A Complex Legacy – ReFocus: The Films of Rakhshan Banietemad

A Book Review by Narjess Jafari Langroudi. A captivating and conclusive investigation of a cinematic luminary.” In continuing the wide-ranging ReFocus: The International Directors series, Edinburgh University Press has released Refocus: The Films of Rakhshan Banietemad (edited by Maryam Ghorbankarimi) which covers the complex filmography of one of Iran’s most […]

For the “God Jean-Luc”: Thomas Imbach on Say God Bye

By Yun-hua Chen. I was already under the spell of Godard. I thought, why not just start in my home country as a self-taught filmmaker?” From his teenage years, Swiss filmmaker Thomas Imbach was ensnared by Godard’s allure. Say God Bye, his latest documentary, chronicles his journey embarked upon with […]

Recent Contemporary Protest Cinema and Political-Cultural Exoticism

By Hamed Soleimanzadeh. By bringing attention to the challenges of the surrounding world, exotic protest cinema encourages audiences to take responsibility against the injustices and inefficiencies.” The concept of political-cultural exoticism in protest cinema refers to the presentation and understanding of ethnic, national, and regional cultures and policies in films […]

War at a Distance: Aurora’s Sunrise

By James Slaymaker. In its intricate tapestry of storytelling modes and its profound engagement with the ethics of representation, “Aurora’s Sunrise” stands as a cinematic work that dares to confront the complexities of historical memory. It forces us to re-examine the role of cinema in shaping and distorting the past….” […]

Into the Universe: Filmmaker Daphné Baiwir on King on Screen

By Leo Collis. “I really wanted to give the audience the feeling that they were entering the Stephen King universe.” The chances are, whether knowingly or not, you’ve seen a Stephen King adaptation on screen. The prolific author from Portland, Maine, has written over 50 books, and he has inspired […]