‘SEVEN VEILS’ (2025) A lush and twisted tidal wave of art and trauma.

XYZ logoSEVEN VEILS


SevenVeils_USPoster2_LoResIn SEVEN VEILS, filmmaker Atom Egoyan examines the exploitation of female trauma. The line of art and life blur completely as a protege director remounts her mentor’s production of Salome with an unusually intimate touch.

SEVEN VEILS Amanda SeyfriedEgoyan’s editing is complex. It forces you to keep up. It is both the film’s best and worst aspect. If you drop focus, the film will run away from you in its artistic endeavor. The juxtaposition of Jeanine’s childhood, her marriage, and the play is a whirlwind of obsession. The play is a visceral therapy session and a reclamation of her past.

SEVEN VEILS stageAmanda Seyfried has a knowing in her eyes. Her commitment to Salome’s text feels organic and seeped in trauma. Seyfried owns this character. It’s a brilliant and immensely heartbreaking turn.

SEVEN VEILS Amanda Seyfried dancerIt is far too simplistic to describe the film’s plot as a story of a suffering artist. SEVEN VEILS digs into gross power dynamics and the financial advantage of oppressing female truth. SEVEN VEILS emits a dangerous and formidable energy.


SEVEN VEILS Trailer:

Directed by Atom Egoyan, Starring Amanda Seyfried

Filmed On Location During Egoyan’s Staging of the
Opera Salome


In Select Theaters Nationwide Next Week
March 7, 2025

**Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival**
**Official Selection: Special Gala: Berlin International Film Festival**

 
Written & Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien, Vinessa Antoine, Ambur Braid, Michael Kupfer-Radecky
Produced by: Atom Egoyan, Niv Fichman, Simone Urdl, Kevin Krikst, Fraser Ash
Executive Produced by: Nate Bolotin, Maxime Cottray, Adrian Love, Noah Segal, John Sloss, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian
 
After years away, theater director Jeanine (Academy Award® nominee Amanda Seyfried) re-enters the opera world to stage her former mentor’s most famous work. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as her personal and professional lives begin to unravel.  Renowned director Atom Egoyan (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter) reunites with Seyfried in this visually stunning, propulsive work, filmed on location during the staging of Egoyan’s acclaimed production of Salome.
 
RT: 107 Minutes

Backstory
Atom Egoyan directed the opera, Salome, in 1996, the first opera in what would be many to come over his career. Best known as a prominent film director since the 1980s, Egoyan has proven he is a master of both mediums. “I’ve been involved with opera for a number of years, doing it parallel to my film work. I always wondered if there was a way to bring the two worlds together,” says Egoyan.
 
More recently, the director was interested in exploring what the production of Salome would mean in our current culture. This interest led Egoyan to write the script for Seven Veils, about a remount of Salome that he filmed at the same time the opera was on stage, using the opera singers from Salome in the film. 
 
Salome is a production I’ve done a number of times so when I knew that the Canadian Opera Company was remounting it, I thought this would be an ideal time to fuse the opera singers I knew they had booked with the script I had written,” says Egoyan. “I wanted to explore how the themes of Salome could weave with the story of remounting this particular production. It’s not really an opera movie, it’s just using the world of the opera as a workplace like any workplace. We see the characters as they float in and out of scenes dealing with the preparation of the opera.”
 
“Atom’s production of Salome electrified the stage when it debuted in 1996 and has evolved with each remounting. The opera explores themes that resonate through Atom’s body of work, and SEVEN VEILS is an exciting and provocative next step in this ongoing evolution,” says producer Niv Fichman.
 
“The story of Salome has such a rich inheritance. It comes to us from the bible and then became the basis of this extraordinary play that Oscar Wilde wrote that explodes with language of people describing things they can’t have. The composer Richard Strauss saw a production of this unique play and was seized by the idea of making it the basis of the libretto. He found a way of harnessing what Oscar Wilde did with his words with truly revolutionary music. It was exciting to bring that energy into this moment and all the issues that are floating around our space, and seeing how these characters are navigating the dynamics of creativity, desire and power,” says Egoyan.
 
