Thicker Than Water: a touching film about a mother’s love and care
Seung Yeob Lee, “Thicker Than Water” (2015) Modern South Korean families, in particular the relationship of mothers with their sons and the extremes the mothers will…
nausika
British Films, Russian and Soviet Films
Vladivostok 2020: portrait of a very Russian city on the edge of the Pacific Ocean
Graham Phillips, “Vladivostok 2020” (2020) In this 20-minute showcase of the glories of Vladivostok, the famed Pacific Ocean gateway to Russia, investigative British journalist Graham Phillips…
Corrections: a tale of obsession, extreme control, psychological projection and denial
Nicholas Tucker, “Corrections” (2017) A tale of obsession and extreme control in a future dystopian society, this short film is completely character and dialogue-driven, revolving around…
The Time Agent: a time travel story of loneliness and alienation
Jude Chun, “The Time Agent” (2016) In its own unassuming way, “The Time Agent” is a deconstruction of a once common style of narrative in genres…
Nano: hard-boiled pulp fiction ho-hum plot with an unusual premise
Mike Manning, “Nano” (2017) This short film has the look and feel of a proof-of-concept work itching to be made into a full-length feature film or…
The Replacement: an inquiry into the nature-versus-nurture dilemma
Sean Miller, “The Replacement” (2018) What starts out as an investigation of the consequences of cloning in this sci-fi comedy short turns out almost to be…
Exploring destiny, reincarnation and transformation in “Uncle Boonmee who can recall his past lives”
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, “Uncle Boonmee who can recall his past lives” (2010) The last days of a farmer dying from kidney disease on his farm in a…
Nine Minutes: choosing how to die as your oxygen gives out
Ernie Gilbert, “Nine Minutes” (2017) What if you suddenly discovered that you only had nine minutes left to live? How would you spend that time? This…
French and French-language Films
Animal: in a ruined world, hope, tradition and openness to new consciousness can overcome despair
Jules Janaud and Fabrice le Nezet, “Animal” (2017) In the not too distant future, in a post-industrial world, communities living on the margins of society will…
Plurality: a film of techno-dystopia in New York
Dennis Liu, “Plurality” (2012) A competent little short that looks very much like a proof-of-concept work for a longer feature film, “Plurality” plays like a conventional…