Category Archives: Cinema

A brief review: “Kray” [2010 Russia]

Aleksey Uchitel’s action-packed adventure drama “Kray” [Eng. Title: the Edge] is set in a Siberian labour camp (gulag) immediately after the end of the Second World War.     Ignat (Vladimir Mashkov) – a decorated War hero, is sent to work … Continue reading

Posted in Russian Cinema | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A film review: “La pelle” [1981 Italy]

Liliana Cavani: Veteran Italian director Liliana Cavani’s films aren’t always easy to love because they tend to tackle subjects that are often skirted around during mainstream discourse, and because they make for uncomfortable viewing and also leave behind a bitter aftertaste. Perhaps … Continue reading

Posted in Italian Cinema, Liliana Cavani | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A short holiday: “Isla Bonita” [2015 Spain]

Veteran Spanish filmmaker Fernando Colomo not only writes and directs, but also plays one of the central characters in his latest romantic comedy, “Isla Bonita” [Eng. Title: Pretty Island]. The film is set in the island of Menorca, where sculptor Nuria … Continue reading

Posted in Spain | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Sublime cinema: “Angely revolyutsii” [2014 Russia]

There’s now plenty of proof that Aleksey Fedorchenko has a deep reverence and fascination for the customs of ethnic tribes that cohabit his motherland. While his moving Silent Souls (2010) touched on the funerary rituals of the Merya, and his richly exotic … Continue reading

Posted in Aleksey Fedorchenko, Russian Cinema | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Vasilis Georgiadis: From the ‘Golden age’ of Greek cinema

Vasilis Georgiadis can arguably represent the ‘golden age’ of Greek cinema between the mid-fifties and the late-sixties, during which film makers were generally allowed a degree of creative freedom never seen before. This is mainly because his films were decidedly … Continue reading

Posted in Greek Cinema | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment