5 Centimetres per Second: an insubstantial trilogy on the fleeting nature of youthful love, hope and desire
Makoto Shinkai, “5 Centimetres per Second” (2007) As with his “Your Name”, Makoto Shinkai’s earlier
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
The World: a slow and meandering narrative reveals a rich world of hope, pain and tragedy behind superficial capitalist glamour
Jia Zhangke, “The World” (2004) In future years, this film, long and meandering though it
No Date, No Signature: a traffic collision leads to an investigation of class conflict and an unsympathetic bureaucracy in a gritty realist drama
Vahid Jalilvand, “No Date, No Signature” (2017) A chance encounter between two characters who would
French and French-language Films
Back to Burgundy: a family melodrama beset by cliches and stereotypes blessed by a celebration of viticulture
Cedric Klapisch, “Back to Burgundy / Ce qui nous lie” (2017) An otherwise rather ho-hum
Your Name: teenage romance comedy drama comes with an unexpected twist sending it into disaster sci-fi fantasy
Makoto Shinkai, “Your Name” (2016) At first this teenage romance drama seems to be just
Foxtrot: a meditation on loss, grief and the circularity of indifference, suffering and brutality
Samuel Maoz, “Foxtrot” (2017) Divided into three parts, with the first and third parts dominated
NYC to Donetsk & back: an American visitor discovers a new nation in the making in eastern Ukraine
Alexander Korobko, “NYC to Donetsk & back” (Russian Hour, 2018) Made in 2017 or 2018,
Rams: a minimal but insubstantial film on the fragility of family and community ties and traditions against the outside world
Grimur Hakonarson, “Rams / Hrutar” (2015 Forty years ago, a family rift led to two
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
The Goddess: a social realist film with natural and minimal acting, and a young rising star
Wu Yonggang, “The Goddess / Shen nu” (1935) A year after this film was made,
A superficial survey of how far a society has recovered a decade after years of war and destruction in “Chechnya: Republic of Contrasts”
“Chechnya: Republic of Contrasts” (RT Channel, 2013) Made in 2013, this RT documentary is probably