The Other Lamb: A Captivating, Hypnotic Personification of the Distorted Masculine and Feminine

Let me preface this review with the fact that I, generally, cannot stand Cult films. They overwhelmingly stand as an homage to the toxic masculine and its crushing, abusive, hold on the feminine. I’m a huge horror fan, so I’ve seen my fair share.

When The Other Lamb came across my inbox, I was hesitant (especially after seeing last year’s ridiculous Midsommar), but curious to see what a female writer and director had to say on this topic. Writer C.S. McMullen and Director Melgorzata Szumowska, along with Cinematographer Michal Englert created a haunting yet hypnotic feminine awakening into empowerment that I couldn’t wrest my eyes from.

What Has Been and Still Is

Religion, though coupled with fascinating stories and some good ideas, has, by in large, been a system created by men. Whether masked behind the premise of purity, godliness, and charity, religion has been used as a means of control, corrupted by the very people who lead it. The majority of religions also idealize the semblance of a masculine god.

Selah (Raffey Cassidy) is a young “sister” of a small commune lead by the mysterious, alluring, Jesus-like Shepard (Michiel Huisman). Shepard controls a group of women split into two sections; the wives and the sisters, The wives are pretty self-explanatory and their daughters, all the offspring of Shepard, become the sisters.

As the sisters grow, they are taught how wrong everything is about them and how pure and exemplary everything is about Shepard. When he chooses his newest wives out of the sisters, he consummates his “relationship” with them by giving them his “grace”. The sisters are taught that his attention and “love” are the pinnacle of their existence.

Selah is no exception. She is an impressionable, prepubescent devotee, unaware of the dangers lurking beneath Shepard’s handsome, seductive exterior. When he turns his gaze towards Selah, she is keen to become his next wife and bask in his beguiling light.

Source: IFC Films

Becoming

As the mysteries of the cult slowly start to reveal themselves to her, Selah finds herself in a downward spiral of realizations and disturbing visions. Being on the precipice of menstruation, Shepard starts eyeing Selah and giving her more responsibilities.

After an argument with another sister, Selah is sent to bring leftover food to the “impure” women in a hut. There she meets “The Cursed Wife” Sarah (Denise Gough), who is locked in with another woman due to the “shame” of “Eve’s curse”. Selah fancies herself as better and purer because she hasn’t gotten her period yet. Sarah assures her that her turn will come and that she will drop out of favor with Shepard as well.

When the police arrive at the commune one night, the group is forced to relocate. Shepard leads the group, on foot, on a long trek to find their new home. As trials plague the group along the way, Selah begins to see Shepard’s true colors and how he actually treats his wives. Sarah then becomes the veracity and mother figure Selah never had.

Selah, furthermore, uncovers the truth as to why there’s “only one ram in the flock”, even with plenty of births happening around her. She finds strength and camaraderie amongst her sisters, contrary to the competition that plagued them before. As Shepard’s cracks begin to show, all of the women start second-guessing their choices. Will Selah and her sisters be able to overcome and reconcile with the irreversible changes of the only life they’ve ever known?

Source: IFC Films

Feminine Rage

With the downfall and recent imprisonment of Harvey Weinstein, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, it is of no surprise we’re finally seeing the release of films like this one. Feminine rage and unity put that vile predator in prison and with this successful outcome, we’re more likely to see others go down in that blaze.

Women are slowly becoming unwilling to stand for the pain and suffering imposed upon us by privilege and toxic masculinity. This rage has been seething for ages and, hopefully, will become a full-on fire that consumes the distorted masculine and feminine in its wake.

Each of the women in this powerfully made film is a different representation of the distorted feminine, created by the distorted masculine. They are women we see or know on a daily basis.

Selah benefits from the wisdom of Sarah, but each of the elders had a particularly grim learning curve that they had to endure to become awakened. Even after their awakening, they faced a deluge of insults and shunning from the collective group-a striking metaphor for all those in the world who awaken before the masses. Sarah also embodies those who feel trapped in the toxic masculine. When Selah asks Sarah why she never left the group she declares: “ Been here so long, I don’t know who I am”

What woman can’t relate to that statement at some point in her lifetime?

Source: IFC Films

In All Honesty…

This film is extraordinary.

From the very first scene the viewer is willingly sucked into its beauty. The locations chosen are simply exquisite, encompassing character, art and impeccable geometry to keep the eye engaged using, almost entirely, just nature. Englert’s cinematography is a shining paragon, that feeds and quenches the eye with an array of carefully chosen color, patterns and photography-like pictures. Not one shred of any scene is inessential, and, coupled with the editing, instills immediate enchantment that lasts throughout the film.

The range and extent of metaphor in this film is incredible. Every single frame is executed with precision, point, and expertise under Szumowska’s direction. There are no superfluous words spoken by the cast to stain the sheer perfection of the images set forth. Huisman’s Shepard is effortless and handsome. He forges a character who understandably magnetizes the young girls, especially those that haven’t known any other man.

Cassidy’s Selah is an accomplishment as well. She is a true star in the making. Her performance is indomitable, summoning the poise and focus of a young Saorsie Ronan or Romola Garai. She moves credibly through the ignorance and self grandeur of innocence into the spirited voice that could spark a revolution.