SEVEN VEILS is produced by Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, in association with XYZ Films, IPR.VC, Cinetic Media, Crave, and the Canadian Opera Company.
 
Elevation Pictures will be distributing the film theatrically in Canada.

For more films from XYZ, click here!

‘SANDBAG DAM’ (Berlinale 2025) A heart-piercing coming-of-age love story.

Berlinale-Film-Festival-Berlin-2025SANDBAG DAM 

sandbag dam 5Čejen Černić Čanak profound Berlinale drama SANDBAG DAM follows Marko, an athletic young man navigating his younger brother, school, sports, and girlfriend, Petra. His life upends when Slaven returns home for his father’s funeral. With the threat of flooding in his small Croatian village, his long-lost feelings for Slaven threaten everything.

sandbag dam 2Marko exists in a traditionally masculine environment. His father is a mechanic, training him to take over the business and compete in an upcoming arm wrestling competition. His free time consists of drinking at parties and attending to his eager-to-please girlfriend. Then, his seemingly easy life suddenly halts when Slaven returns after three years and no goodbye.

sandbag dam 3The story slowly reveals itself with an innocent bitterness and longing. If you go into the film blind, nothing is spoonfed to the audience. It is beautifully paced. The homophobia in Sandbag Dam is excruciating. The weaponization of hurt and ignorance is devastating.

sandbad dam 1The performances are spectacular. Leon Grgić is endearing as younger brother Fićo. He has a genuine star quality. His purity will make your heartache. Andrija Žunac gives Slaven an authenticity that is calming. His unapologetic aura is sensational. Lav Novosel delivers a pitch-perfect turn as Marko. Torn between the life he yearns for and the one he feels forced to accept, Novosel brings us on an emotional roller coaster we have no control over. You feel the conflict in your soul.

sandbag dam 4The film has a similar energy to Brokeback Mountain. Its restrained tension is waiting to burst at any moment. There is no denying the double entendre of the title. As the floodwaters rise, so do the tensions of secrets and feelings. Screenwriter Tomislav Zajec provides stunning metaphors. SANDBAG DAM is an important story. It is one that so many LGBTQ youth must endure. The final moments will have you talking about this film long after the credits roll.


  • by Čejen Černić Čanak (Director), Tomislav Zajec (Screenplay)
  • with Lav Novosel, Andrija Žunac, Leon Grgić, Franka Mikolaci, Tanja Smoje
  • 88′
  • Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia 2025
  • Colour
  • Croatian
  • Subtitles: English
World premiere, recommendation: 14 years and up

The film follows Marko and Slaven living in a small Croatian village as they reunite and rekindle their love.


Remaining screenings of SANDBAG DAM:

Thu Feb 2016:00

HKW 1 – Miriam Makeba Auditorium

SatFeb 2215:45

Filmtheater am Friedrichshain

For more Berlinale coverage, click here!

‘THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD’ (Berlinale 2025) A tense, compelling watch.

Berlinale-Film-Festival-Berlin-2025THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD

the best mother in the world

Anna Myuleart‘s Berlinale 2025 feature THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD tells the story of Gal, a trash sorter who escapes an abusive relationship with her five and nine-year-old children on the back of her cart.

The Best Mother in the World_Galeria_Credits-Aline Arruda (3)Gal’s character has a Mary Poppins quality in creating magic for her kids. “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun!” The unrelenting motivation she provides for Rhianna and Benin puts most parents to shame. Gal’s palpable anxiety appears in moments when the kids are distracted and engaged in an activity. She does her best to guard them from reality and fear.

