Compliance: sneering at naive workers exploited by a culture that treats them as robots and brutes
Craig Zobel, “Compliance” (2012) Based on a series of incidents over a decade from the
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Raise the Red Lantern: criticising the abuse of power by those tasked with upholding tradition
Zhang Yimou, “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991) This is a beautiful film of minimal, even
Galaxy Quest: affectionate homage and spoof maintains the values of altruism, quest for knowledge and defending the underdog
Dean Parisot, “Galaxy Quest” (1999) Conceived as a homage to and spoof of the famous
Queen of the Desert: a boring and flat movie that mocks a remarkable woman and the people and region she came to love
Werner Herzog, “Queen of the Desert” (2013) Renowned German film director Werner Herzog, maker of
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Family: a moving documentary on a bizarre religious cult that preyed on social utopian ideals and yearnings for a better life
Rosie Jones, “The Family” (2016) For over 20 years, the quiet town of Eildon and
Sergei Lavrov’s Speech to Military Academy of General Staff, Moscow: a summary of Russia’s place and direction in the new global political order
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s Speech to Senior Officers of the Military Academy of General
Memoirs of a Geisha: overblown rags-to-riches soap opera romance with a shallow and conservative message
Rob Marshall, “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2002) Essentially a variation on the Cinderella story through
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Hero: a smug film that twists Chinese history and delivers a deplorable message
Zhang Yimou, “Hero” (2002) If one needs proof that a visually gorgeous film with a
High-Rise: an attempt to criticise Western and British society results in a collection of boring soap opera sub-plots
Ben Wheatley, “High-Rise” (2015) British author J G Ballard’s novels and short stories are famous
Spring: character study on renewal through love and connections, and beating back monsters
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, “Spring” (2014) A rather long and thin character study romance