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New Directors/New Films · 2016

New Directors/New Films 2016

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28 films · 13 reviews

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The Apostate (El apóstata)

Review preview for The Apostate

It's light tone and sprightly 80-minute length belie the depth of Veiroj's film, which is almost bursting at the seams with ideas about self-definition.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
The tale of a man desperate to escape the faith passed down from his parents as he looks back over his past, his scars, the marks left by guilt and desire.

(Country: France, Spain, Uruguay; Year: 2015; Director: Federico Veiroj; Writer: Gonzalo Delgado, Álvaro Ogalla, Nicolás Saad, Federico Veiroj; Stars: Alvaro Ogalla, Bárbara Lennie, Marta Larralde, Vicky Peña, Joaquín Climent, Jaime Chávarri, Kaiet Rodríguez, Juan Calot, Alvaro Ogalla, Israel Fernández, Rafael Rodríguez Hidalgo)

Full review

Behemoth (Bei xi mo shou)

Review preview for Behemoth

The art of Behemoth lies in the way it winds the viewer up in its quintessential narrative.

Jane Fae · 4 out of 5
Everyday life in a Mongolian community turns into a Dantesque journey. Documentary.

(Country: China; Year: 2015; Director: Liang Zhao; Writer: Sylvie Blum, Weiping Cui, Chinnie Ding)

Full review

Cameraperson

Review preview for Cameraperson

The people encountered while working as a cinematographer for different documentarians, shooting all over the globe, are woven into a fascinating, irregular net of meaning.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson documents her career working with filmmakers.

(Country: US; Year: 2016; Director: Kirsten Johnson; Stars: Kirsten Johnson)

Full review See: Interview with Kirsten Johnson about Cameraperson

Concerning The Bodyguard

Adaptation takes on the power structures of dictatorship.

(Country: US; Year: 2015; Director: Kasra Farahani; Writer: Donald Barthelme; Stars: Junes Zahdi, Salman Rushdie, Ayden Mayeri, Simon Sion Ebrahimi, Brando Abro, Billy Khoury, Alexei Berdovski, Hoda Butakmani, Nelson Estevez, Seli Marset, Ian Verdun, Lisa Goodman, Edwin Smith, Kyle Koromaldi, Gavin Sindher)

Screening with The Apostate

Demon

A bridegroom becomes possesssed in an absurdist take on the Jewish legend of the dybbuk.

(Country: Poland, Israel; Year: 2015; Director: Marcin Wrona; Writer: Pawel Maslona, Marcin Wrona; Stars: Itay Tiran, Agnieszka Zulewska, Andrzej Grabowski, Tomasz Schuchardt, Katarzyna Herman, Adam Woronowicz, Wlodzimierz Press, Tomasz Zietek, Cezary Kosinski, Katarzyna Gniewkowska, Maja Barelkowska, Anna Smolowik, Maria Debska, Piotr Domalewski, Filip Plawiak)

Donald Cried

A city slicker returns to his hometown after the death of his gran and finds himself on an unexpected journey into the past when he agrees to do a favour for a long lost, childhood friend.

(Country: US; Year: 2016; Director: Kris Avedisian; Writer: Kris Avedisian, Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman; Stars: Louisa Krause, Allie Marshall, Shawn Contois, Alexander Cook, Ted Arcidi, Ariana DeFusco, Kris Avedisian, Patrick Languzzi, Peter Lewis Walsh, Jesse Wakeman, James L. Leite, Tom Kilgallen, Kyle Espeleta, Robby Morse Levy, Donny Fite)

Eldorado XXI

The hard conditions faced by miners in the extreme conditions of La Rinconada in the Peruvian Andes.

(Country: Portugal/France; Year: 2016; Director: Salomé Lamas)

Evolution

Review preview for Evolution

This is a film of two halves, the first - and best - has the cold creeping dread of icy sea water slowly soaking into your swimming costume.

Amber Wilkinson · 2.5 out of 5
On a remote island inhabited solely by women and young boys, Nicolas and the other boys are subjected to mysterious and sinister medical treatments.

(Country: Belgium, Spain, France; Year: 2015; Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic; Writer: Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Alanté Kavaïté; Stars: Max Brebant, Roxane Duran, Julie-Marie Parmentier, Nissim Renard)

Full review

The Fits

Review preview for The Fits

The physicality and fluidity of adolesence are brought to the fore by Anna Rose Holmer in her tightly directed debut feature that avoids the bear traps of American coming-of-age cliche to offer a classy, thoughtful character study.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Portrait of a tomboy assimilating into a tight-knit dance troupe.

