Patricia Franquesa, a Spanish filmmaker, meets her ex-boyfriend at a restaurant in Madrid for lunch. Her laptop is stolen by two men as is visible on security camera footage. She reports the matter to the Madrid police. Two months later a hacker informs her three “compromising pictures” on her laptop will be distributed to allContinue reading “27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “My Sextortion Diary” (Todo Lo Cubre la Sol): A Currency of Threats and Humiliation”
Category Archives: film
27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “Small Dogs Bark Loud”: A Recipe for a Successful Children’s Documentary
The 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival runs until 16March2025. “Small Dogs Bark Loud” is a Norwegian documentary deserving categorization as a successful children’s documentary and even more appealing as it doesn’t leave the adult viewer drowning in syrupy and overly simplistic platitudes. Tuni, a twelve-year-old, lives with her family undergoing challenges leaving Tuni with someContinue reading “27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “Small Dogs Bark Loud”: A Recipe for a Successful Children’s Documentary”
27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “9:30”: Finding Some Good from the Depths of Unspeakable Horror
It was just another day in May of 2020 at 09:30 when 34-year-old accountant Ionna Paliospirou parked her car and headed towards the elevator in the lobby that would take her up to her office in suburban Athens. But it was no ordinary day as she was attacked by the elevator by a mentally disturbedContinue reading “27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “9:30”: Finding Some Good from the Depths of Unspeakable Horror”
27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “Death Plan for a Dog and a Man”: The Oracle of Death in Athens Speaks
The 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival runs until 16March2025. Slice and dice your interpretation of the Greek documentary “Death Plan for a Dog and a Man” and you just may have nailed down the last nail of the coffin. For lack of a more sophisticated descriptor this is a “fun” film but one with deepContinue reading “27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival: “Death Plan for a Dog and a Man”: The Oracle of Death in Athens Speaks”
RKS 2025 Film: “CIRCUSBOY” (Zircusboy): A Longstanding German Tradition
“CIRCUSBOY”, a German documentary, focuses on the Arena Circus owned by the Frank family in the circus business for some 200 years. “CIRCUSBOY” recently had its world premiere at The Berlin International Film Festival. The Arena Circus represents a long-standing German travelling circus tradition. It is a circus one will not see in North AmericaContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “CIRCUSBOY” (Zircusboy): A Longstanding German Tradition”
RKS 2025 Canadian Documentary Film: “Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine”
Canadian writer and director Alfonso Maiorana has crafted a notable documentary on the career of Ellen McIlwaine a brilliant vocalist and guitar player through archival footage, photographs, recreations, interviews and extensive commentary from producers and musicians. She is not unknown to me as I listened to her music in the 1970’s and early 1980’s whenContinue reading “RKS 2025 Canadian Documentary Film: “Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine””
GEMFest 2025: RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: “Lumen”: Murderous Intent and the $35 Lamp
A study in cinematographic depression courtesy of Yannick Nolan! It’s raining cats and dogs and the radio warns more is coming. Claude (Carmen Sylvestre), a 70-year-old trans sits in a gloomy apartment on a computer chasing down a lamp offered by Anne on Facebook marketplace. Claude jumps to a conclusion a deal has ben reachedContinue reading “GEMFest 2025: RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: “Lumen”: Murderous Intent and the $35 Lamp”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: GEMFest 2025: “Henderson”: Shifting Realities is the Reality
Ally (Lesli Brownlee) from Vancouver has an exciting and winning night at a Las Vegas casino. She wakes up in a suburban hotel not knowing how she got there. She is naked in bed with her clothes scattered about and EEKS a condom on the floor! She tears out of the hotel walking in aContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: GEMFest 2025: “Henderson”: Shifting Realities is the Reality”
Vancouver’s 20th Annual GEMFest Film Festival: “Autophagy”: Harmless Claymation or Wicked Commentary?
“Autophagy”, a British production, could be enjoyed as an amusing claymation trip attractive due to its striking animation and threatening soundtrack. But it could be viewed as a wickedly sarcastic view of those terrible COVID days. Redcap is a quiet coastal town ravaged by an Octopi Epidemic, a waterborne disease that transforms humans, in aContinue reading “Vancouver’s 20th Annual GEMFest Film Festival: “Autophagy”: Harmless Claymation or Wicked Commentary?”
Vancouver’s 20th Annual GEMFest Film Festival: “Saigon Kiss”: Much Not Said and Much Not Done Imbued with Massive Tension and Mystery!
“Saigon Kiss” might be misleading in that Saigon no longer exists having being renamed Ho Chi Minh City after the fall of South Vietnam. And there is a kiss but not quite the one you might expect and maybe even deserve with all the tension leading up to a moment that does not happen. HoContinue reading “Vancouver’s 20th Annual GEMFest Film Festival: “Saigon Kiss”: Much Not Said and Much Not Done Imbued with Massive Tension and Mystery!”
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 