Human Rights Watch Film Festival — A–Z of films

Silver exposes is an underlying, deep-seated prejudice rather than some sort of murderous instinct.

This is a film more interested in life than death, even if death is often hovering above.

The film is an interesting, timely, though ultimately dispiriting look at how the twin forces of institutional bigotry and internal discord fragmented one of the key organising forces in black America.

What shines through in Burden of Peace is the personal bravery it takes to stick to your ideals and behave morally in the face of state power and implicit violence.

One person's armed vigilante is another person's guardian angel and the border between these two ideas is wafer thin and easily crossed as Matthew Heineman's beautifully shot and probing documentary shows.

At turns inspiring and troubling, Democrats is ultimately a fascinating study of the dangerous grassroots work that changing a harsh political system requires.

The second half shows that the director played the long game by returning a year later once the dust had settled, and then again in 2014 for the next set of presidential elections.

Oppenheimer boils down the atrocity to the experience of a single family, leaving us to extrapolate back up.

It is significant that No Land's Song in some ways mirrors that inclination for layering female voices by only presenting Sara's thoughts and opinions through conversation with others.

A solid, and certainly heartfelt effort.

Wenders as a curious, excited filmmaker stretches out his hands to show us all the treasures he has found.

This may seem like a “local” problem in an affluent town in a privileged country but it is one that has a universal implications.

A intensely personal film.

What unfolds is a comedy of (t)errors with a central character who shifts very quickly between dubious but likeable guy, buffoon and sociopath.

Packed with information throughout.

Charming and heartfelt.