By Yun-hua Chen. People often say there are more important problems in Iranian society and no time to discuss [the Afghan refugee crisis]. That’s not a good excuse.” –Alireza Ghasemi Filmmakers Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi discuss their new feature Stemming from profound concerns and affection for Afghan refugees who […]
Danse Macabre: Filmmaker Karen Arthur on The Mafu Cage (1978)
By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. I find that there is an emotional energy in a theater piece [the basis for The Mafu Cage] and that the relationships are so much stronger and more connected. I always use the concept that you have to see in film and so therefore I took the […]
Peoples’ Heroes: David Webb Peoples on The Blood of Heroes (1989)
By Danny Stewart. While Rollerball was an inspiration [when writing the film in the 1970s], another major one was Rocky, [which] focused more on endurance, courage, and the punishment the main character endured rather than his skill.” –David Webb Peoples The interview below was excerpted from Saluting The Blood of Heroes: Behind The […]
A Comedic Journey into Tragedy: Joel Potrykus on Vulcanizadora
By Jenny Paola Ortega Castillo. The goal, really, was to keep the audience off balance and unsure of how to feel.” –Joel Potrykus Joel Potrykus has crafted yet another unforgettable cinematic experience with his latest chilling film, Vulcanizadora (2024). Potrykus weaves a narrative that oscillates between moments of comedic camaraderie […]
Beauty Surrounding Us: Elene Naveriani on Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry
By Yun-hua Chen. I believe that all characters possess innate sensibility, which surfaces when given a chance.” —Elene Naveriani “Do you realize how much beauty surrounds us? I wish to be alone, to do what I want, how I like, and when I like,” declares Etero, a 48-year-old woman from […]
A Tribute on the Making of Horror: Joshua John Miller and M.A. Fortin on The Exorcism
By M. Sellers Johnson. I wanted to address the horror of watching somebody slowly becoming disfigured and losing their grip on sanity…. To me, that was the scary part of the movie and what we really wanted to do.” —Joshua John Miller At the time of its release, the iconic […]
Shrinking Down Tropes to the Everyday: Josh Margolin on Thelma
By Jonathan Monovich. My favorite kinds of movies are ones that can feel relatable and simultaneously big/cinematic. When I can marry those two aspects in an interesting way, I get creatively excited.” Have you ever imagined what it would look like if Jason Statham were replaced by a rebellious grandma […]
A Microcosm of Oppression: The Survivors (Sobreviventes)
By Yun-hua Chen. A fable and a metaphor about coexistence in isolation at the time of slavery and colonialization.” A fable and a metaphor, The Survivors is a tale about coexistence in isolation at the time of slavery and colonialization. Set in the mid-19th century, survivors from a wrecked slave […]
Like Magical Realism: Tomás Gómez Bustillo on Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
By M. Sellers Johnson. Here’s a way to use VFX that feels like magical realism. Like the literature that I had read that uses fantastical elements but doesn’t go into fantasy.” Tomás Gómez Bustillo Set in a rural Argentine village, Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is a darkly comic tale […]
Family Drama in “Real Life”: An Interview on Ghostlight (CCFF 2024)
By Jonathan Monovich. Being a real-life family, we didn’t need to try to create that dynamic like three unrelated actors would, so it made it easier.” To close out the 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF), the Chicago Film Critics Association saved the best for last. Ghostlight (2024) written by […]