The one thing that would’ve made this film virtually perfect, is the inclusion of more women of color among the female cast. It would’ve created a powerful, visual metaphor for the white male’s grasp and toxic effect on women across the globe. In reality, no woman is excluded from it. In an age where whitewashing is finally starting to be challenged, every filmmaker and producer has a responsibility to intersectional inclusion whenever and wherever possible.

Still, this film stands defiant and rebelliously beautiful against mainstream’s chronic failure to bring audiences anything new. It is devastatingly stunning to watch; filled with copious symbolism and a screaming fire that builds in every scene between the words. It is the cry of the awakened feminine in us all, demanding that she will, indeed, have her day.

The Other Lamb opens April 3, 2020.

Sundance 2020: Slamdance's Beware of Dog: Mental Illness is as Common as Humans

Happy New Year! We’re excited to start off 2020 with some fresh new films!

We continue our Sundance coverage in 2020 with our first review from the directorial feature debut of Russian filmmaker Nadia Bedzhanova. Nominated for Slamdance’s Best Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature, Beware of Dog covers the lives of three people, from three different countries dealing with three different types of mental illness. It showcases some of their daily lives; their relationships and how each of them deals with, or rather, doesn’t deal with, their mental health.

Marina

Marina (Marina Vasileva) is a, soon to be graduate student from Moscow, who’s dream is to go to New York University. She lives with her boyfriend Sacha in an upscale apartment. but her day to day life is a bit of a nightmare. Marina suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is a prisoner of the anxieties in her mind. She finds it impossible to connect with Sacha and is hesitant to connect with people in general.

She spends most of her time obsessing over the number eight and has to count nearly everything. From the steps she takes to where she steps; from how many times she turns a faucet off and on to the number of times she has washed her hands. Her mind is a veritable slave driver, demanding that she focus all of her attention on the obsession of the moment.

Taken from some of the experiences of director Bedzhanova’s own personal experience with OCD, Marina attempts to navigate her issues on her own but finds it impossible to live with. She self-diagnoses from information on the internet and takes solace texting her cousin in Berlin, Paula (Paula Knupling), who struggles with her own mental illness.

Source: Allen Pictures

Paula

Paula is wandering in a Berlin museum while texting cousin Marina about what is going on in her life. While sitting outside she crosses paths with Joana (Marina Prados), a student from Spain studying in Berlin. Using English to mediate their communication, as neither speaks the other’s language, they begin a love story of sorts that is soon and predictably interrupted by the Bi-Polar disorder that Paula suffers from.

Though the relationship seems to be “love at first sight”, the nuances of the massive mood swings that characterize Bi-Polar and the stigma surrounding mental illness haunt Paula and make her too much to deal with. When she falls into the depressive state of the disorder, it is nearly impossible to get Paula out of her house and Joana believes that Paula is ghosting her.

In actuality, it is Paula’s belief that Joana will think she’s a “psychopath” if she comes clean about her illness that is stopping Paula from contacting her. Will Paula be able to help herself in time to save this relationship?

Source: Allen Pictures

Mike

Juxtapositioned between the two women’s stories is another about Mike (Buddy Duress), a disillusioned addict haunted by his abusive past. Once an up-and-coming boxer, his depression and addiction to alcohol have sidetracked him into a toxic, co-dependent relationship with Emily (Emily Bahr-de Stefano), another addict lost in her own problems.

Mike believes she is the only thing that is keeping him going on a daily basis because he has yet to come to terms with his own maladaptive behaviors manifesting from the years of abuse thrust upon him by his father. The only friend he confides in and the only person caring enough to tell Mike the truth is Jay (Kevin Iso).

Mike meets Jay in a park to lament to him about his problems with Emily, spouting his idea of chivalry and loyalty as better than hers because he loves her “unconditionally” and would stick with her “through thick and thin”. But Jay delivers him the first and only hard, lucid truth throughout the film stating: “you lack something, so you perceive whatever you’re lacking on somebody else and you stake it for ‘unconditional love’, but it’s not. You gotta love yourself first. I can tell that you just don’t.”

A greater truth has not been uttered. Mike is unable to see how toxic the relationship is, nor how his own toxicity contributes. One must love themselves first before any relationship will work and one cannot truly love themselves until they work through all of their demons on their own and learn to embrace themselves wholly, flaws and all.

Mental Illness: A Difference That’s Not So Different

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people have or will have a mental illness in their lifetime. However, that is just those that are reported. It’s my belief that most of us have some form of mental illness, whether suffering from Post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem or the more classic disorders featured in the film. Way too many people suffer in silence due to social stigma, isolation, lack of resources and education, and lack of family support.

Source: Allen Pictures

What is utterly impossible for humanity is to have a “normal”, cohesive, exemplary life devoid of problems. Life is hard. There is no one living on this earth who won’t be touched by mental health issues at some point in their lives.

In my work as a Crisis Counselor, I’ve seen it all. The job is very taxing and there is literally no way to truly help those suffering in the world without having worked on and healed your own issues and even then constant self-care is a necessity.

