A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
British Films, East African Films
Fernando Meirelles, “The Constant Gardener” (2005) Based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, this film combines elements of the spy thriller…
Arabic-language Films, Russian and Soviet Films
Russian Media Interview with President Bashar al Assad (16 September 2015) Syrian President Bashar al Assad granted a rare interview to representatives from various Russian media outlets including…
Australian and New Zealand Films
ABC News / Lateline Interview with Dr Bouthaina Shaaban (17 Spetember 2015) One amazing demolition job that I’ve seen recently is this ABC News / Lateline interview with Dr Bouthaina Shaaban,…
Arabic-language Films, French and French-language Films
Gillo Pontecorvo, “The Battle of Algiers / La Bataille d’Alger / La Battaglia di Algeri” (1965) Filmed 50 years ago, this Italian film drama of the Algerian…
Christopher Wright, “Speaking with: Naomi Klein on Capitalism and Climate Change” (The Conversation, 4 September 2015) On the eve of her visit to Australia in late…
British Films, Russian and Soviet Films
George Galloway and Gayatri Pertiwi, “Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway (Episode 86)” (RT.com, August 2015) Perhaps the best thing that former UK Labour Party leader…
NewsAsia “Conversation with …” Interview with Sergei Lavrov (2015) For an example of an interviewee displaying grace under fire from a biased interviewer, I direct interested…
Yana Erlashova, Vitaly Biryukov, “MH17: A Year Without the Truth” (RT Documentary, 2014) On 17 July 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17, carrying nearly 300 people, was shot…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Fabian Bielinsky, “Nine Queens / Nuevas Reinas” (2000) Talented Argentine director Fabian Bielinsky made just two films before his untimely death in 2006 and his first,…
Neil Blomkamp, “District 9” (2009) The inspiration for this science fiction film arises from a context in which racial segregation and exploitation informed the basis for…