Metta Via: a story of personal transformation with a strange power and attraction
Warren Flanagan, “Metta Via” (2017) Visually stunning and ambitious in its concept, this Canadian short
Chinese and Chinese-language Films | Southeast Asian Films
The Masseuse: how to be human and to have free will in an oppressive society and culture
Tan Ce Ding, “The Masseuse” (2018) An intriguing film set in a not-too distant dystopian
What if Wendy: a sparse and painful character study of denial and grief
James A Sims, “What if Wendy” (2017) Here is a sparse and minimalist character study
A whistleblower’s insider knowledge and shocking revelations in “MH-17: In Search of Truth”
Vasily Prozorov, “MH-17: In Search of Truth” (UKR Leaks, December 2019) Currently gaining a lot
Iteration 1: a dystopian human future equivalent to a maze teaching flatworms to learn from experience
Jesse Lupini, “Iteration 1” (2016) Made for a Canadian film festival in which the objective
The Candidate: a suspenseful film of a sociopath caught in a spider’s web of control
David Karlak, “The Candidate” (2010) Entirely driven by character and dialogue, this interesting character study
French and French-language Films | Japanese Films
The Truth: where lies and deception are as important as truth in keeping families together
Hirokazu Kore-eda, “The Truth” (2019) Ironically truth is the one thing going missing in this
French and French-language Films
On / Off: a film on identity, memory and the consequences of inattention
Thierry Lorenzi, “On / Off” (2013) This short space-exploration thriller film had been doing the
Aeranger: a meditation on how duty, self-sacrifice and love of one’s people have far-reaching consequences
Anthony Ferraro, “Aeranger” (2019) A twelve-minute film about an alien crash-landing somewhere in North America
Round-up of Films seen in 2019
Dear USE readers and visitors, Where did 2019 go to? The year just seems to