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| Under the Fig Trees Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Directors' Fortnight |
The 66th edition of London Film Festival begins on October 5 with the world premiere of Matilda: The Musical. While there's plenty of gloss and star names in the festival's galas, which include Knives Out sequel Glass Onion, Noah Baumbach's White Noise and Sebastián Lelio's The Wonder, our spotlight this week is taking a look at some of the other less obvious gems across the programme. For more details and to book, visit the official site, plus read all our coverage here.
Under The Fig Trees, showing October 5 and 6
There's a gentle, sun-dappled sweep to this debut fiction feature from Erige Sehiri - who previously worked in documentary - which unfolds during a single day in a fig orchard. The film has elements of documentary as we watch her non-professional go about their business, as Sehiri gently explores the flirtations and schemes that unfold during the working day. Shot with an eye for lyrical encounters and and ear for the traditional music and language of the region but also an awareness of the more threatening element of this seasonal work, you can read what the filmmaker told us about preparing and shooting the film here.
Winter Boy, showing October 6 and 8
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| Winter Boy Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival |
Christophe Honoré's gentle exploration of a teenager's emotional turmoil in the wake of the death of his father comes from very close to home since it is based in part on the grief he experienced with the loss of his dad in his younger years, something he
told us he wanted to put in "friction" with "what I could say about the youth of today". The film features newcomer Paul Kircher in the lead, who deservedly won the top acting prize in San Sebastian last week for his sensitive portrayal of a youngster sexual exploration is, in some ways, being fuelled by his loss. The excellent cast also features Vincent Lacoste as his older brother Quentin and you can read more about what he told us about collaborating on the film
here.
All That Breathes, showing October 7 and 8
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| All That Breathes |
Through a tale of two brothers and their life of devotion to helping the red kites that become injured due to the pollution in Delhi, Shaunak Sen weaves a picture of the fabric of their city. He blends nature photography with fly-on-the-wall observations of the brothers, their philosophical observations of the changing face of Delhi and growing unrest there. The result is a complex portrait of the intersection between humans and animals, politics and social wellbeing that celebrates the brothers' work at the same time as lamenting the more destructive impulses driving the city more generally. Read what Shaunak Sen told us about his
approach to the film.
Next Sohee, showing October 7 and 8
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| Next Sohee Photo: courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival |
Jennie Kermode writes: Why do we react so strongly to murder but frequently overlook culpability in other kinds of death? When we first see high schooler Sohee (Kim Si-eun) she is happy and exuberant, engaged in the dancing that she loves, but no secret is made of the fact that, halfway through the film, she will take her own life. It's only when we return to that dance scene at the end of the film that we are hit by the full shock of how much she has changed in the meantime. The remainder of the film follows detective Oh Yoo-jin (Bae Doona) as she investigates the death, facing pressure from colleagues to drop what is seen as a closed case, and gradually uncovering the exploitative system of 'work experience' which crushed the girl's spirit and is placing countless others in danger. Since making the film, director
July Jung revealed, she has learned about many similar schemes in other parts of the world. Everybody wants to pass the buck until Sohee's death seems like the accidental yet inevitable outcome of a system in which everything is focused on profit. Carefully drawn characters and superb performances make this a film not to be missed.
1976, showing October 7, 9 and 16 and streaming on BFI player from October 14 to 23
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| 1976 Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Directors' Fortnight |
Tension ripples through Manuela Martelli's debut feature, which sees Carmen (Aline Küppenheim) the well-heeled wife of a doctor dicing with danger after she is asked to help a young man (Nicolás Sepúlveda) against the backdrop of Pinochet's Chile. The film is stylistically rich and elegantly framed as Carmen's paranoia - which may be fully justified - begins to grow. A film that is built as much on the ambiguities of Carmen's personality as it is on the tensions of the period, you can read what Martelli told us about that and the inspiration for the film
here.
Utama, showing October 8 and 10
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| Utama |
The winner of this year's Sundance Grand Jury Prize in its Dramatic Competition is a visual treat of a film, capturing some of the stunning vistas of the Bolivian Highlands. Its message about the climate catastrophe as seen through the prism of the lives of an elderly couple, however, is much more down to earth. Ageing Quechua shepherd Virginio (José Calcina) and his wife Sisa (Luisa Quispe, Calcina's real-life wife and, like him, a non-professional actor) represent the old world, now threatened by drought, while their grandson Clever (Santos Choque) arrives like a messenger from the new. Director Alejandro Loayza Grisi gently explores the family relationships and tensions while unsentimentally showing the challenges faced by those living in these sorts of remote communities.
