Showing posts with label AFI FEST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFI FEST. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

AFI FEST 2024 BRINGS THE BEST OF WORLD CINEMA TO LOS ANGELES

 By José Alberto Hermosillo


AFI FEST 2024 BRINGS THE BEST OF WORLD CINEMA TO LOS ANGELES

Once again, the AFI FEST brings the best of world cinema to Los Angeles in anticipation of the award season.

 

Check out the posters of the most-anticipated films to hit the theaters to qualify for the awards, mainly foreign films that are harder to find in theaters or on streaming platforms.


In the Best International Film Oscar category, AFI FEST features over a dozen movies from countries like the U.S., Germany, Portugal, and more.


You can find the festival’s schedule and the best times to see these fantastic films.


Enjoy!









Link to download the AFI FEST app: https://fest.afi.com/download-app

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Monday, February 12, 2024

Shayda; “A Separation” in Australia

By José Alberto Hermosillo

AFI FEST FILM REVIEW: “Shayda” is a thoughtful and profoundly moving family drama. It chronicles the journey of an Iranian mother and a daughter going through a painful separation from their abusive husband in Australia in the 1990s.
 
Paraphrasing the title of the Oscar-winning 2011 Iranian film “A Separation” directed by Asghar Farhadi, another story of the separation of Iranians comes to the screen -- “Sayda,” based on the personal experience of first-timer Iranian Australian director Noora Niasari, remarkably delivers a vivid portrayal of an abused Iranian single mother and her daughter roaming in a foreign land.

Director Nooria Niasari, Australia. Photo ny José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA, 2023
 
The collaborative effort took six years to come to fruition. Noora’s mother was not only her inspiration but a person who stood up by her side during production. Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett, who worked as an executive producer, was an essential part of the project, said Niasari at a Q&A after the screening of her film during the AFI Fest in Los Angeles in 2023.
 
The Persian-born director Noora Niasari, who grew up in Australia, went back to Iran at the age of nineteen to learn more about her roots and cultural identity and other elements that would help her to enrich the film. The symbolism of Shayda’s clothes, shapes, and colors represents the emotional journey and a transformation, making Shayda’s silhouette become a butterfly, visually speaking. 

In terms of place and time, the film powerfully analyzes how immigrants lived in Australia during the 1990s.

The film strongly suggests Shayda’s darkest moments, including the reference to when she was beaten, raped, and sent out to the street with her six-year-old daughter, Mona. To overcome adversity, she seeks refuge at a women’s shelter where she finds counseling, legal aid, and friends who live in similar circumstances, who taught her how to empower herself to confront her husband and his family.
 
Over the Persian New Year Celebration, Shayda would like to take comfort in the Nowruz rituals that symbolize a new beginning. But real life takes work. Escaping domestic violence and her country’s totalitarian ideology. Sayda needed to recapture her cultural identity by keeping in touch with her Iranian food, poetry, music, dances, traditions, and, above all, with the Iranian people in Australia.
 
In this stressful cat-and-mouse drama, Shayda must be as far as possible from her abusive husband, Hossain (Osamah Sami), but the law does not grant her wishes. The patriarchal Australian system, without knowing that the father wants to take his woman and daughter back to Iran to preserve his misogynist dominance, rules favor the father’s visitations.


Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA, 2023

Staring Teheran-born actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider” & “Tatami”) is as remarkable as Shayda. She displays a wide variety of emotions, playing a mother who is aware of her daughter’s well-being but who also needs some empathy for herself.

 

Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Selina Zahednia, Photo courtesy of Sony Classics, 2023,

Mona, the little girl, is confident and expressive; young actress Selina Zahednia plays her. She understood acting from the beginning. The mother-and-daughter relationship looked natural in front of the camera due to Selina and Zar Amir’s chemistry. They bond together by practicing their scenes in a child-friendly environment for two months.
 
“Shayda” is a woman-driven story that describes the repercussions of the Australian immigration system and resonates as part of the image of the Great Southern Land we have not seen before.
 
Noora Niasari dedicated her first work to her mom and all the brave women of Iran. She will continue working on her trilogy and just announced that her next project is an adaptation of Mahsa Rahman’s novel “Raya” in North America.

