Review: Switzerland’s official Oscar submission ‘THUNDER (FOUDRE),’ from director Carmen Jaquier, opens in NYC today.

THUNDER

After the sudden and mysterious death of her sister, a 17-year-old novitiate explores her God-given right to experience life to the fullest, during the summer of 1900 in Switzerland.

Akin to the musical Spring Awakening, THUNDER tells the tale of a young woman whose older sister’s mysterious death brings her back to her childhood home and in touch with three old friends. Religious zealousness, body autonomy, and freethinking take center stage in THUNDER. As Elisabeth heads the advice in Innocente’s hidden diary, her world, senses, and spirituality are open to new ideas and happiness. 

The look of the film is dreamy. Moody indoor shots juxtaposed with lush Swiss landscapes create a visually sumptuous experience. Lilith Grasmug‘s portrayal of Elisabeth is mesmerizing. It contains a palpable yearning. Her immediate defiance of the patriarchal social structure made me want to stand up and cheer. Formerly Catholic, or what my mother might call a heathen, the righteous overshadowing of Elisabeth’s awakening is maddening. Her triumphant exploration of sensation and life makes THUNDER a celebration.



Dekanalog is so very proud to be releasing Carmen Jacquier’s stunning period drama THUNDER (FOUDRE), which Switzerland has chosen as their official 2023 submission to The Academy Awards! This unbelievable piece of world cinema opens in New York City next Wednesday, October 25th, followed by a nationwide rollout.

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!


 

Review: ‘BEAUTIFUL BEINGS,’ Iceland’s submission for THE 95TH ACADEMY AWARDS®, opens TODAY in New York and Los Angeles next week from Altered Innocence

BEAUTIFUL BEINGS 

A perpetually bullied young teen named Balli gets invited into a circle of aggressive classmates by Addi, a boy whose mother is a clairvoyant. BEAUTIFUL BEINGS is an enigma befitting The Academy’s attention. Initially, the film tackles familial dysfunction and violence. Midway, the narrative adds the supernatural element in earnest, changing the film in ways that gave me goosebumps.

Beautiful Beings

As we witness Balli’s emotional torture and beatings, Addi grows a conscience by entering Balli’s debris-ridden home. The boys have more in common than at first glance. Siggi and Konni complete this group of boys known for starting fights. Addi’s narration adds depth as he explains each boy’s tumultuous home life. The cyclical nature of violence is front and center. BEAUTIFUL BEINGS is often intense and grueling to watch. But the performances captivate so thoroughly the audience pushes on. Once Addi begins to feel the power his mother passed onto him, the story takes another visually stunning turn.

The exploration of toxic masculinity is countered with the study of male friendships. The emotional highs and lows swing wildly during the two-hour runtime. The film appears to take place in the early aughts. I assume this is key in including the term “retarded,” which echoes nearly a dozen times. As a mother of a child on the spectrum, I cringed each time I heard it. That is my only complaint with BEAUTIFUL BEINGS. As a whole, this film is unique, fearless, and crucial viewing.


Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s Crushing and Surreal, Multi-Award-Winning Coming-Of-Age Drama — Opens 1/13 at Quad Cinema in NYC & 1/20 at Laemmle Glendale in L.A.

Original title: Berdreymi
Starring: Birgir Dagur Bjarkason, Áskell Einar Pálmason, Viktor Benóný Benediktsson, Snorri Rafn Frímannsson, Aníta Briem, Ísgerður Gunnarsdóttir, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson
Written and Directed by: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Produced by: Anton Máni Svansson
Specs: 2022 / 123 Minutes / In Icelandic w/English Subtitles / DCP / 1.85:1


World Premiere: Berlin International Film Festival – Panorama 2022 — Europa Cinemas Label Winner 
Off Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema — FIPRESCI Jury Award Winner
Taipei Film Festival — International New Talent Competition – Special Jury Prize Winner
Thessaloniki Film Festival — Open Horizons Audience Award Winner 
Stockholm Film Festival — Best Screenplay Winner


ABOUT ALTERED INNOCENCE
 
Altered Innocence was founded in 2015 with a focus on bringing international and cutting-edge LGBTQ and Coming-of-Age cinema to North American audiences. Notable releases have included the Cannes Competition film KNIFE+HEART and the U.S. premiere of Spain’s previously unreleased cult title ARREBATO (RAPTURE).