A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Shane O’Sullivan, “The Real Manchurian Candidate” (e2 films, 2018) Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is notorious as the man who fatally shot Senator Robert F Kennedy, the younger…
Michael Oswald, “The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire” (2017) A very important and necessary documentary, in light of ongoing financial crises in many countries, supposedly necessitating…
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful droning music in parts, this Iranian / Swedish documentary follows proceedings…
Tim Wardle, “Three Identical Strangers” (2018) That a set of triplets should be separated at birth and farmed out to three different families, each representing a…
Latin American Films (non-Spanish / non-Portuguese), Middle Eastern Films
Abby Martin, “Empire Files: Israelis Speak Candidly About Palestinians” (October 2017) Abby Martin is an American journalist who hosts an ongoing current affairs show The Empire…
“Nationalized Finance: Russian Direct Investment Fund Focuses on Helping Country Expand and Grow” (Vesti News, 6 August 2018) An interesting and informative news documentary from Vesti…
Graham Phillips, “Salisbury! A Day in Skripal City” (July 2018) In late July, British journalist / film-maker Graham Phillips spent time in Salisbury in southern England…
Alexander Korobko, “NYC to Donetsk & back” (Russian Hour, 2018) Made in 2017 or 2018, or some time after the death of Mikhail Tolstykh aka Givi…
“Chechnya: Republic of Contrasts” (RT Channel, 2013) Made in 2013, this RT documentary is probably due for an update but it remains an interesting introduction to…
Australian and New Zealand Films, Russian and Soviet Films
Pavel Serezhkin, “The Hooligans: Joining the Kremlin’s Football Army” (2018) Here’s a very funny mockumentary that pokes fun at Western (and in particular British) news media…