An Interview with Pia Marais Gary M. Kramer November 2024 Interviews South African writer/director Pia Marais travels deep into the Brazilian jungle for Transamazonia, her hypnotic fourth feature. Rebecca (Helena Zengel) is a teenager who has been practicing faith healing wi...
An Interview with Francesco Costabile Gary M. Kramer November 2024 Interviews Director and cowriter Francesco Costabile’s Familia, which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival, is an intense drama inspired by true events. Licia (Barbara Ronchi) lives with her two young sons, ...
Interview with Celina Murga Gary M. Kramer August 2024 Interviews Argentine writer/director Celina Murga has made a series of intriguing character studies over the course of her career starting with her debut feature, Ana and the Others in 2003. Five years later, her film A W...
An Interview with Antoine Chevrollier Gary M. Kramer August 2024 Interviews For his feature film debut, Block Pass, which premiered at Cannes this year, director Antoine Chevrollier reteams with actor Sayyid El Alami who starred in his 2022 TV miniseries, Oussekine. In this powerfu...
An Interview with Jonás Trueba Gary M. Kramer August 2024 Interviews Jonás Trueba won the Label Europa Cinemas prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his feature The Other Way Around, about a couple’s separation party. The film costars – and is cowritten with – Itsaso Ara...
An Interview with Federico Luis Gary M. Kramer August 2024 Interviews Simón de la montaña (Simon of the Mountain, 2024) grabs viewers from its opening moments as the title character (Lorenzo Ferro), a 21-year-old, tries to help a group of disabled youths caught in a windstorm. Th...
An Interview with Jon Bell Gary M. Kramer May 2024 Interviews Expanded from his 2020 short of the same name, The Moogai is writer/director Jon Bell’s allegorical horror film about the Stolen Generation – the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families betwee...
An Interview with Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero Gary M. Kramer May 2024 Interviews Fernanda Valadez made a stunning feature directorial debut with Identifying Features (2020). For her sophomore effort, Sujo (2024), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where it won the Worl...
An Interview with Meryam Joobeur Gary M. Kramer May 2024 Interviews Meryam Joobeur earned an Oscar nomination for her 2018 short film, Brotherhood, about a Tunisian family grappling with the unexpected return of their son, Malek (Malek Mechergui). Malek, who has been gone for o...
Interview with Martín Shanly Gary M. Kramer January 2024 Interviews Although he has written and directed only two features, Martín Shanly has developed a distinctive voice in Argentine cinema. His style is low-key, and his character studies showcase troubled heroes. His two fil...
An Interview with Delphine Girard Gary M. Kramer November 2023 Interviews A good short film uses time to support the story. Given the brief running time, a filmmaker must establish a setup, keep viewers in suspense, and deliver a satisfying payoff in, 15 minutes. Short films evoke an...
Shame on Dry Land: An Interview with Axel Petersén and Joel Spira Gary M. Kramer November 2023 Interviews Shame on Dry Land, by Swedish writer/director Axel Petersén, is a flinty noir set in sunny Malta. The film, which had its World Premiere at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, is as slippery as its protagonist, ...
Embracing the Queer Film Festival: Interview with Everett Lewis Gary M. Kramer August 2023 Pride on the Margins Unapologetically queer writer/director Everett Lewis burst on the film scene in 1990 — one year before the “New Queer Cinema” movement — with his gritty, black and white gay-themed bromantic drama, The Natural ...