The hardest part about healing is actually having the wherewithal in the first place to know that something is wrong. Very few have that level of awareness and after that, one has to have the courage to endure and face some of the hardest, most painful things in their lives, for as long as it takes to heal.

Mental health isn’t something that is attained quickly, it is a process, lead by many that haven’t dealt with their own issues. It is the blind leading the blind and that is why so many give up on the process before their work is done.

In All Honesty…

Beware of Dog is a timely, necessary film. Most of the world is crying out for help while mired in septic stigma and attempting to navigate the impossibly broken mental health care system.

Bedzhanova weaves together an international tapestry of troubled souls while calling attention to some of the worldwide political landscapes we are living through now. She is able to pull the audience into the film’s world quickly through beautiful imagery and some fast paced, chaotic, yet well chosen, editing by Tom Knight. It craftily immerses us in the tension, irritability and distorted realities of the characters, without being too judgmental or stigmatizing.

The film runs into a few problems with it’s use of documentary-esque, real life experiences and the unspoken “advice” in each of the character’s “resolutions”.

Paula’s story only briefly illustrates what a relationship is like with someone living with Bi-Polar. I felt Bedzhanova had a perfect opportunity to show how impossible it was, yet she wraps Paula’s story up with an incredibly unrealistic “we’ll get through this together” fairy tale. It scared me to think of all of the young people who may watch this, that might actually believe “love can save the day”, when the reality is no, it can’t. No stable, equal partnership will ever exist with someone with unregulated Bi-Polar. None. Zero. Zilch.

Source: Allen Pictures

Ideally, no one should even get into a relationship until they have worked out their own problems, but that too is unrealistic due to our innate need for physical affection.

Mike’s story is one where Bedzhanova apparently linked in footage of some of the actor’s real life documentary about the abuse he has endured in real life.

At first I thought it was rather clever when i thought she was mixing documentary-like scenes into a feature and was very impressed by the “acting”. Then, I found out that it was actually Duress being Duress, which isn’t technically acting, so that ultimately didn’t work for a feature.

Mike and Marina’s resolution is also, a relatively predictable train wreck, dangerously encouraging broken people to be together when they have way too much healing and work left to do. Maybe that was Bedzhanova’s point; that broken people always end up finding broken others, whether it’s a good idea or not?

Regardless, there is too much creativity here to miss it entirely. It is crucial, in our current world climate, for us to know how connected we are. Bringing forward the realism of mental health problems and it’s effect on how we connect in film is critical. It makes us feel less alone in our own suffering and can help many come to the realization that they actually have a problem in the first place.

Since mental illness is such a common issue among us, we should focus less on stigmatizing people and more on how are we going to fix the crumbled system that keeps people from getting the help and treatment they need and deserve.

From what I’ve seen, it is truly appalling how we treat our people suffering from something they have no control over. With the insurance and big pharmaceutical industries in charge of who and what gets treated, the future of healthcare looks bleak.

Which is why it is so important for us to take a stand any way we can. Whether that means educating ourselves and learning how to be more empathetic towards differences or spreading awareness through the creation of responsible films surrounding the problems we are steeped in on a daily basis.

In any case, we are all in this together. The sooner we realize that, the better off we’ll be.

A Girl From Mogadishu: An Incredible Journey of Survival

**TRIGGER WARNING: Contains references to Rape and Female Genital Mutilation**

A Girl from Mogadishu, written and directed by Mary McGuckian, is the story of the astonishing survival and odyssey of Ifrah Ahmed, portrayed by the talented Aja Naomi King. It is the story of a victim of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and a young survivor of the Somalian Civil war, who turns into a powerful, international voice and advocate against FGM. It is an illustration of the power of toxic masculinity over women’s bodies and one of the voices of defiance against it.

A Warrior in the Making

The film begins during the 2006 Battle of Mogadishu, where it follows Ifrah as she is fleeing her village and also eluding the arranged marriage she refuses to be in. The bombing separates her from her father and brothers, and while she waits for them to return, she is gang-raped by three soldiers.

She manages to make it back to her Grandmother’s (Maryam Mursal), where she is restored to health. Her uncle (Hussein Abdi) gives her a phone number to a person that will get her out of Mogadishu and to her aunt who lives in the States. He tells Ifrah that her grandmother can no longer afford to keep her and that her husband-to-be won’t want her anymore because she has been raped. Though she is afraid to leave her home and family, Ifrah agrees.

Unbeknownst to her, the men that help many of the refugee women get to “safety” are actually responsible for trafficking them into a life of slavery. The driver of the bus tells her not to go with the men upon arrival of their destination and instead stay with him, as his wife is also from Mogadishu. She stays with the bus driver and his family until her Aunt sends Hassan (Barkhad Abdi) to help her get out of Africa and on a plane to the States.

With a fake passport and Hassan’s help, Ifrah makes it to Dublin, Ireland. There, Hassan tells her that she will not be able to go to the States as her Aunt is living there undocumented, so it will be safer for her to stay in Ireland claiming political asylum.

