Pelosi’s Power: a glowing hagiography with nothing significant to say
Michael Kirk, “Pelosi’s Power” (2022) Purporting to be an examination of the career and legacy of US Congress representative Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the…
Italian and Italian-language Films
The Recycling Man: a peep at a future police-state dystopia and its manipulation of vulnerable citizens
Carlo Ballauri, “The Recycling Man” (2020) A very surprising little short, “The Recycling Man” takes place in a future dystopian police state in which children are…
French and French-language Films
The Egypt Code Breakers: a fascinating documentary on the deciphering of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics
Jacques Plaisant, “The Egypt Code Breakers” (2022) A fascinating tale in itself, told in a mix of animated sequences and live action interviews with archivists and…
Afro Algorithms: a film on hidden biases in technologies shoots itself in the foot
Anatola Araba Pabst, “Afro Algorithms” (2022) Here comes a very well-made 3D animated short that urges viewers to consider carefully how technologies like Artificial Intelligence and…
Multi-media Presentations, North American Films
Gorbachev Paved Way for Oligarchs: the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev as a weak and despised leader
Paul Jay, “Gorbachev Paved Way for Oligarchs: Interview with Alexander Buzgalin” (theAnalysis.News, 7 September 2022) US journalist / film-maker Paul Jay is a co-founder of independent…
The American Colony of Thailand: how Thailand’s unstable politics is linked to the global opium trade
Carlton Meyer, “The American Colony of Thailand” (Tales of the American Empire, 2 September 2022) Once again this ongoing series on the history of US global…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
What Raiding the Rich Did For Malaysia: a lesson on how developing nations can reclaim their lands and resources from former colonial overlords
“What Raiding the Rich Did For Malaysia” (Asianometry, 29 August 2022) A daring stockmarket raid hatched by politicians and bankers in Malaysia on the shares of…
The Guardian’s Tale: fairy-tale conventions upturned in clever sci-fi fantasy short
Gordy Higgins, Ryan Zujic, Christoffer Klungerbo, “The Guardian’s Tale” (2012) Told as a delightful fairy tale in the style of “Beauty and the Beast”, this animated…
A dip into the multiverse with “Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit”
Jeffrey Morris, “Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit” (2014) Based on a comic book series of the same name, the animated short “Parallel Man” takes place in a…
Streamline: an intriguing exploration of virtual simulation to heal and to deceive
Dan Marcus, “Streamline” (2014) Here is an intriguing if perhaps confusing short film about how a man, Max (Joel Reitsma), tries to repair his relationship with…