“Sayda” is an affectionate female-driven film with a sense of belonging. This cathartic project reflects the challenges experienced by a single mom during her separation from her abusive husband, moving away from her totalitarian country to find shelter and personal fulfillment for her and her daughter in a new land that represents a new beginning for both women who dream of a better future. 


Director Nooria Niasari & film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA, 2023

Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi & film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA, 2023

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Sunday, November 5, 2023

Anselm: The Most Transcendental Artist of Our Time in 3D

  By José Alberto Hermosillo 


“Anselm” is a luminous and poetic documentary about the monumental artwork of the German iconoclast Anselm Kiefer.

Directed by Award-winning filmmaker Wim Wenders (“Wings of Desire,” “Faraway, So Close,” “Paris, Texas,” “Pina 3D,” “The Salt of Earth” and most recently “Perfect Days” in Japan), titled in German, “Anselm – Das Rauschen der Zeit” unfolds a deep understanding of Kiefer's oeuvre, focusing not on his personal life but on his body of work. The documentary adds 3D and a 6K resolution, a fascinating luster to the immersive experience of Kiefer's art and glory. 

As the story evolves, to see him working passionately and intensely inside his considerably large studio in the Renaissance town of Barjac, south of France, is a delight for all the senses.


The German artist is one of the most important exponents of Neo-expressionism. Many considered him a humanist for reflecting an essential part of the human condition in his work. The nonconventional visionary artist works with all the elements he can find in his surroundings. 
 
He likes to expand outside the framing to create his vast masterpieces. The mixed media on canvas he uses is only a tiny part of his architectural interiors and immense landscapes.
 
For one of his series, he burns an enormous amount of dry grass on a wall. He adds paint, plasters, concrete, and molded metal – giving the canvas a unique structure, shape, color, texture, depth, and smell. 

Anselm Kiefer's artwork transmits a sense of universality and infinite freedom to the spectator.



Anselm Kiefer was born in the Black Forest of the Southern town of Donaueschingen, Germany, in 1945, just at the end of WWII. His influences are the Norse legend, Wagnerian Opera, and Germany's Nationalistic identity, including the Nazi shameful period he brought to the center of the conversation.
 
The extraordinary footage of the film includes still photographs from when he was thirty, making it seem like he was different back then. Anselm Kiefer was a provocateur doing a photography series traveling around the world dressed in his father’s Wehrmacht uniform (German Arm Forces), displaying the Nazi salute during the 1968-1969 period.
 
He started as a bold artist who worked on the borderline between the conventional and the controversial presentation of his creations, ideologically speaking.
 
In contrast, he vividly paints the other side of history evenly by exposing the gas chambers of the concentration camps during the Holocaust. Other essential works also refer to the exodus of the Jewish community to Israel, which can be appreciated in the exhibits. From one particular point of view, he cannot deny the obscure past of his heritage. Nevertheless, we can find healing and reconciliation through his magnificent art.

In some of his pieces, he compares mushrooms with cancer cells, and we can see how those fungi expand rapidly in the woods as cancer in the human body.


The indelible reality of Kiefer’s work comes in the series titled “Memory,” which I find similar sentiments reflected in the creation of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Still, at a large scale, where what people see is not what the piece exactly represents, it is essential to know Kiefer’s work because it is transcendental for the ages.
 
Some people accused him of fascist, but Mr. Kiefer cannot control people's reactions to his creations. He can not be standing in front of every piece telling viewers, “I am antifascist,” to defend himself. Nowadays, it still is not clear what he was before, but certainly, he is not a Neo-Nazi.

Anselm Kiefer has exhibited those gigantic pieces in Venice, Bilbao, Hamburg, Tel Aviv, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, to mention a few cities where his work has been acclaimed.

The nonintrusive cinematography was done by Wender’s frequent D.P. collaborator Franz Lustig (“Aftermath,” “Perfect Days,” “Don’t Come Knocking”). 

The arresting visuals surrounding Kiefer’s work create a mystical atmosphere where spectators continue wondering more about his creations and his personal life in a more intimate setting. Still, that story is yet to come shortly in a French or probably Hollywood biopic. For now, we must be content with this astonishing documentary.
 
The purpose of art and cinema, in particular, is to open up the discussion about the life and work of a controversial artist and to make audiences aware of the existence of such an essential and celebrated talent like Anselm Kiefer.