Ifrah, who has nothing and knows no one in Dublin, relies upon a local refugee organization for assistance. They give her shelter, food and clothing and help her with the legal process of claiming asylum there. Part of that process involves a full medical exam, including a gynecological pap smear. The doctor is horrified to see that Ifrah has been fully “circumcised” and from there, Ifrah learns that what she thought was a “normal” cultural, tradition is actually an unnecessary, traumatizing procedure with a long list of medical consequences.

A Terrifying Procedure

Source: The Politics Forum.com

According to the Office on Women’s Health, Female Genital Mutiliation/Cutting “means piercing, cutting, removing, or sewing closed all or part of a girl's or woman's external genitals for no medical reason.” There are generally three types, as seen in the image above, and Ifrah survived Type 3, which is considered the worst kind.

FGM is considered illegal in the US and in many other countries today, however, it is still being done. The Office on Women’s Health estimates that more than 513,000 women have been affected by FGM in the United States, and a whopping 100-140 million girls have been affected worldwide. Most of these procedures are done in non-sterilized areas like a floor. table or the ground. The cutting is often done by unsterilized glass shards, knives or razors.

The procedure is generally done when girls are very young, without any pain medication, under the guise of “a right of passage”, “hygiene” and to ensure a girl “stays a virgin” for her future husband. FGM is a significantly harmful procedure that inflicts long lasting psychological and physical consequences that can include death.

According to the film, 98% of women in Somalia-where Ifrah is from-have been cut. Ifrah was instrumental in bringing about the official laws passed in Ireland against FGM in 2012. Yet even today the practice is happening there. On November 28 of this year two parents in Ireland were found guilty of performing FGM in 2016 on their daughter, who was under two.

Regardless of where it is happening, it is crucial that information about this process be taught and spread in order to fight the ignorance surrounding FGM. Films such as this one, are an integral part of educating the public and international community about the atrocities these women face.

From Frightened Girl to Fierce Advocate

Ifrah Ahmed. Source: Irish Global Health Network

In 2010 Ifrah Ahmed launched her official organization the Ifrah Foundation. Their vision is the eradication of FGM and cutting in Somalia and worldwide. Their goals consist of “three pillars” of action, including advocacy, awareness raising and community empowerment.
According to the website Ifrah “is one of the world's top international FGM/C eradication advocates and activists. Ifrah has received multiple awards for her work and she campaigns relentlessly for legislation to ban FGM/C around the world. Ifrah is the Gender Adviser to the Government in Somalia.”

According to the film all of this activism came with its own consequences for Ifrah. She has received multiple death threats on social media and was disowned by some of her family members. She was able to return to Somalia and make peace with her grandmother, who was the one that sent her to be cut in the first place.

Her determination to end FGM globally is nothing short of inspiring and her ability to garner the ears of audiences is a triumph.

In All Honesty…

Overall the film is eye-opening and inspirational. McGuckian creates a comprehensive story of Ifrah Ahmed’s struggle, coupled with a strong, dynamic performance by King.

The film does suffer a bit with awkward timing and pace. Though we see a lot of action right at the beginning entrenched in the war, and Ifrah is a strong character to write about, her journey is laid out rather plainly. It is a relatively slow process filled with too much mundanity. I wanted to see more of Ifrah’s internal struggles rather than all of the legal processes that she had to go through.

The film is also filled with a lot of unnecessary voice-over, that could’ve been translated into action or been expressed during interaction with fellow characters. We also don’t get a clear impression of, nor the significance of, many of the supporting cast on her journey. For example, Hassan, who is played by the Oscar nominated Abdi, seemed to come out of nowhere. Why does Ifrah’s Aunt call upon him? Who is he? Why should Ifrah trust him? The way his character is portrayed leaves us thinking that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye, but it is never fleshed out.

Source: Pembridge Pictures

There are many inferred dangers on her escape from Somalia to Ireland, but nothing transpires from any of those either. For example, she had to travel out of Somalia and into Ethiopia to get to her plane, yet why was it still a danger once she got out of Somalia? Were women not allowed to leave Ethiopia at this point? There isn’t a clearly known reason behind the tension portrayed on her trip to Ireland, and the audiences are left to surmise all of the possible pitfalls. Perhaps if we knew what potential pitfalls she faced, it would have been easier to get lost in the story.

Regardless of the few mechanical hiccups, McGuckian and crew are still able to deliver a harrowing and thought-provoking story. The film is a good springboard to learning more about this courageous hero working to make a positive change to a brutal practice steeped in toxic masculinity. It sheds a light on a topic that isn’t spoken about enough. It opens a door to educating and reaching an audience that may not hear about it otherwise.

Aja Naomi King delivers an unforgettable, poignant performance as Ifrah and cinematographer Michael Lavelle paints a stunning portrait of the imagery of Earth’s natural beauty, coupled with the harshness of the lives humans lead within it.

Though the topic of this film is unbearably difficult, McGucklan finesses a delicate balance with just enough detail to convey FGM’s heinousness without scaring off the audience. It is a triumphant story celebrating the strength of women crushed beneath the toxic masculine. It is also a story of the human spirit and a remarkable hero who never set out to be one.

