RKS Film: “Split at the Root”: An Examination of Zero Tolerance Policy and American Immigration Policy

“Split the Root”, which will be showing at Toronto Hot Docs Festival, examines the Zero Tolerance Policy and the cumbersome and inconsistent handling of asylum cases in the United States. The Zero Tolerance Policy (ZTP) can perhaps be best understood as a reaction from the right to the continual and never-ending stream of Mexicans andContinue reading “RKS Film: “Split at the Root”: An Examination of Zero Tolerance Policy and American Immigration Policy”

RKS Film: “Donbass”: Mockumentary? Black Comedy? Absurdity? Chilling?

Sergey Loznitsa’s “Donbass” from 2018 is certainly not dated. Considering the Russian rampage in the Ukraine it is chillingly relevant. A dozen or so vignettes explain what life is like in the Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists attempt to steal the Donbass for Holy Mother Russia. It is difficult to categorize the film into aContinue reading “RKS Film: “Donbass”: Mockumentary? Black Comedy? Absurdity? Chilling?”

RKS Film: “Blue Queen”: No Such Thing as an Honest Gangster!

The Hellenic Film Society USA continues its “Greek Films on Demand” which runs from the first to the tenth day of each month. Two Greek films are available for viewing at a nominal charge. One of April’s films is “Blue Queen”. In crime films you have probably encountered the double cross. Well in “Blue Queen”Continue reading “RKS Film: “Blue Queen”: No Such Thing as an Honest Gangster!”

RKS Film: “See You Again”: Possibly the Best and Most Honest LGBTQ Ever Made?

I have been reviewing LGBTQ films for a few years now. Lynch me if you wish but my take of this “film genre” is there is a divide between depicting the LGBTQ community as LGBTQ human beings as opposed to LGBTQ human beings being LGBTQ. If we are looking for true diversity and inclusion doContinue reading “RKS Film: “See You Again”: Possibly the Best and Most Honest LGBTQ Ever Made?”

RKS Film: “Holy Boom”: Intergenerational and Ethnic Explosion in Athens!

The Hellenic Film Society USA continues with its Greek Films on Demand programme where for the first ten days of the month two Greek films are available for streaming at a nominal cost. One of the April films “Holy Boom” is a 2018 production that weaves together ethnic and intergenerational conflicts facing Greece. On PalmContinue reading “RKS Film: “Holy Boom”: Intergenerational and Ethnic Explosion in Athens!”

RKS Film: “Tabija” (The White Fortress): Hoodlum Meets Girl from a “Good” Family

Faruk (Pavle Čemerkić) lives with his grandmother in one of those socialist tenements from the old Yugoslavian communist days in the infamous city of Sarajevo. He has a day job collecting scrap metal with his uncle. He also runs girls for the big boss Cedo who amongst his other businesses is a pimp. Faruk hasContinue reading “RKS Film: “Tabija” (The White Fortress): Hoodlum Meets Girl from a “Good” Family”

RKS Film: “Good Life”: One Strange Film

Unfortunately for this film I have been travelling about Greece since the early 1970’s. So when I sat down and watched “Good Life” I was looking forward to a great film as after all what could be wrong about the dear protagonist Olive going to her mother’s ancestral home in Greece after a break upContinue reading “RKS Film: “Good Life”: One Strange Film”

RKS Film: “The Last Tourist”: I’ve Seen the Damage the Cruise Ship Has Done

“The Last Tourist” can be seen as the exposure of a dirty industry called mass tourism that destroys what the tourist goes to see or perhaps goes to take a wonderful Instagram photo for those with a three second attention span. Yes according to a recent survey 29.5% of Millennials travel for the sole purposeContinue reading “RKS Film: “The Last Tourist”: I’ve Seen the Damage the Cruise Ship Has Done”

RKS Film: “Visionary Gardeners”: “Beauty and Delight”

The Canadian television series “Visionary Gardeners” is a five-part series premiering March 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Vision TV and it runs for 5 weeks in half hour segments. It features avid Canadian gardeners with their own vision of what a garden is. You may think the series is about them and their gardensContinue reading “RKS Film: “Visionary Gardeners”: “Beauty and Delight””

RKS Film: Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival: “Rules of War”: Kudos for Trying: Results Unknown

With the Russian attack on Ukraine we have been hearing some high-volume chatter about Russian war crimes. According to the Red Cross Rules of War prepared in 1863 and signed by 193 countries the most important principle is that no civilians should be coming to harm. We see what a farce that is in theContinue reading “RKS Film: Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival: “Rules of War”: Kudos for Trying: Results Unknown”