Shayda (2023)
★★★★☆
Shayda, the heartfelt first feature directed by Noora Niasari, is a compelling story of an Iranian woman fleeing domestic abuse to seek cultural freedom.
Country
Orlando, My Political Biography (2023) (Orlando, Ma Biographie Politique)
★★★☆☆
Orlando, My Political Biography by trans activist Paul B Preciado is a moving documentary inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel.
The Nature of Love (2023) (Simple Comme Sylvain)
★★★★☆
The Nature of Love directed by Monia Chokri is a modern Canadian romcom, seen from a woman’s point of view, with a contemporary twist.
Sheffield Documentary Festival: The Boy and the Suit of Lights (2024) (El niño y el traje de luces)
★★★★☆
The Boy and the Suit of Lights is a raw documentary by Inma De Reyes that uncovers an insider’s view of some of the tensions between traditional and modern Spain.
Wilding (2023)
★★★★☆
Wilding, based on Isabella Tree’s 2018 book, directed by David Allen, is a lyrical hymn to the self-healing of the English countryside.
Heart of an Oak (2022) (Le Chêne)
★★★☆☆
The Heart of an Oak, directed by Laurent Charbonnier and Michel Seydoux, edited by Sylvie Lager, is a year of magnificent photography in the life of the creatures – animals, birds and insects – that live in or around a huge 200-year-old oak tree in a forest in France.
The Small Back Room (1948)
★★★★☆
Vintage classic The Small Back Room, Powell and Pressburger’s must-see 1948 noir masterpiece, has been restored and released in new 4K.
A House in Jerusalem (2023)
★★★☆☆
Palestinian filmmakers Muyad and Rami Alayan prick and prod Israel’s conscience about dispossession in A House in Jerusalem.
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 11: Friday, 24 May: All We Imagine as Light (2024)
★★★★★
Cannes Film Festival: Day 11: All We Imagine As Light (2024). All We Imagine As Light is a beautiful film about the contrasting lives of three women in India, the second film directed by award-winning Payal Kapadia.
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 7: Monday, 21 May
★★★★☆
Cannes Film Festival Day 7 Monday, 20 May 2024
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 7: Monday, 20 May: The Other Way Around (2024) (Volveréis)
★★★★☆
The Other Way Around directed by Jonás Trueba is a glossy romcom in reverse with a deeper philosophy.
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 6: Sunday, 19 May: The Story of Souleymane (2024) (L’histoire de Souleymane)
★★★★☆
The Story of Souleymane directed by Boris Lojkine is a searingly realistic two days in the life of one of the invisible people – a bicycle courier in Paris.
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 5: Saturday, 18 May: Universal Language (2024) (Une Langue Universelle)
★★★☆☆
Universal Language directed by Matthew Rankin is a surreal satire on provincial Canada.
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Day 5: 18 May: Most People Die On Sundays (2024) (Los domingos mueren más personas)
★★★☆☆
Most People Die On Sundays, written and directed by and starred in by Iair Said, is a very personal, heartfelt portrait of the absurdities of life and death.