The Bear Dodger: a tale advising children to choose their friends carefully
Noburo Ofuji, “The Bear Dodger” (1948) Made in 1948 but with characters drawn in a much older early-1930s style, this animated short has a moral behind…
nausika
Tengu Taiji: a lively and comical animated folk tale from an early Japanese pioneer
Noburu Ofuji aka Fuyo Koyamano, “Tengu Taiji” (1934) A very comical tale about a town besieged by tengu – dangerous goblin spirits with the characteristics of…
Ugokie kori no tatehiki: the battle between fox and racoon dog spirits given fast energy and wacky style
Ikuo Oishi, “Ugokie kori no tatehiki” (1933) Japanese animators in the 1930s sure loved the Max Fleischer style of animation and Ikuo Oishi was no different:…
British Films, French and French-language Films
The Father: a good if generic character study of the impact of dementia on its victims and their families
Florian Zeller, “The Father” (2020) Detailing an elderly father’s deterioration from dementia, and the effects his condition has on the people around him, this film adopts…
Entotsuya Peroo: a little man’s adventures exposing the devastation and brutality of war
Yoshitsugu Tanaka, “Entotsuya Peroo” (1930) Known also as “Chimney Sweep Peroo”, this unusual animated film made in 1930 relies on silhouette or shadow animation to tell…
Ryoko’s Qubit Summer: a human-AI romance culminating in transformation
Yuichi Kondo, “Ryoko’S Qubit Summer” (2018) Here is a sweet film about an unusual love affair between an AI researcher and an AI creation. In the…
Danemon’s Monster Hunt at Shojoji: an early though not remarkable animated tale of a samurai’s adventure
Yoshitaro Kataoka, “Danemon’s Monster Hunt at Shojoji / Shojoji no tanuki-bayashi Dan Dan’emon” (1935) While looking for something else on Youtube, I found this uncaptioned short…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Combating terrorist infiltration and brainwashig in “The War in the Shadows: Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang”
“The War in the Shadows: Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang” (China Global Television Network, 2021) Part of a series of documentaries produced by China Global…
British Films, North American Films
The Courier: a film of personal growth and suffering and of friendship transcending politics and ideology
Dominic Cooke, “The Courier” (2020) The story of Greville Wynne, a most unlikely character ever to become a spy for MI6 during the Cold War in…
Conquering the Middle East: overview of the US plan to destabilise seven nations in five years
Carlton Meyer, “Conquering the Middle East” (Tales of the American Empire, 2 April 2021) This episode in Carlton Meyer’s long-running “Tales of the American Empire” series…