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The Global Film Book Blog

In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts, Germany-France 2017) January 12, 2019
This film by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin features a ‘powerhouse performance’ by Diane Kruger which won her the best female acting prize at Cannes in 2017. However, when the film went on release in the US and UK (it opened in UK cinemas in June 2018) it failed to do the business that a Cannes … Continue reading In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts, Germany-Fran […]
Casa de los babys (US-Mexico 2003) January 6, 2019
John Sayles has been away from UK cinema screens for a long time. I think Honeydripper was the last of his films to get a UK release back in 2008 . These days the ‘godfather of American Independent cinema’ is mostly based in Mexico it seems, or at least concerned with Spanish-language films. Casa de los … Continue reading Casa de los babys (US-Mexico 2003) […]
Ciao Ciao (France-China 2017) November 20, 2018
Ciao Ciao is the latest DVD release from Matchbox Films and a welcome surprise. Matchbox Films pick up a diverse range of films, but not usually a film like this which comes with the support of a Cannes Cinéfondation ‘Atelier’ tag and both a World Cinema Support Fund and CNC credit. Screened at the Berlinale in … Continue reading Ciao Ciao (France-China 2017 […]
Spike Lee Joint 3: Four Little Girls (US 1997) November 7, 2018
I’ve been prompted by shootings of African-Americans in far too many incidents over the last few years to dig out some notes I used in 2003. The crime investigated in Four Little Girls, the Spike Lee documentary, is also alluded to in Selma, the 2014 film about Martin Luther King. I thought that Spike Lee had … Continue reading Spike Lee Joint 3: Four Little […]
The Girl Who Kicked in the Hornet’s Nest (Luftslottet som sprängdes, Sweden/Denmark/Germany 2009) October 4, 2018
(I discovered this in a pile of unpublished posts. I’m posting it now as a tribute to Mikael Nykvist who died ridiculously young (of lung cancer) at 56 in June 2017. I also note that a second ‘follow up’ title in the Millennium series by David Lagercrantz has been published in the UK and that Sony … Continue reading The Girl Who Kicked in the Hornet’s Nest ( […]
Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie, China-France 2003) September 25, 2018
MUBI has recently included several films by the Chinese auteur Lou Ye as part of its rolling monthly programme. They titled their mini-season of Lou’s films ‘Freedom and Defiance: The Cinema of Lou Ye’. Lou Ye (born 1965) made his first features in China in 1994 and 1995, but it was not until 2000 that … Continue reading Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie, China-Fr […]

Media Student’s Book Blog

Balancing left and right
The Labour leadership election appears to have got the UK press and broadcasting media in a real tizz. One of the most aggravating aspects of the reporting is the constant appendage of ‘left-wing’ to any reference to Jeremy Corbyn. He is … Continue reading →
Defining the other
The 10th anniversary of the ‘7/7 bombings’ in 2005 in London saw a range of remembrance events across the UK. These resulted in a great deal of media coverage. One BBC radio reporter referred to the four young bombers and … Continue reading →
Getting the balance right
The local elections in England last week produced two examples of quandaries for broadcasters. The big story for the BBC and other commentators was the rise of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), led by a curiously charismatic Nigel Farage. UKIP are … Continue reading →
Welsh TV noir: Hinterland (UK 2013)
Hinterland is a good example of the global/local. Like some other modern states the UK has statutory requirements and cultural policies that protect the other languages in the Home Nations and this means support for both Welsh and Gaelic broadcasters … Continue reading →

Cineuropa

The Berlinale Forum favours risk over perfection - Berlin 2019 – Forum
The main programme of the 49th edition of the Berlinale’s Forum section is now complete and boasts 39 films, including 31 world premieres
2018 not a vintage year for French films abroad - Industry – France
With 40 million admissions and takings of €237 million in foreign theatres last year, French cinema saw its weakest performance of the last decade
Review: L’agenzia dei bugiardi - Film - Italy
Volfango De Biasi directs a free adaptation of successful French film Alibi.com, making for a pleasant comedy based on a series of misunderstandings and playing with lies and the art of deception
EFM Horizon to examine industry innovations in content, structure and technology - Berlin 2019 - Market
The third edition of EFM's hub dedicated to the transformation of the film and media sectors will take place from 8-12 February
Poland basks in the limelight at Trieste - Trieste 2019
The programme will offer a generous selection of recent Polish films, while When East Meets West will focus on upcoming productions from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Benelux
Five female critics to cover the Trieste Film Festival with GoCritic! - GoCritic!
The second edition of GoCritic! will take place at the Trieste Film Festival, with five participants – all of them women
Selection completed for Berlin’s main competition and Berlinale Special - Berlin 2019 – Competition/Berlinale Special
Zhang Yimou joins the race for the 2019 Golden Bear, while André Téchiné’s new film will screen out of competition
Stray Dogs to attend Sundance and Rotterdam with Koko-di Koko-da - Market - France
The French seller is pinning its hopes on the latest film by the Swedish director Johannes Nyholm, and three additional titles selected for IFFR

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	Eric Binford on The Official Story (La histori…
	John Hall on An Elephant Sitting Still (Da…
	keith1942 on Colette (UK-Hungary-US 2018)…
	Roy Stafford on Rosa Luxemburg (Die Geduld der…
	keith1942 on Lost (UK 1956)…
	Geoff Lealand on The Favourite (UK-Ireland-US…