Month: November 2023

In a cinematic era dominated by narratives celebrating empowered women directed by women, with recent releases like Barbie (dir. Greta Gerwig), Bottoms (dir. Emma Seligman), Saint Omer (dir. Alice Diop), and Joy Ride (dir.…

Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s debut feature, Banel & Adama, is an acutely measured film that concocts a fable-like story around the passionate liaison between its eponymous protagonists. It begins with an almost idyllic state of things,…

Set in the 1970s South Korea when it was closed to the outside world, Ryoo Seung-wan’s Smugglers revolves around a group of women free divers –haenyo- who retrieve the loot from the deepest, darkest…

In the vibrant landscape of Ryoo Seung-wan’s “Smugglers,” we’re introduced to a tempting array of ideas. At its core, the film is an ambitious blend of comedy, action, and drama which, while engaging, sometimes…

Seung-wan Ryoo’s “Smugglers”, originally intended to be an aquatic crime thriller, explores the intricacies of female friendship. While initially flirting with stereotypical character tropes for its female leads – the more traditionally masculine, honest,…

Ryoo Seung-wan’s comic-action flick Smugglers offers a cinematic salutation to the indomitable spirit of haenyeo – a dying, semi-matriarchal commune of female divers from the South Korean district of Jeju whose livelihood constitutes harvesting…

While “The Breaking Ice” paints a picture of cold landscapes, it radiates surprising warmth, underscored by the beautifully executed cinematography and montage. The movie deliberately contrasts these snowy images with its characters’ intense and…

Loneliness is a prison that we all yearn to escape—or accept. The Breaking Ice asks the question: how do you find yourself after life leaves you behind? What if your dreams fail you? Maybe…

Weather is always emotional and sensual. In The Breaking Ice, weather becomes an integral part of the film’s narrative. Set in a small Chinese border city of Yanji, the film’s snow-covered cityscape and icy…

Anthony Chen’s The Breaking Ice introduces a visually captivating yet imperfect journey through the states of matter – ice, water, and steam. The film extends an invitation for reflection on the nature of human…