(Country: US; Year: 2015; Director: Anna Rose Holmer; Writer: Saela Davis, Anna Rose Holmer, Lisa Kjerulff; Stars: Makyla Burnam, Antonio A.B. Grant Jr., Royalty Hightower, Da'Sean Minor, Alexis Neblett, Inayah Rodgers)

Full review See: Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi talk about Christine, The Fits, Frank & Lola , Anna Rose Holmer talks about adolescence, gender identity and self-determination in The Fits

Happy Hour

Review preview for Happy Hour

Quiet and unassuming yet making some devastating points, Hamaguchi's film is shot with deceptive simplicity.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
The lives of three married friends are turned upside down when their friend, just divorced, disappears. Are they really living the lives they want?

(Country: Japan; Year: 2015; Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi; Writer: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Tadashi Nohara; Stars: Yasunobu Tanabe, Rira Kawamura, Hiromi Demura, Shuhei Shibata, Shoko Fukanaga)

Full review

In the Last Days Of The City

A filmmaker in Cairo attempts to capture the zeitgeist of his city as the world changes around him - from personal love and loss to the fall of the Mubarak regime.

(Country: Egypt, Germany, UK, United Arab Emirates; Year: 2016; Director: Tamer El Said; Writer: Tamer El Said, Rasha Salti; Stars: Khalid Abdalla, Laila Samy, Hanan Youssef, Mariam Saleh Saad, Hayder Helo, Basim Hajar, Bassem Fayad, Aly Sobhy, Islam Kamal, Mohamed Gaber, Etimad Ali Hassan, Zeinab Mostafa, Fadila Tawfik, Elsit Ikram, Mohamed Adel)

I Promise You Anarchy (Te Prometo Anarquia)

A drama.

(Country: Mexico, Germany; Year: 2015; Director: Julio Hernández Cordón; Writer: Julio Hernández Cordón)

Kill Me Please (Mate-Me Por Favor)

Review preview for Kill Me Please

Like a Brazilian Angela Carter, writer/director Anita Rocha da Silveira tells the story of a young woman emerging from a sheltered suburban world to walk a dark path, discovering the wild creature inside herself.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
After an encounter with death a teenager will do anything to make sure she's alive.

(Country: Brazil, Argentina; Year: 2015; Director: Anita Rocha da Silveira; Writer: Anita Rocha da Silveira; Stars: Valentina Herszage, Dora Freind, Mariana Oliveira, Júlia Roliz, Rita Pauls, Bernardo Marinho, Gabriel Lara, Vicente Conde)

Full review

Kaili Blues (Lu bian ye can)

Review preview for Kaili Blues

A breathtaking piece of work.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
An ex-con doctor embarks on a mystical quest after his nephew vanishes.

(Country: China; Year: 2015; Director: Bi Gan; Writer: Bi Gan; Stars: Yongzhong Chen, Yue Guo, Linyan Liu, Feiyang Luo, Lixun Xie, Zhuohua Yang, Shixue Yu, Daqing Zhao)

Full review

Life After Life

A young boy becomes temporarily possessed by the spirit of his dead mum.

(Country: China; Year: 2016; Director: Hanyi Zhang; Writer: Hanyi Zhang; Stars: Zhang Li, Zhang Mingjun)

Lost And Beautiful (Bella E Perduta)

Review preview for Lost And Beautiful

Lost And Beautiful is filmed on expired 16mm film stock, in keeping with its themes, and the result is a delicate, watery palette which gives it a unique beauty.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
Documentary and fiction blend in a tale of ancient palaces, devoted shepherds and a young calf contemplating his fate.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2015; Director: Pietro Marcello; Writer: Maurizio Braucci, Pietro Marcello; Stars: Elio Germano, Gesuino Pittalis, Sergio Vitolo, Tommaso Cestrone)

Full review

Mountain (Ha'har)

A devout Jewish woman finds her life begins to change after an odd encounter at a cemetery.

(Country: Israel; Year: 2015; Director: Yaelle Kayam; Writer: Yaelle Kayam; Stars: Shani Klein, Avshalom Polak)

Nakom

A medical student is forced to return to his hometown when his father dies, and must pay off a debt before it destroys his family.

(Country: Ghana, US; Year: 2016; Director: Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman; Writer: Isaac Adakudugu, Isaac Adakudugu, TW Pittman; Stars: Jacob Ayanaba, Grace Ayariga, Justina Kulidu, Shetu Musah, Abdul Aziz, Esther Issaka, James Azure, Thomas Kulidu, Monica Ayobi, Sumaila Issah, Dinah Assan, Felicia Atampuri)

Neither Heaven Nor Earth (Ni Le Ciel, Ni La Terre, The Wakhan Front)

Review preview for Neither Heaven Nor Earth

It is when Neither Heaven Nor Earth ventures into the unexplainable that it brings us closest to the concrete battlefield.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
French soldiers in Afghanistan are faced with unexpected circumstances.

(Country: France; Year: 2015; Director: Clément Cogitore; Writer: Clément Cogitore, Thomas Bidegain; Stars: Jérémie Renier, Kévin Azaïs, Swann Arlaud, Sâm Mirhosseini, Marc Robert, Steve Tientcheu, Aria Faghih Habib, Hamid Reza Javdan, Finnegan Oldfield, Stéphane Boissel, Clément Bresson, Edouard Court, Chloé Astor )

Full review See: Clément Cogitore in conversation on Neither Heaven Nor Earth (Ni Le Ciel Ni La Terre)

Neon Bull

Review preview for Neon Bull

Mascaro is completely in control of his material.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Story of a bull handler who dreams of a career in the world of fashion.

(Country: Brazil, Uruguay, Netherlands; Year: 2015; Director: Gabriel Mascaro; Writer: Gabriel Mascaro; Stars: Juliano Cazarré, Maeve Jinkings, Vinícius de Oliveira, Alyne Santana, Josinaldo Alves, Carlos Pessoa, Samya De Lavor)

Full review See: Beefing up reality: Gabriel Mascaro interview about Neon Bull

Peter And The Farm

Documentary about a counterculture farmer.

(Country: US; Year: 2016; Director: Tony Stone)

Remainder

A man who loses his memory after being hit by a falling object, tries to construct his past.

(Country: UK; Year: 2015; Director: Omer Fast; Writer: Omer Fast, from the novel by Tom K McCarthy; Stars: Tom Sturridge, Ed Speleers, Arsher Ali, Adrian Schiller, Cush Jumbo, Laurence Spellman, Attila G. Kerekes, Bill Thomas, Benjamin Davies, Lanre Malaolu, Agnes Thi-Mai, Elias Esser)

Short Stay

An ambition-free man finds himself on a series of comic adventures when he sublets his friend's apartment in Philadelphia.

(Country: US; Year: 2016; Director: Ted Fendt; Stars: Mike MacCherone)

Suite Armoricaine

Ensemble film about an art historian who returns to her alma mater and finds her life intersect with a young geography student facing trials of his own.

(Country: France; Year: 2015; Director: Pascale Breton; Writer: Pascale Breton; Stars: Elina Löwensohn, Valérie Dréville, Kaou Langoët)

Thithi

Follows three generations of sons following the death of the family’s patriarch, their 101-year-old grandfather known as “Century Gowda.”

(Country: India, US; Year: 2015; Director: Raam Reddy; Writer: Eregowda, Raam Reddy; Stars: Thammegowda S, Channegowda, Abhishek H.N., Pooja S.M.)

Tikkun

An ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva student experiences a crisis of faith - and visions of earthly delights - when his father brings him back from the brink of death.

(Country: Israel; Year: 2015; Director: Avishai Sivan; Writer: Avishai Sivan; Stars: Aharon Traitel, Khalifa Natour, Riki Blich, Gur Sheinberg, Omri Fuhrer, David Ben-Avraham)

Under The Shadow

Review preview for Under The Shadow

The sleeping and waking worlds begin to tumble together, with cinematographer Kit Fraser using his camera to add to the unsettling atmosphere, spinning the image at key moments or rocking it to ratchet tension.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A mum and daughter in fear of war find they are being stalked in their home by a malevolent djinn.

(Country: UK, Jordan, Qatar; Year: 2016; Director: Babak Anvari; Writer: Babak Anvari; Stars: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, Arash Marandi, Bijan Daneshmand, Hamid Djavadan, Nabil Koni, Sajjad Delafrooz, Behi Djanati Atai, Aram Ghasemy, Soussan Farrokhnia, Amir Hossein Ranjbar, Houshang Ranjbar)

Full review See: Babak Anvari interview about Under The Shadow

Weiner

Review preview for Weiner

He seemingly lets the camera into almost every nook and cranny, so that a picture emerges of not only him but the media goldfish bowl people like him inhabit.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Documentary about mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner.

(Country: US; Year: 2016; Director: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg; Writer: Eli B Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg)

Full review