The Land Beyond the Sunset: a very moving and thoughtful film on achieving happiness and peace
Harold M Shaw, “The Land Beyond the Sunset” (1912) Made in 1912 – the same year in which the Titanic set sail for its fateful meeting…
Coming of Age Films
French and French-language Films
Claire Darling: slow film about memory, heritage and past pain leading to a big bang
Julie Bertuccelli, “Claire Darling / La derniere folie de Claire Darling” (2018) On the first day of summer in a small village somewhere in France, an…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
The Heiresses: a slow-burning character study of self-transformation
Marcelo Martinessi, “The Heiresses / Las Herederas” (2018) A slow-burning, low-key character study that, among other things, examines loss and self-transformation and interrogates social hierarchy and…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Forward, Comrades! – an animated short on the downfall of the Soviet Union
Wang Liyin, “Forward, Comrades!” (2013) This animated Chinese short, made by a student at the Beijing Film Academy, focuses on the twilight days of the Soviet…
The Chaperone: preferring a character stereotype over portraying the life of a real revolutionary cultural icon
Michael Engler, “The Chaperone” (2018) A film of self-discovery and self-transformation leading to personal freedom, “The Chaperone” is a fictional account of real-life silent movie icon…
Ana by Day: exploring identity and the limits of freedom and pursuing one’s dreams
Andrea Jaurrieta, “Ana by Day / Ana de Dia” (2017) You feel vaguely dissatisfied with and trapped by your life as a lawyer studying for a…
Arabic-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Capharnaum: a film of hope in search of identity and a place to call home
Nadine Labaki, “Capharnaum” (2018) I’m sure plenty of children around the world are serving time in juvenile centres for serious criminal acts including stabbing a man…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Feelings of Mountain and Water: shanshui animation meditates on nature, change and continuity
Te Wei, “Feelings of Mountain and Water” (1988) Inspired by the traditional Chinese shanshui genre of landscape painting – “shanshui” means “mountain – water” – in…
Tales from Earthsea: a fantasy film lacking in sparkle and wonder
Goro Miyazaki, “Tales from Earthsea / Gedo senki” (2006) Watching this film, gorgeous as it is visually, I couldn’t help but feel that it’s a classic…
Formulaic coming-of-age heroic fantasy blends with Thai Buddhist beliefs in “The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra”
Pongsa Kornsri, Gun Phansuwon, Nat Yoswatananont, “The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra” (2018) Not known for its animation industry, Thailand nevertheless seems to be pinning…