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Monday, October 23, 2023

AFI Fest 2023 Brings the Best of the World Cinema to Los Angeles

 By José Alberto Hermosillo


AFI Fest 2023 opens on Wednesday, October 25, and goes until 29, 2023. Film lovers will rejoice in the prestigious Angelino movie fiesta, which showcases over 140 films. Some of those are already Award-winning films from other festivals, such as Berlin, Venice, and Cannes. 


The Red Carpets and Special Screenings are the Oscars hopefuls such as "Maestro," "Leave the World Behind," and "Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story." Others, like "All of Us Strangers," "American Fiction," "The Bikeriders," "The End We Start From," "Fingernails," "Freud's Last Season," "Lee," "Memory," "Quiz Lady," and "Society of Snow" are contenders as well.

The audience will have only five days to watch as many marvelous gems as possible and meet some filmmakers and possibly the casts from many faraway countries. They will come to Los Angeles to support their respective films and show what they are capable of in Hollywood.

Twenty International Feature Films entries for the 96th Academy Awards:

ABOUT DRY GRASSES (KURU OTLAR ÜSTÜNE). Turkey’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

CITY OF WIND (SER SER SALHI). U.S. Premiere. Mongolia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD. Romania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. Screening is to be followed by a conversation with actor Ilinca Manolache.

FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET). Finland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

FOUR DAUGHTERS (LES FILLES D’OLFA). Tunisia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. Screening is to be followed by a conversation with director Kaouther Ben Hania.

INSHALLAH A BOY (INSHALLAH WALAD). U.S. Premiere. Jordan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

ME CAPTAIN (IO CAPITANO). North American Premiere. Italy’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Matteo Garrone and actors Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall.

THE PEASANTS (CHLOPI). Poland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with directors DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman.

PERFECT DAYS. Japan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS). Brazil’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Kleber Mondonça Filho.

THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN). Denmark’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Nikolaj Arcel and actor Mads Mikkelsen.

THE SETTLERS (LOS COLONOS). Chile’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

SHAYDA. Australia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Noora Nilasari.

SLOW. Lithuania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD. Estonia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Anna Hints and producer Marianne Ostrat.

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE). Spain’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director J.A. Bayona.

THE TASTE OF THINGS (THE POT-AU-FEU). France’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

TIGER STRIPES. Malaysia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

TÓTEM. Mexico’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature


DOCUMENTARIES


ANSELM 3D, Germany

COPA ’71, US.

THE ECHO (EL ECO), Mexico/Germany.

FOUR DAUGHTERS, Tunisia/France

PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS), Brazil.

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS, Japan.

Sly, US.

STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING. The US.

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER, Spain/France



Award-winning LGBTQ+ Films will be present at the
2023 AFI Fest:

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS), Spain.
ALL OF US STRANGERS, United Kingdom.
BEYOND THE SEA, Belgium/France.
DILDOTECTONICS (DILDOTECTÓNICA), Shorts program.
GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI, Documentary, USA.
MERMAN, Shorts program.
ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY, Documentary. France.
SLOW, Lithuania.
Skin, Shorts program.
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD, Stonia.
THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN, Greece.
THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE, Shorts documentary.

2023 AFI FEST Guest Artistic Director is Greta Gerwig, director of "Barbie," "Little Women,""Lady Bird." She has curated the films she says influenced the most and will introduce some of the selected gems in person. 

ALL THAT JAZZ
October 28, 3:30 p.m. (Chinese 5)
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
October 29, 12:15 p.m. (Chinese 6)
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
October 26, 6:45 p.m. (Chinese 5)
PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE
October 26, 6:00 p.m. (TCL Chinese)
WINGS OF DESIRE
October 29, 8:30 p.m. (Chinese 6).

View the full festival lineup at FEST.AFI.com.

AFI FEST 2023 will occur in Los Angeles from October 25 through October 29. Individual tickets for all screenings are available for purchase at FEST.AFI.com.

IF YOU ARE READING FROM A MOBILE DEVICE, CLICK: view web version FOR OTHER COOL FEATURES SUCH AS TRANSLATE POWERED BY GOOGLE, AN INTERACTIVE FILM FESTIVAL CALENDAR, AND MORE.

Festival in LA ©2023
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