Category Archives: Cinema

Olga Ponizova in “Grekh. Istoriya Strasti” [1993 Russia]

Viktor Sergeyev’s melodrama “Grekh. Istoriya Strasti” [Eng. Title: Sin. A Story of Passion] is about a love affair between a monk and a young carefree woman. Storyline: The film is told in flashback, after a German TV crew descend upon … Continue reading

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An aspiring middle class imprisoned to the past, and present, “O Som ao Redor” [2012 Brazil]

Every once in a while, a young film maker turns up with that special film to reassure us all that cinema is indeed in rude health. Like Kleber Mendonça Filho, who’s just made a remarkable directorial début with his thought-provoking … Continue reading

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A Master’s début: “Liebe ist kälter als der Tod” [1969 W.Germany]

Rainer Werner Fassbinder made his feature-film début through the crime drama “Liebe ist kälter als der Tod” [Eng. Title: Love is Colder Than Death]. It’s an endearing ode to the French New Wave, Hollywood Film Noire, and Italian Spaghetti Westerns. … Continue reading

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Celeste Cid in “El amigo Alemán” [2012 Germany, Argentina]

Jeanine Meerapfel’s “El amigo Alemán” [English Title: The German Friend] is a romantic drama centred around the daughter of German émigrés, and set against the backdrop of some turbulent decades of Argentina’s recent history. Storyline: Young Sulamit’s Jewish parents are … Continue reading

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Private lessons in applied biology, and life: “Lust och fägring stor” [1995 Sweden, Denmark]

Coming of age is a bankable subject for cinema, and even mediocre productions tend to fare well at the box office. But just occasionally, a film comes along to delve deeper than the customary hormonal overflows and infatuations. Bo Widerberg, … Continue reading

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