Once the absurd discourse about Bradley Cooper’s nose will have finally quieted down, those who have been lucky enough to have watched ‘Maestro’ on the big screen will realize they’ve witnessed a masterpiece.
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From the MIME.news archives: "Cinema is there to tell a story": Amjad Al Rasheed on Jordan's Oscar submission 'Inshallah a Boy'
For those of us who believe in the power of cinema as a social change maker, Al Rasheed's film — a winner in the Critics' Week in Cannes where it world premiered and the Jordanian submission to the Best International Feature Oscar race — is an important piece of the 7th art.
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Awards hopefuls, indie gems and streaming must-watches: My BFI London Film Fest wish list
There is just so much good stuff screening at this year’s London Film Festival — from a documentary about a nearly-cancelled forever fashion icon, to a film featuring Austin Butler and Michael Shannon as bikers, to MENA gems, Oscars and Golden Globes hopefuls and indie treasures. So buckle your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy fortnight.
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Sci-fi reimagined: Talking to Moin Hussain about 'Sky Peals' in Venice
We often forget that some of the best films ever made didn’t come with colossal budgets and outrageous VFX, their brilliance established through a great story and very relatable characters. British-Pakistani filmmaker Moin Hussain’s debut feature, which premiered in Venice before being poised to screen at the upcoming London Film Festival, is just one of those films.
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'Backstage' - Venice review
At the start of ‘Backstage’, the first feature directorial collaboration between Moroccan filmmaker Khalil Benkirane and Tunisian star Afef Ben Mahmoud, the unthinkable happens. And we, the audience, are along for the ride of a lifetime.
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Ja’far ‘Abd al-Hamid's 'Tabbouleh & Pie' shows the endless benefits of sharing our culture with others
A short film that quickly takes up full space in one’s heart, al-Hamid’s work will be shown as part of the Institut du Monde Arabe’s upcoming exhibition program for ‘Parfumes d’Orient’ in Paris.
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Amr Gamal on his groundbreaking, award winning film 'The Burdened' at Berlinale
The Yemeni film, which screened in the Panorama section and won the Amnesty International Film Award at this year's Berlin Film Festival, is a groundbreaking oeuvre which transcends the already strong power of cinema.
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'Bye Bye Tiberias' review: A personal tribute to a global cause
Lina Soualem’s touchingly personal documentary should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand the Palestinian struggle, and the true emotional toll of an entire people’s displacement.
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Filmmaker Karan Tejpal and producer/writer Gaurav Dhingra talk Venice title 'Stolen'
Screened as part of Orizzonti Extra in Venice, the Indian indie production featured an unrelenting heroine, one that though penned by male writers, ticked all the boxes of a perfectly female character for me.
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Netflix's 'NYAD' brings together the brilliance of Annette Bening & Jodie Foster
An Oscar win has always eluded the wonderful Annette Bening, while it has been more than 30 years, and her official coming out, since Foster won the last of her Academy Awards. ‘NYAD’, a Netflix film could change the game.
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Reviewing David Fincher's 'The Killer' without giving too much away...
Starring the magnificently contained Michael Fassbender as the unnamed hitman, this is one film that must be viewed without any previous knowledge of its story and possibly on a cool Fall evening, with a shot of premium whiskey nearby. But you’ll have to see for yourself why that is.
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Olmo Schnabel talks directing 'Pet Shop Days', dual identities & laws of attraction
Olmo Schnabel’s directorial debut is everything you could wish for in a film, from a man with such an impressive background — artist and filmmaker Julian is his dad and mom is Spanish actress Olatz López Garmendia — but also someone who is perfectly at ease with both his American and Spanish sides. And refreshingly believes life is best when lived outside the boxes of convention.
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'Stane' by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović is the latest must-watch from Miu Miu Women's Tales
When the filmmaker of 2021 Cannes Camera d’Or winner ‘Murina’ becomes the latest in a line of wondrous women filmmakers to feature in the beloved fashion brand’s series, the result is definitely something worth writing about!
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Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Poor Things' Venice review
There are incredible Things to be said about the production value of the latest Lanthimos oeuvre, and there are beautiful Things in the film, but for me personally it was not all good Things for ‘Poor Things’.
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The vampire wore sneakers: 'El Conde' Venice Review
Once again, Pablo Larrain proves he is one of the smartest filmmakers around, but never once does he talk down to us, his audience. And this dictator vampire romp in B&W is just what this writer needed to kick off the festival in style.
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Talking 'A Calling . From the Desert . To the Sea' with filmmaker Murad Abu Eisheh
With his latest short, the Jordanian, Germany-based filmmaker proves once again that he can tackle women's stories perfectly, while also bringing a special sensitivity to them -- all the while gently educating audiences. And, last but not least, making great cinema in the process! From the MIME.news archives.
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'Nezouh' -- Venice 2022 review
Soudade Kaadan's film is a fable of two women and the men who love them (well, one man and one boy really) and the power and magic that love carries with it. From the MIME.news archives.
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Five indie films to watch at this year's Venice Film Festival
It may be a Netflix world and we’re just living in it, as the streaming giant is hot on the Lido this year with Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’, Pablo Larrain’s vampire dictator romp and Wes Anderson’s latest — but there are a couple of indie titles that you need to watch.
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Bradley Cooper transforms into Leonard Bernstein in first images & trailer released by Netflix for 'Maestro'
The film, which is also directed, co-written and co-produced by Cooper, chronicles the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
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Jiří Havelka's 'The Owners' is a brilliant cinematic metaphor for democracy gone wrong
Don’t let the title of this review lead you to believe that this is some highly educational, dull drama, as the debut feature from the Czech theater director, playwright, actor and presenter proves irreverent and hilarious as well as poignant— and, most importantly, is a must watch!
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