Terry got her skills and cages from another Hummingbird rehabber.
Q. She does all the calls and rehabs herself?
A. And she's not interested in a film crew documenting this.
Q. “Playing with Sharks” – there are parallels?
A. There's definitely a relationship between the two films. But I made a film about The Wiggles in-between. I always reach for the metaphorical and the subtext. With Valerie Taylor there was a lot of action-driven stuff but also the story of a young woman taking on this foreign idea of conservation. They all address our relationship with the planet and earth each other.
A. (Producer Bettina): It is also about bringing the work of unknown/ unsung women to the fore. Plus the intersection of humanity and people.
Kneecap
IN COMPETITION
Italy, France, Dir: Emanuele Crialese 8/10
Rapping in the Irish language? What’s not to like?
I’m so glad I decided to see this film. It’s not a genre of music I follow, but it seemed intriguing, so I gave it a whirl, and was rewarded in spades.
Although it is a fictional film, the participants are real, and really do rap in the Irish language – I have since seen the teacher in the news, making political statements, so he really does practise what this film preaches. And though I say “preaches,” the film is not preachy. It is thoroughly entertaining. And funny. You won’t understand a lot of what is said (unless you are Irish – or even better, from Belfast). But that doesn’t matter. “Every word spoken in Irish is a bullet for Irish freedom, son” says the Dad. And then: “You’re that bullet, son.” Perhaps he’s suggesting that the language can replace the bullets. I hope so.
The film ends with a title telling us that in December 2022 a Bill for the Irish Language Act was in Parliament. An update: the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act received Royal Assent on 6 December 2022, which means that Irish becomes an official language in Northern Ireland once the relevant provisions are brought into force. Certain provisions did come into effect on 22 May 2023, including providing for the appointment of an Irish Language Commissioner, and for developing of standards of best practice relating to the use of the Irish language by public authorities, and requiring public authorities to have due regard to those standards. This Commissioner, Séamas Ó Concheanainn, was appointed on 6 December 2023. He’s appointed for 6 years and has to produce an Annual Report. There’s also a national awareness program for public bodies and the general public.
Lee
UK, Dir: Ellen Kuras 6/10
The film was introduced with a brief Q&A with Producer Troy Lum and Writer John Collee.
Q. How did you get involved with Lee Miller?
A. (Producer Troy Lum) I saw a famous photo of the woman in Hitler's bathtub. I did not know who she was. Then I tried to get the rights to her [Lee Miller’s] story for three years from her son, Antony Penrose. It was Kate Winslet's dream to play Lee Miller for her whole life. We called John Collee, my long-time collaborator.
A. (Writer John Collee): The original script was by Lem Dobbs. Kate [Winslet] was signed up and she asked if Marion Hume could co-write it with me. She was editor of Vogue and brought a great knowledge of fashion and women. The film will be released in Australia in October 2024. Someone else [Liz Hannah?] came in as writer to add the framing story.
Lee was a great disappointment. I really did not like this film. I was so disappointed, as I had been looking forward to seeing the story of this remarkable woman put into a fictional film. My heart sank as the producer, Troy Lum revealed – I think it was in introducing the film – that he had not heard of Lee Miller before making the film. Then why make it? Let someone who knows what they are on about do it.
Next – and I’m sorry to say it – I think the main character was miscast. I felt like Kate Winslet was too old for the younger years of the role, and not really the right “type” overall. I was also worried by the number of writers credited. I think this shows that there was quite a bit of difficulty with the script. And it is apparent in the film. I’m not sure quite what Marion Hume from Vogue contributed to the film, despite what John Collee said. I found the film to be not very evocative of WW2. It all seemed very staged, very “stagey”. And much of it was far too glossy
In fact, these problems were evident from the very first scenes: the interview framing scene was just pure soap! History was recited as if: (a) it was a lesson; and (b) we needed to be told about WW2. There was a strange moment when Tony asks his mother “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?” but he’s in a room surrounded by photos of it! But it seems that this is just fantasy, and that Tony only discovered the photos after Lee’s death. This means that the scene described just does not make sense. There are many strange things about this film, including how the producers got Alexandre Desplat to do the music.