Lílis Soares‘ cinematography captures the unpredictable chaos of Brazilian streets and the immediacy of the little family’s fear. The music perfectly matches Gal’s inner thoughts. The sound mixing is spectacular. Alongside Myuleart’s screenplay, all these elements combined, the story’s intimacy screams off the screen.

The Best Mother in the World_Galeria_Credits-Aline Arruda (6)Our two small leads, Rihanna Barbosa and Benin Ayo have a chemistry a director dies for. Their playful nature and natural talent are infectious. They are stars.

Shirley Cruz gives Gal a fully fleshed-out, flawed heroine. Cruz wears Gal’s inner turmoil on her face. Through her, Muylaert tackles the emotional conflict and misogyny attached to cyclical and generational abuse. It is challenging to witness her suffering. It is akin to watching an addict go through detox and then falling off the wagon.

The Best Mother in the World_Galeria_Credits-Aline Arruda (8)An hour into the film, your heart drops. The conversation that follows should almost come with a trigger warning for survivors. Filled with gaslighting and classic abuser language, it will infuriate and break you. THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD captures invisible labor, unconditional love, cycles of abuse, and the determination to create a better life. It is a difficult but rewarding viewing experience and female-centric storytelling at its best.


THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD/ (A MELHOR MÃE DO MUNDO) Director: Anna Muylaert

World Premiere. World Premiere – Berlinale Special (Brazil/Argentina)

  • Director
    • Anna Muylaert
  • Screenplay
    • Anna Muylaert
  • Cinematography
    • Lílis Soares
  • Editing
    • Fernando Stutz
  • Music
    • André Abujamra, 
    • George Nahssen
  • Sound Design
    • Miriam Biderman, 
    • Ricardo Reis
  • Production Design
    • Maíra Mesquita, 
    • Juliana Ribeiro
  • Casting
    • Gabriel Domingues
  • Producers
    • Tomás Darcyl, 
    • Ricardo Costianovsky, 
    • Clara Ramos, 
    • Bianca Villar, 
    • Karen Castanho, 
    • Fernando Fraiha, 
    • Anna Muylaert
  • Executive Producers
    • Leonardo Mecchi, 
    • Deborah Nikaido

Remaining screening dates:

MonFeb 1719:00

Cubix 9

SatFeb 2212:00

Akademie der Künste (AdK)

SunFeb 2317:45

Haus der Berliner Festspiele

l
For more Berlinale coverage, click here!

‘LA COCINA’ (2024) As complex as Shakespeare and an ode to those behind the scenes.

Willa logoLa Cocina

La Cocina poster(2024) - www.imdb.comBased on the 1957 stage play The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker, filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios brings LA COCINA to the big screen. This exquisite drama follows the staff at a restaurant in Times Square and the coordinated (and uncoordinated) chaos behind the scenes. It is a beautiful character study that will punch you in the gut.

The black and white cinematography from Juan Pablo Ramirez screams stage play in all the best ways. Mixed with intimate closeups and follow shots, it is an intricately choreographed dance boasting framing that will linger long after the credits roll. 

The opening monologue sets the scene for the city’s chaotic reality. The dialogue is funny, authentic, and brutal. Performances are top-notch across the board. The delicious ensemble cast nails every beat. 

Motell Foster plays dessert chef, Nonzo. His philosophical kindness makes him something like the Gandolf of the kitchen. Foster is magnificent. Oded Fehr plays The Grill’s owner with an overbearing swagger that slowly spoils as the plot thickens. Fehr delivers the irony of the American Dream. 

La Cocina still

Laura Gómez lives in her role as a waitress on her first day. Gómez’s intensity is transformative. Anna Diaz gives Estela the wide-eyed, tentative nature that represents the inner voice of the entire staff. 

Rooney Mara plays Julia with a fiery sass and life-weathered exhaustion. Raúl Briones delivers humor and depth as Pedro. His cheeky personality is a facade for unresolved trauma. Mara and Briones have a fierce chemistry akin to Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing. But it is Raúl Briones who owns the heart of this brilliant film. This performance is nothing short of award-worthy.

