A socialist revolutionary parable and story of Buddhist compassion in “Yuki: Snow Fairy”
Tadashi Imai, “Yuki: Snow Fairy” (1981) In the hands of Tadashi Imai, notable as a
British Films | French and French-language Films
A trite plot and character stereotyping can’t lift “Paris 2054: Renaissance” from bland SF thriller genre
Christian Volckman, “Paris 2054: Renaissance” (2006) A glossy animated style of minimal black-and-white presentation, emphasising
Essays | Multi-media Presentations
Vladimir Putin’s Valdai Speech (2016): shaping the world of tomorrow needs mutual understanding and co-operation, not lies, propaganda and destruction
Vladimir Putin’s Valdai Speech at the XIII Meeting (Final Plenary Session) of the Valdai International
Breaking the Waves: a study of religious hypocrisy and oppression, and its effects on a naive woman, with a hollow heart
Lars von Trier, “Breaking the Waves” (1996) For the most part this often nihilistic film
Middle Eastern Films | Russian and Soviet Films
Channel 24 (Russia) Interview with First Lady of Syria Asma al Assad: a riveting conversation with a classy lady
Channel 24 (Russia) Interview with First Lady of Syria Asma al Assad (18 October 2016) In contrast to so
Portrait of a major 20th-century literary icon and his impact on Western culture in “William Burroughs: Man Within”
Yony Leyser, “William Burroughs: Man Within” (2010) An obvious labour of love for Yony Leyser,
Onibaba: a psychological horror study with an anti-war theme
Kaneto Shindo, “Onibaba” (1964) An old Japanese Buddhist tale of a woman who uses a
French and French-language Films
Supervenus: a 3-minute critique on Western standards of female pulchritude and the damage they cause
Frédéric Doazan, “Supervenus” (2013) This 3-minute debut effort for writer / director Frédéric Doazan is a devastatingly
My Winnipeg: an intriguing blend of memoir, documentary and surreal dark fantasy in a paean to a little city on the prairie
Guy Maddin, “My Winnipeg” (2007) An unusual blend of memoir, documentary and dark fantasy, Guy
French and French-language Films | Japanese Films
The Red Turtle: a pretty and glossy package with a conservative and banal message
Michaël Dudok de Wiet, “The Red Turtle” (2016) God save us all from pretty packages