It stands as a testament that through surviving crippling adversity, there truly is great strength and inner power to be gained that nothing can ever take away.

A Girl From Mogadishu has been released in Ireland and the UK and will be released in the US in February 2020. Get updates from their website here.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound: A Walk Through the History of Sound in Film

Director Midge Costin has woven a comprehensive frolic through the history of cinematic sound. Starting with the age of “talkies”-the first movies using vocal sound-through the digital age, she explores how sound has flourished and made it possible for film to connect further with its audiences.

She highlights sound’s importance in film and walks us through the art of appealing to one of our greatest senses, featuring some of the incredible artists behind sound that, more times than not, aren’t given the attention they deserve.

Sound Changes Everything

Thomas Edison launched the phonograph in 1877 and the first silent narrative film in 1903. These inventions, arguably, gave birth to cinema. The problem was, filmmakers didn’t have the technology to record sound or voices and synchronize it with the film. The first film with sound, synchronized musical score and sound effects was Don Juan in 1926, followed shortly after by the first “talkie” The Jazz Singer in 1927. Audiences were amazed.

In 1933, King Kong became the first film to feature enough artistic sound techniques to define the niche as “Sound Design”, and, as such, Murray Spivak became known as the first sound designer. As films continued their sound engineering growth and new techniques were developed, stereo sound revolutionized film in the 1970’s, as all sound on prior films had been in mono. A few noted “change makers” of this time were legends, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Walter Murch-who is deemed the “Father of Modern Sound”.

Before mobile technology, filmmakers were all but forced to use the sound libraries that the studios had and were at the studio’s mercy for everything. Coppola, Lucas and Murch created their own production company in the late 60’s, daring to split from the studio system and make their own films. Though they had some failures, that move ultimately set up their careers to be the juggernauts we know today.

Another notable change maker of the 70’s was Barbara Streisand. She revolutionized sound technology spending a then unheard of one million dollars on sound alone for her 1976 hit A Star is Born. Her persistence in greater sound excellence tipped the scales for films to follow.

From manual to digital

Ben Burtt. Source: Goodmovies Entertainment

Star Wars emerged in 1977, loaded with it’s 6 track Dolby stereo sound. Exceeding every executives expectations in the box office, it became the new norm for sound in film that followed. Ben Burtt became Hollywood’s “go to” for original sound effects after winning the 1978 Academy Award.

1986 heralded the Digital Era of film and the start of Pixar as it’s own spin-off company funded primarily by Apple’s Steve Jobs. Gary Rydstrom revolutionized sound collaboration on Pixar’s short Luxo Jr. In it was born Pixar’s well known desk lamp mascot and Gary was recognized as a pioneer for coming up with a digital form of “talking” using only sounds.

By the mid 90’s, sound became fully computerized and as technology advanced, turned into the sound we have today.

Costin streamlines modern sound for the audience into sections she calls the “Circle of Talent”. This breaks down sound production into three realms: Voice, Sound Effects and Music. Each of these realms are then divided down further to the corresponding technical teams that create production recording; dialogue editing; automated dialog replacement, or ADR; SFX; Foley; Ambiance and the film’s musical score.

These teams collaborate, creating mood, emotional tone and vocal clarity through multifaceted ingenuity, grossly overlooked by an industry and a society that is singularly obsessed with the “pretty faces” in front of the camera, instead of the vast wealth of artistry behind the scenes that is key to making those “pretty faces” look so damn good.

Let’s hear for the girls

Anna Behlmar. Source: Goodmovies Entertainment

If Edison, Lucas, Coppola and Merch were female I doubt we would have heard of them at all because most of history has been written and dominated by white males. Just imagine the plethora of talent that was historically and wholly looked over in favor of sexism and racism.

Many spouses of these “great men” have been ignored and their contributions to their husband’s inventions and careers left behind without a trace. But who would Thomas Edison be without the help of his wives Mary and Mina? Would he have been able to spend all of those hours inventing away from his children and family without their hard work?

Only recently have Marcia Lucas’s contributions to Star Wars: A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark been brought to light. A talented editor in her own right, she and George met in film school and she went on to become a most sought after editor by the likes of Scorsese and Coppola.

So too have sisters in sound suffered behind their male counterparts. Plenty of women in sound have been denied work due to sexist thinking. Anna Behlmar, who’s incredible sound resume includes massive hits such as Braveheart, the Mission Impossible franchise and Thor, states it best in the film when she says “people who say, ‘well you know. it’s a big, action, war movie, a guy should do the sound.’ It’s like why? Has he been in a war? This idea of one gender being better than another, I think, is kind of silly.”

That’s putting it mildly. It’s flat out ridiculous, but toxic masculine thinking like this still pervades the industry.

Cecilia Hall. Source: Goodmovies Entertainment

Cecilia Hall, during her time as supervising sound editor of Top Gun, created a painstakingly meticulous library of exotic animal screeches and roars to enhance the sound of the jets. According to Hall it was “the single most labor intensive editing process I’ve ever experienced”. It was taking them so long to complete that a studio executive, who came to fire her. scolded her saying that the film “wasn’t about the sound”.