LA COCINA confronts racism and socioeconomic privilege head-on. The script challenges cultural boundaries. The characters are a melting pot that perfectly captures the true essence of the city and, quite frankly, America. Any real New Yorker will tell you that at any given moment, LA COCINA is happening in real time. It’s an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster

A Film by Alonso Ruizpalacios 

Starring Rooney Mara and Raúl Briones 

  October 25 / Angelika, NY
November 1 / Laemmle Monica, LA
followed by a national theatrical release

La Cocina Logo 7T095119.060SYNOPSIS: It’s the lunch rush at The Grill in Manhattan, and money has gone missing from the till. All the undocumented cooks are being investigated, and Pedro (Briones) is the prime suspect. He’s a dreamer and a troublemaker, and in love with Julia (Mara), an American waitress who cannot commit to a relationship. Rashid, The Grill´s owner, has promised to help Pedro with his papers so he can “become legal”. But a shocking revelation about Julia compels Pedro to spiral into an act that will stop the production line of one of the city’s busiest kitchens once and for all.

La Cocina is a tragic and comic tribute to the invisible people who keep our restaurants running and our stomachs full, whilst chasing a perhaps unreachable version of the American dream.

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Alonso Ruizpalacios, based on the play “The Kitchen”, by Arnold Wesker
PRODUCERS: Ramiro Ruiz, Gerardo Gatica, Alonso Ruizpalacios, Lauren Mann, Ivan Orlic
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Juan Pablo Ramírez
CAST: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Diaz, Motell Foster, Oded Fehr, Eduardo Olmos
U.S. Distributor: Willa
Mexico, U.S. / English and Spanish / 139min


For more drama coverage, click here!

‘THE OUTRUN’ (2024) Stunning page to screen memoir of addiction and redemption.

THE OUTRUN

The Outrun poster

Based on journalist and author Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir, Nora Fingscheidt‘s THE OUTRUN stars Saoirse Ronan as a young woman who returns home to Orkney after completing an alcoholic rehabilitation program in London.

The editing by Stephan Bechinger is a triumph. The structure bounces from before, during, and after rehab, often noted by Rona’s dye-dipped locks and general demeanor. The film delves into the outside judgment of those who have never experienced addiction.

the outrunSaoirse Ronan narrates the constant temptation in scientific terms while scenes of alcoholic behavior play against her words. Rona’s work in rehab is beautifully juxtaposed with her nature work in Orkney. This narrative device becomes a repeated reprieve from her reality. It feels poetic.

The dizzying handheld camera work while Rona is intoxicated mirrors her physical state. Paired with sprawling cliffs and coastlines of Orkney, it is stunning cinematography by Yunus Roy Imer. John Gürtler and Jan Miserre‘s collaborative score is beautiful.

the outrun 2Saoirse Ronan is spectacular, delivering a raw portrait of a fractured and flawed woman. Rona is incredibly lonely, seeking genuine human connection. When drunk, she is emotionally abusive. Saoirse explores every facet of sickness and redemption. It is a nuanced turn. Give her an Oscar already.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching part of THE OUTRUN is the study of cyclical addiction and the loss of youth. It is a magnificent portrait of interconnected self-reflection, healing, and forgiveness.

THE OUTRUN Trailer:

In Theaters October 4, 2024

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves
 Directed by Nora Fingscheidt
 Screenplay by Amy Liptrot & Nora Fingscheidt
Produced by Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan
Executive Produced by: Claudia Yusef, Kieran Hannigan, Maria Logan, Anne Sheehan, Luane Gauer, George Hamilton, James Pugh, Janina Vilsmaier


Based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot

After a decade away in London, 29-year-old Rona (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to the Orkney Islands. Sober but lonely, she tries to suppress her memory of the events which set her on this journey of recovery. Slowly the mystical land enters her inner world and – one day at a time – Rona finds hope and strength in herself among the heavy gales and the bracingly cold sea. Based on the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with Fingscheidt, THE OUTRUN is an acutely honest drama about addiction and recovery.

