Somewhere in residential, working-class Tokyo sits a power station – the community surrounding it have been engaging in a spirited debate about how many chimneys the factory has. The opening narration to Where Chimneys Are Seen (Japanese: 煙突の見える場所) states that it all depends on where you are standing – for some, only one chimney can…

The odd couple trope is one that has been done to death in fiction, but yet it still yields such positive results nearly every time, since audiences seem to adore seeing the contrast between two wildly different individuals that are placed in close proximity to one another, hilarity and heartfelt antics very likely pursuing as…

Death is a subject that has fascinated artists for centuries, with various works focusing on life’s most intimidating inevitability. The vast majority don’t question that it is going to happen to each one of us eventually, but rather the circumstances that surround it. Whether it be the actual process of coming to terms with one’s…

Paolo Sorrentino loves roads. In nearly every one of his films, characters undergo a variety of journeys, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. There is something about the idea of undergoing a shift, either in location or mentality, that drives several of his films. As the ancient adage goes, “all roads lead to Rome”,…

There have been so many attempts at bringing the life and times of Diana, Princess of Wales to the screen – the ill-fated biographical drama starring Naomi Watts, the celebrated interpretation by Emma Corrin on the television serial The Crown, and even a stage musical that has become something of a minor sensation amongst those…

Throughout her fascinating drama that she adapted from her own semi-autobiographical novel, My Father Is an Airplane (Dutch: Mijn vader is een vliegtuig), director Antoinette Beumer tells quite a captivating story about the relationship between a daughter and her father, especially in the days after the death of another family member (specifically their mother and…

The trouble with notoriously prolific directors is that it’s often difficult to discern what their best film may be, since they usually direct at such a rapid pace, and end up producing many great films. However, when it comes to Yasujirō Ozu, it couldn’t be easier to answer this question. Tokyo Story (Japanese: 東京物語) is…

Growing old isn’t a challenge, but growing up certainly is, which is perhaps the most succinct way to describe Stop-Zemlia (Ukrainian: Стоп-Земля), a powerful social drama written and directed by Kateryna Gornostai (in her feature-length directorial debut), who tells the story of a close-knit group of high school students in working-class Ukraine, following them as…

On the Waterfront has been so omnipotent in discussions around its importance in film history, it’s easy to forget how excellent it actually is, beyond the very obvious qualities that have made it one of the true classics of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Perception is divided on whether to celebrate what Elia Kazan did…

There aren’t too many artists who possess the gall and audacity to go by a single name and still be entirely recognizable, and respected almost entirely on the merit associated with such a mononym. It suggests an overt confidence that can sometimes be mistaken for arrogance on some occasions – yet, when settling into a…