Jettison: a parable on the US exploitation of soldiers using time-space travel
J J Pollack, “Jettison” (2021) A young woman, Rebka (Madison Wilson), restless and bored with life on the family farm, eagerly joins the United States Space…
American Independent Films
Mukbang: comedy horror short focus on obsession leading to blackmail and manipulation
Alex Magaña, “Mukbang” (2022) Originating in South Korea, mukbang is an Internet-based audiovisual broadcast or blog in which the host eats various quantities of food while…
Together Forever: maudlin romance tragedy becomes a tale of murderous greed and a revenge vendetta
Rebecca C Scott, “Together Forever” (2022) A well-made film, driven almost entirely by its characters’ dialogue, turns what could have been a maudlin romance tragedy into…
The Rebellious Colony of Mali: an introduction into the geopolitics of western Africa
Carlton Meyer, “The Rebellious Colony of Mali” (Tales of the American Empire, 14 October 2022) A handy introduction into the geopolitics of western Africa and why…
Pelosi’s Power: a glowing hagiography with nothing significant to say
Michael Kirk, “Pelosi’s Power” (2022) Purporting to be an examination of the career and legacy of US Congress representative Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the…
Afro Algorithms: a film on hidden biases in technologies shoots itself in the foot
Anatola Araba Pabst, “Afro Algorithms” (2022) Here comes a very well-made 3D animated short that urges viewers to consider carefully how technologies like Artificial Intelligence and…
Multi-media Presentations, North American Films
Gorbachev Paved Way for Oligarchs: the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev as a weak and despised leader
Paul Jay, “Gorbachev Paved Way for Oligarchs: Interview with Alexander Buzgalin” (theAnalysis.News, 7 September 2022) US journalist / film-maker Paul Jay is a co-founder of independent…
The American Colony of Thailand: how Thailand’s unstable politics is linked to the global opium trade
Carlton Meyer, “The American Colony of Thailand” (Tales of the American Empire, 2 September 2022) Once again this ongoing series on the history of US global…
The Guardian’s Tale: fairy-tale conventions upturned in clever sci-fi fantasy short
Gordy Higgins, Ryan Zujic, Christoffer Klungerbo, “The Guardian’s Tale” (2012) Told as a delightful fairy tale in the style of “Beauty and the Beast”, this animated…
academy: a tale of a post-apocalyptic utopia practising and teaching a flawed code of ethics
Ian Salazar, “academy” (2020) In the not too distant future, when Western civilisation has collapsed and Western culture has regressed to the point where Christian fundamentalism…