Fast forward a few months later and Cece and partner, George Watters, were nominated for an Academy Award, prompting this exec to send her flowers with a card that stated “I guess it was about the sound”. Hall later went on to win the Academy Award in Sound Effects Editing for The Hunt for Red October.

In all honesty…

Costin does a monumental job packing a lot of information into an audience friendly, 90-minute journey through the origins of sound. Costin herself has an impressive resume of sound experience ranging from The Rock to Armegeddon.

For obvious reasons, over half of the film highlights the work of men involved in sound technology, but Costin spends as much time as she can highlighting and adding in many notable female artists. It is frustrating to see and know so little about women’s contributions to this technology even though I know it exists, and I wish a bit more information on that would’ve been added.

Also, it seemed a bit insensitive and rather uncomfortable, given the strong, recent movement of #MeToo and Time’s Up, to see the inclusion of interviews with John Lasseter in the Pixar section of the documentary. As a woman included in the movement it felt a bit like a breach of trust, especially coming from a female filmmaker. Though Lasseter was pivotal in the creation of Pixar, the background information alone would have sufficed.

Multiple allegations have been made by Pixar employees regarding Lasseter’s inappropriate behaviors, and though the allegations were enough for him to “retire” from Pixar, he was still quickly nabbed up by Skydance studios after, to widespread criticism.

Those allegations would have been enough to exclude him from any project I was doing, and I believe it is in every artist’s interest to apply responsibility and care to sensitive matters such as these. However, there are more things admirable about Making Waves to let one bad apple spoil the whole.

Alyson Dee Moore. Source: Goodmovies Entertainmet

Overall this is a solid, well-made documentary, useful for those not just in the industry, but for audiences who want to come to a better understanding of what these artists go through to create the marvelous works of art we see today.

It illustrates, in easy to understand language, the extent of the level of collaboration required to create the all-encompassing world of sound in a film. It touches upon and visualizes the historical highlights of the evolution of sound in film without dragging or ever being boring, and, for those of us old enough to remember, piques nostalgia from the legendary films of an age when “Original Screenplay” actually meant “created, undertaken, or presented for the first time”.

Making Waves is more than a film school primer, standing in its own right as a comprehensive homage to the art that is Sound in Film and an impressive first time documentary from an accomplished sound artist.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound opened October 25, 2019 and has been nominated at both Cannes Film Festival and Critics Choice Awards.

Hava, Maryam, Ayesha: A Beautiful, Resonate Representation of Life As An Afghan Woman.

“Bear it,” Maryam’s friend says to her after Maryam finds out she’s pregnant by a husband who’s cheated on her with numerous women for the entire seven years of their marriage.

This is a quote that will probably resonate for women across the globe. After all, due to toxic masculinity, what do women not bear? Our thoughts, jobs, bodies, beliefs, even our very lives are dominated and controlled by the patriarchy. There is no woman that isn’t affected.

Hava, Maryam, Ayesha is director Sahraa Karimi’s first feature, and it is heralded as the “first independent Afghan film entirely shot in Kabul, with the director, actors and actresses living in Afghanistan. It raises the voices of the struggles many Afghan women face due to the patriarchy.

Hava

Source: Noori Pictures

We start with a look at a family steeped in old tradition. Hava (Arezoo Ariapoor) is a young wife and soon to be mother, who bears the responsibility of the entire household. She lives with her ungrateful husband and her aging in-laws, one of which is practically catatonic.

She attempts to navigate her daily chores; take full care of her ailing mother-in-law; appeasing the demands of her impatient father-in-law and cooking constant, last minute dinners for her thankless husband and his friends; all while dealing with the pain of being 8-9 months pregnant. Her only joy and strength is the feel of her child moving inside her.

While washing the dishes, outside in the cold, after her husband’s party she took no part in, she slips and falls on her belly. Her husband, who doesn’t even help her up, tells her that she has “disgraced” him in front of his guests. When she can no longer feel her baby move, she begs her husband to take her to the clinic. He refuses and leaves her there to go out with his friends.

Will her baby survive?

Maryam

Source: Noori Pictures

The next story focuses on the well educated, feminist, Maryam.

Maryam (Feresta Afshar) takes orders from no one. She is an independent, outspoken news journalist wanting to be taken seriously at her job as an anchor.

On her way home, and, throughout the rest of her story, she is inundated by calls from her husband Farid. Maryam has broken up with him because, for the majority of the marriage, he has cheated on her with multiple women. He blames the fact that they haven’t been able to conceive as his reason for his infidelities, but he is unaware that Maryam just found out she is pregnant.

Maryam tells her friend about her pregnancy, hoping to get comfort and advice from her, but instead her friend encourages her to go back with Farid, thinking the child will change him and bring their relationship closer. She blames Maryam’s stubbornness on her reading and education.

Maryam, sensibly, retorts that a baby will only make things worse and it will make her a prisoner. She knows that nothing is going to change her broken husband or relationship for the better, but in a place where abortion is illegal, what will she do?

Maryam’s story sets up a fitting segue into the final story.