Not recommended!
Sunday 16 June
Marcello Mio
IN COMPETITION
France, Italy, Dir: Christophe Honoré 7.5/10
Many of the SFF audience near me disliked this film, but I embraced it. Perhaps it’s my love of cinema history. Perhaps it’s my love of Marcello Mastroianni. I guess that would do it. But this is a strange film, and I quite liked its strangeness.
Some think it is self-indulgent for the star, Mastroianni’s daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, to make such a film, in which she morphs into her father’s image, but I thought it was both playful and thoughtful. And she didn’t write or direct it – Christophe Honoré did that.
Fabrice Luchino is simply delightful in every scene he’s in. And we already knew that Chiara’s mother, Catherine Deneuve, is a skilled comedienne. All sorts of other real relatives and friends inhabit the film, which is all charming. And there are lots of inside film jokes and observations, most of which debunk the glamour that Chiara’s parents had always exuded.
It’s a cliché, but this is a love letter to Marcello, Catherine and the golden years of Italian cinema. However, there was no way this would ever win the Sydney Film Prize for the most “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film. But if there were a prize for the most playful film, this would be in the running.
Grand Tour
IN COMPETITION
Portugal, Italy, France, Dir: Miguel Gomes 8/10
Grand Tour, also in competition, comes to us from a previous recipient of the Sydney Film Prize for Arabian Nights (2015, all 3 volumes), Miguel Gomes. Gomes is clearly a filmmaker at the height of his powers, who can try just about anything and generally succeed in producing something great or at least interesting. I’ve marked down this film for its disappointing ending, but nevertheless, this is clearly the work of a great fabulist. It makes me want to see his other work (all of which, other that Tabu (2012), I’ve somehow missed).
See this film with an open mind. Just sit back and take the grand tour.
Travelling Film Festival – Huskisson
Sunday 11 August
Hesitation Wound
Turkiye, Romania, France, Spain, Dir: Selman Nacar 8/10
What an interesting choice to show this at a little country theatre on a Sunday afternoon. I’m not sure the audience were into it. I overheard someone saying: “I like a film with an ending.” But what an ending this film has! I’m still thinking about it.
First of all, this is a very Turkish film. Or at least, it seems to follow in the giant footsteps of the great Nuri Bilge Ceylan (About Dry Grasses, 2023, Winter Sleep, 2014, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, 2011). Ceylan’s films are often very long (Hesitation Wound is very short in comparison, at 84mins). But nevertheless, what Hesitation Wound has in common with Ceylan’s films is the slow burn. In Ceylan’s films it happens differently: you sometimes wonder whether anything is ever going to happen, while at the same time there is a huge, slow, accretion of detail that then underpins the thunderclap of events at the end. In Hesitation Wound, a lot seems to happen very quickly, but you still are not sure what it is all leading to, until the thunder starts rumbling towards the end.
I guess in a way the audience member was right: there isn’t really an ending, because the film signals to you that the process of corruption and moral decay will continue. There’s no resolution. It is only in retrospect that you can see the extent of this depravity across all of Turkish society. What appears to be a dedicated and obsessive lawyer working in her clients’ interests – even to the extent of putting her hand in her own pocket repeatedly – turns out to be something quite different. What appears to be a judge going through the motions to convict an innocent man because he won’t open his eyes to look for justice, turns out to be prepared to do the unthinkable. The relationship between the sisters is also not quite what it seems, as their motivations are gradually revealed.
The writer/ director, Selman Nacar, is both a lawyer and a filmmaker, and that is quite apparent in this film. It is such an uphill battle for a defence lawyer to make any headway in a town so dominated by the Mayor – but does it justify the lengths she will go to? Or are there only two ways to deal with the corruption: you can either succumb to it, or choose to die? These are the stark options offered by Selman Nacar in Hesitation Wound. You’ll be pondering the implications of this film long after the storm breaks.