RT: 118 Minutes

 

For more Drama films, click here!

‘THE DEVIL’S BATH’ (Tribeca 2024) Horrifying History

tribeca 2024 logo

THE DEVIL’S BATH

A FILM BY VERONIKA FRANZ & SEVERIN FIALA
(GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE)

STARRING ANJA PLASCHG (Soap&Skin)

*Winner, Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear 2024*

the devil's bath still 2Goodnight Mommy filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz‘s latest film, The Devil’s Bath, opens with a positively gruesome scene. Based on historical research, it is a story that begins with infanticide, tackles mental health and religion, and is a haunting narrative you won’t see coming. Tribeca 2024 audiences are not ready. Anja Plaschg delivers a flawless performance. Her descent into despair is heartbreaking, but it is the eventual madness that devastates the audience. The Devil’s Bath is a deliberately paced, push and pull between tradition and ignorance, cultural expectations, and desperation. It is a deep dive into female depression and the historic gaslighting through our cries for help. Boasting a cyclical finale that will appall you, Shudder has another deeply dark notch in its belt. 

*COMING TO SHUDDER ON FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH FOLLOWING
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ON JUNE 8TH AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL 2024*
2024 / Austria, Germany / In German with English Subtitles / 121 mins


Remaining Tribeca Screenings of The Devil’s Bath:
Public Screening 3: Thursday, June 13th at 9:15pm – AMC 19th St. East 6
The DEVIL_S_BATHSYNOPSIS – In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL’S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.

Filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin FialaVERONICA FRANZ (Writer & Director) studied German and philosophy and worked as a journalist. She has also worked as an artistic collab-orator with Ulrich Seidl since 1997 and co-wrote the screenplays for all of his films including DOG DAYS (2001), IMPORT EXPORT (2007), the PARADISE trilogy (2012/13) and WICKED GAMES – RIMINI SPARTA (2023). In 2003 she also founded the Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH with him.

SEVERIN FIALA (Writer & Director) studied at the Vienna Film Academy. He worked at the Red Cross and celebrated his first success with the award-winning short film ELEPHANT SKIN (2009, co-directed with Ulrike Putzer).

The first collaboration between Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala was the international award-winning documentary KERN (premiere: Locarno Film Festival 2012). This was followed by their first joint feature film GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2014), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won several awards and was shown at the Oscars as Austria’s entry for Best International Feature Film. A US remake of the film was released internationally by Amazon in 2022 under the same name, starring Naomi Watts. THE LODGE, the directing duo’s first English-language feature film, has a prominent cast including US stars Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell. It celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The premiere of their period feature film THE DEVIL’S BATH followed in 2024 – an Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, in coproduction with Heimatfilm and Coop99 Filmproduktion.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

Fantasia 2023 review: ‘HOME INVASION’ is one of the year’s most upsetting films.

HOME INVASION

Home Invasion stillUtterly fascinating, this documentary horror hybrid effectively puts the fear of God into the audience. The film begins by sharing the history of each incarnation of what we now refer to as the “Ring” security camera, each inspired by a recurring nightmare. Historical recounting gets the creepy treatment with a random subject’s security footage playing in its fisheye lens version behind the storytelling text. There is no formal dialogue. This voyeuristic nightmare is unlike anything we’ve seen before, featuring videos of everything from natural disasters to doorstep theft and animal encounters to delivery people behaving badly and creatively.

The score is bone-chilling, with its piano cords striking. It’s something straight out of hell. But, the film is even scarier than it initially appears when we learn the global and societal impact of advancing technology. Cinematic tropes alone reflect the world’s potential terror. Fantasia 2023 audiences get a taste of a film that would be a perfect Fall statement at MoMA. HOME INVASION is exceedingly disturbing. If anything, it reminds you how quickly the scales of good and evil tip. It will haunt you.