Ayesha

Source: Noori Pictures

Ayesha (Hasiba Ebrahimi) is a teen from a middle class family. Her father died years back, so it’s been up to Ayesha’s mother to take care of her and her multiple siblings. It is her mother’s wish to marry Ayesha off to a well off family so they no longer have to support her.

At first, Ayesha refuses the offer from her cousin to marry because she believes that marriage should be for love and not arranged, as is the usual tradition. But when the boy she loves finds out she’s pregnant, he abandons and wants nothing to do with her. She and her friend then scramble to get the money for an illegal abortion and, for the sake of protection, she accepts her cousin’s proposal for marriage.

Will she come through this without arousing any suspicion within her family or community?

In all honesty…

Go see and support this film in any capacity that you can.

The patriarchy and all that women have to endure is nothing new. I think a lot of women can relate to many of these situations, but the film’s importance on the world stage is painstakingly crucial.

In 2011 Afghanistan was rated as one of the worst places in the world to be a woman. The war with the United States there has been going on for over 18 years, and the Taliban still continues to launch lethal attacks in pursuit of more territory. Afghan women have only recently been able to acquire a few of the essential day to day rights that men have enjoyed there for decades.

In 2019, director/writer Sahraa Karimi managed to become the first, female, general director of Afghan Film-the state run film company and archive in Afghanistan-since it’s opening in 1968. She is also the only woman living in Afghanistan with a Ph.D in Cinema. That, in and of itself, is simply astounding. Notes from the film’s website state that Karimi promised herself “to be the storyteller of my fellow countrywomen who seek to change their lives in a traditional society.” And she is doing just that.

Sahraa Karimi

In 2009, her documentary Afghan Women Behind the Wheel went on to win over 20 awards at major film festivals across the globe. Hava Maryam Ayesha, illustrates the way that 3 different women live today in Afghanistan, giving the world an up close look at something that has been hidden from us for far too long. Karimi stated that her goal for this film is “to narrate the lives of the women who haven’t had a voice for many years, that are now ready to change their fate”. Amazing.

Cinematographer Behroz Badroj helps Karimi create alluring moving imagery to go along with the narrative. It helps the viewer to become part of the intimate stories Karimi weaves, bringing us closer to each character and instilling a sisterhood and camaraderie that extends far beyond country borders. The more we see and learn how similar we are, regardless of race, religion or residence, the more human “others” become, and, goodness knows, the world needs more of that sort of understanding and compassion.

Ariapoor, Afshar and Ebrahimi bring integrity and veracity to the titular roles, giving us a glimpse of the characters, less through what they say and more through what they do. We get to experience their anger, sorrow, and frustration, along with their strength, courage and determination to defy the paralyzing patriarchy and live independently, without fear, in a world that does not belong to women.

Of course, women’s equality will take time and consistent advocacy across the world, but what better way to reach people than through film? As I’ve said countless times before , film can be a powerful medium to do good, surging across the world with the ability to take us anywhere. In the right hands, film teaches and connects us in ways we normally couldn’t. It allows us to see people and places we never would have otherwise and that can be life changing.

I am very proud to have been able to feature this film on our site as we continue building towards our goals that will give a voice to all the talented change makers of our world, such as Sahraa Karimi. I hope you will join the film revolution by supporting us and the gifted artists that we will continue to represent here.

Until next time! #TheRevolution

Muse: A Sumptuous Portrait of a Very Dark Subject

I had the privilege to preview a new, decadently Gothic-style film from writer/director Candida Brady. Since her past films were either documentaries or, based on real life circumstances, it was a real treat to be able to see her highly creative and artistic side. This particular piece shines a light on, yet another, important subject, which, if you’ve seen her past work, Brady is known for, but this is her best yet.

The Pain of The Uninspired Artist

Luca, (Geza Rohrig) is a prominent, renowned painter who’s about to embark on a huge art retrospective featuring a compilation of his work over the years. Currently a recluse, due to severe agoraphobia and depression, people on his team have been calling him to not only cement details of his show but also get him some publicity. Between the phone calls and his daily food delivery service, he has all he can handle and most days, it takes all his courage just to open the door. Even his artistic inspiration is but a passing memory.

Though he lives, seemingly alone, in his decrepit surroundings, always lurking in the shadows is his insidious, unrelenting roommate: The Demon (Rupert Everett). The Demon is depression and insecurity embodied, that whispers things to him like, “Happiness is overrated.” and “There is no escape”. The Demon is an omnipresent figure concealed in the shadows of the antiquated building Luca haunts. The building is a character in and of itself, enclosing Luca in the greys and blues that consume his mind, and an imposing metaphor for the prison Luca is locked in, in his own head. 

When unrequited love Grace (Alison Doody) re-enters his life, it casts a sliver of light into his ever dark days and transports him back to a time when he had more confidence, joy and the promise of a life outside of his literal and proverbial cages. Grace is a journalist who wants to meet up and interview Luca about his retrospective and, though he longs to see her again, can he overcome his demon long enough to venture out?