Official selection – Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival 2023
Berlin International Film Festival 2023
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2023

DIRECTOR

Graeme Arnfield

PRODUCER

Graeme Arnfield

WRITER

Graeme Arnfield

SOUND DESIGNER

Sarah Naylor, Baudoin Oosterlynck

EDITOR

Graeme Arnfield

Review: The mysterious and heart-wrenching ‘PILGIMS’ comes to U.S. cinemas this Friday!

PILGRIMS

Paulius and Indre seek answers to a mystery that plagues them. PILGRIMS draws you in from the get-go as we follow our two leads down a path of emotional self-destruction and healing. They share a bond no one wants.

Giedrius Kiela and Gabija Bargailaite play Paulius and Indre, respectively. Each brings qualities of pain. Kiela’s aggression has the audience in a death grip. His volatility is frightening. Bargailaite is more subtle. Her unraveling happens in a finale that breaks you. They are hypnotizing.

Slick editing and long takes on a stationary camera make the audience an unwilling witness to Paulius and Indre’s plans. The script’s structure leaves much to the imagination as clues come slowly. My mind swirled as I watched Paulius walk Indre through the crime’s timeline. You feel compelled to keep watching. As someone whose close friend died under mysterious circumstances years ago, the unresolved pain and trauma are palpable. The need to understand and reason with the devil never fades, no matter how many years go by. PILGRIMS captures the very messy essence of grief.


PILGRIMS Arrives
in Cinemas this Friday!

 

Lithuania’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards Lands in U.S. Cinemas on 4/7!


 

Berlinale Film Festival 73 review: ‘The Properties of Metals’ stuns with story and sentiment.

THE PROPERTIES OF METALS

Writer-director Antonio Bigini brings Berlinale 73 audiences a story loosely based on a phenomenon magician Uri Geller made famous, the act of bending a spoon with his mind. In THE PROPERTIES OF METALS, we find young Pietro living with an abrasive father in a seemingly idyllic landscape of Italy. When the rumors of Pietro’s abilities bring inquiries from scientists, everyone sees it as an opportunity to escape the darker side of small-town living.

David Pasquesi plays Professor Moretti with a gentle air. His invested fascination with Pietro has genuine fatherly quality. His chemistry with Zaccara comes across as loving and curious. He had me hypnotized by his upbeat yet soft tone of voice. He was a joy to watch. Young Martino Zaccara is so engaging. His genuine innocence and firey spirit play well against Pasquesi.

Pietro’s father only begins to invest his interest in his son’s life when his abilities might benefit him financially. The juxtaposition of his father and Professor Moretti is ceaselessly absorbing. Pietro’s friends slyly represent the adults in the film, each playing a separate role in their treatment of his potential gift. The issues of class, old world vs. new, and family dynamics loom large in the narrative. The film mixes elements of skepticism, belief, science, and faith. It is undeniably intriguing, richly shot, and brilliantly performed.

Director Antonio Bigini
Screenplay Antonio Bigini
Cinematography Andrea Vaccari
Editing Ilaria Fraioli
Music Simonluca Laitempergher

Screening and Ticket information: THE PROPERTIES OF METALS

Mon Feb 2017:00

Urania

German voice-over | Headphones for OV

 Tickets


 

Tue Feb 2112:15

Cubix 8

German voice-over | Headphones for OV

Wed Feb 2210:00

Zoo Palast 2

German voice-over | Headphones for OV

Fri Feb 2418:30

Filmtheater am Friedrichshain

German voice-over


 

Berlinale 2023 Film Festival review: ‘UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS’ gives a voice to the silenced.

UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS
*WORLD PREMIERE*

Five Women Unpack the Deeply Entrenched Misogyny in Syria in this Intimate and Affecting Documentary


Heba Khaled, alongside co-directors Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh, gives Berlinale 73 audiences a vastly impactful and furiously personal look inside the abusive patriarchal structure of Syrian society. Systemic oppression needs a voice of truth. Khaled finds a group of women who take matters into their hands by collecting the stories of women in their community in hopes of creating an original stage production exposing generational hurt. UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS is pivotal storytelling. 

Inside a women’s mental hospital, residents recall their circumstances for being there. Family members dropped off most for pushing back on tradition, some for merely existing at all. Women in a cloth factory and a recycling center recall the physical abuse at the hands of their husbands, passed down to their daughters. Woman after woman, story after story, the abuse is systematic and heartbreaking. 

Ari Jan‘s score heightens the feeling that this situation is a ticking time bomb. As their work progresses, the group’s members begin to dwindle. Either out of fear or blackmail, women quit the project. The film reveals that one of the crew members violated the women while filming. Heba tells the remaining members on camera after flying to Beruit. What happened next broke my heart. We watch these brave women unravel, resulting in a shocking pause in filming. Three months later, a new development knocked the wind out of me. The Play’s self-appointed director makes a decision that could undermine the project’s entire mission statement. 

UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS is often an emotionally crippling viewing experience. It overflows with equal parts despair and inspiration. Quite frankly, it enraged me. The film’s journey is a perfect example of the silencing of women’s experiences and how patriarchal abuse of power can consume even the best intentions. It is a dream and a prayer from one generation to the next. 


Directors: Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh
Cinematography: Raed Sandeed
Editing: Marion Tuor
Music: Ari Jan
Sound Design: Mia Joanna Koskela
Producers: Sigrid Dyekjær, Talal Derki, Heba Khaled, Beth Earl
Executive Producers: Philippe Levasseur, Romain Bessi, Jenny Raskin, Kelsey Koenig, Maiken Baird, Ruba El-Khash

Nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Film Award



BERLINALE SCREENINGS

*PREMIERE: Monday February 20, 18:30 – Cubix 9*


Tuesday February 21, 19:00 – Cubix 5

Wednesday February 22, 21:45 – Cubix 8

Friday February 24, 19:00 – Zoo Palast 2

Sunday February 26 13:00 – International


 

Berlinale Film Festival 73 review: A surprising coming-of-age story from Malene Choi, an adopted young man seeks a sense of belonging in ‘THE QUIET MIGRATION’

THE QUIET MIGRATION

Carl’s South Korean identity has eluded him since birth as he has been living and working on the farm of his adopted Danish parents. With the expectation that he will take over the farm, Carl slowly begins to break away from the traditions of his family in search of belonging. The Quiet Migration is a slow-burn coming-of-age story. Racist microaggressions compound while poor Carl silently sits in agony. Longing to escape tradition and familial expectations, his journey toward cultural enlightenment comes at the cost of everything he’s ever known. 

Bjarne Henriksen and Bodil Jorgensen play Carl’s parents, Hans and Karen. Sweet and supportive, each gives a lovely, grounded performance. Cornelius Won Riedel-Clausen plays Carl. A mostly soft-spoken demeanor captures the character’s inner turmoil perfectly. A spark of curiosity gleams in Won Riedel-Clausen’s eye, driving Carl toward his truth. He is thoroughly engaging.

As Carl’s chances for individualism seem to dwindle, augmented audio in transitional scenes complements visuals of deterioration. The primarily static 16mm camerawork gives the film a documentary feel, as does the often sparse dialogue and long takes. The intensely funny town gossip and local far-right ignorance come together to paint a picture of global tension. The Quiet Migration has an unexpected quirkiness that I wish appeared more often. The surreal elements shine within writer-director Malene Choi‘s already thoughtful drama. The beautiful ending between Carl and his parents feels just right. It is a unique entry for Berlinale 73 audiences.