Source: Blenheim Films

Painting a Film

The brilliance of this film lies not in what is said, but all that is left unsaid. The hypnotic imagery play upon the senses almost as if it were a moving painting. From the hum and crackle of the lights to a puff of steam from an iron, it is a veritable visual and auditory feast. Brady and Director of Photography Steve Robson deliver the lushness and delicate intricacies of the meticulous, cinematic sensuality that I adore in many Adrian Lyne films, that is all but left out in modern film.

The lighting and decor is absolute perfection, with a Gothic-like whimsy, reminiscent of old fairy tales and a Poe-like atmosphere of dread and madness. Soaked in literal blues, grays and enduring shadows, right down to the blueberry smoothies Luca drinks, the film faithfully captures the all consuming bleakness of depression. With only one location in the entire film, the viewer is absorbed into Luca’s haunted world until the very end and thanks to it’s superb, prolific imagery we are more than happy to stay in it.

The music, though mostly recognizable classical compositions, plays with the overall mood throughout creating heaviness, lightness or an overall sense of unease. Brady ingeniously uses each musical morsel to her and the story’s advantage, illustrating not only what we see happening, but also hints at that which is less obvious, lurking beneath the immediate surface. It becomes yet another metaphor for those living with mental illness, who may seem fine on the outside, but who’s suffering is imperceptible to the rest of the world.

Source: Blenheim Films

The Monsters in our heads

According to the World Health Organization, as of March 2018 over 300 million people globally have depression. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

The rate of suicide in young people aged 15-24 in America has nearly tripled from 1960, making it the third leading cause of death in adolescents and the second leading cause of death in college age youth. It is estimated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, that 1 in 5 adults in the US has some form of mental illness, but less than half get actual treatment for it.

These statistics are only those who have actually reported some sort of disturbance. Many “live with it” on a daily basis with no help due to rampant, world-wide stigma associated with mental illness. Help is seen by many as something only “crazy” people get and many more believe they can get over whatever they have alone or through means like religion. Yet many others “get over it” (or don’t), abusing illicit drugs, prescribed opioids or alcohol, which only contributes to the problem and can exacerbate the issues.

Muse is yet another example of the important role that film can play in creating awareness about widespread human issues that aren’t normally spoken about. When we are able to “see ourselves” in the context of something safe, like an artistic work, it opens the door to “taboo” subjects, even though mental health is as human and important as our physical health.

Source: Blenheim Films

In All Honesty…

Muse is a true work of art.

Candida Brady brings to the forefront another relevant issue of great significance in our world, that is layer upon layer of artistic ingenuity woven into a lush, film fabric that, together, creates a metaphoric masterpiece. It is an ingenious and inventive breath of fresh air in modern film and an incredible feat to have created something so luxurious and beautiful out of a one location, basically two character, script. 

Though The Demon character represents depression in this story, it could represent a plethora of other mental illnesses. Giving life to The Demon reveals to those who don’t suffer with mental illness, a more authentic glimpse into what it’s like, day to day, for those that do. There may not be an actual, physical creature keeping a hold over those who suffer, but it certainly can feel that way.

Put together a world that, by and large, still dismisses people with mental illness and a broken system set up to “help” them, and you’ve fabricated a recipe for a widespread human crisis. Which is why it is so vital for us to open the discussion on mental illness and keep talking.

Muse opens up that conversation brilliantly. Its allegorical and theatrical feel allows the audience the necessary space to be safely immersed into Luca’s world without the harsh grittiness of reality. Though the content is heart wrenching we never feel “hit over the head” with its message and its overall production quality is much too lovely to look away from.

And as I’ve said before, there is no greater voice for those who cannot be heard than a phenomenally made film, like this one.

Follow www.blenheimfilms.com for more information about this up and coming film.

Captain Marvel: A Strong Metaphor for Female Struggle

I wasn’t particularly psyched to see Captain Marvel, as I know nothing about the character nor was I ever a big Marvel comic fan. Plus, after the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot and 2017’s Wonder Woman, failed to illicit anything past a “meh” from me, I wasn’t expecting much. However, when I heard about the “controversy” surrounding Brie Larson’s crusade to include more diversity than mostly white males in Film Criticism, I was both amused and irritated by these white males’ lack of stomach. Instead of supporting her mission, many had temper tantrums, stating that Larson “hated white men” and they initiated a boycott of the film.

Considering that white men have basically controlled the world since the times of the Conquistadors, one would think they would be privy to finally sharing with others. Instead it is stunning to see how much rage surfaces when any woman, especially a woman of color, dares to champion equality of minorities. Just look at the outpouring of criticism for the recently elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. There is no greater threat to the insecure male ego than capable, strong women.

The amount of pettiness and trolling of the film led to Rotten Tomatoes actually closing down it’s audience reviews until after the film released. Why must women always be deemed “man hating” when they’re standing up for their own equality? Remind me again of who the supposed stronger sex is?

As a film critic who champions mostly new and independent films and can’t stand the train wreck of films vomited out of Hollywood on a weekly basis, Captain Marvel wasn’t on the top of my list. However, after this ridiculous outpouring of toxic, fragile masculinity, I felt compelled to not only support this film’s box office, but also to ensure there was at least one certified review out there not saturated in sexism and delicate ego.

Origin Stories

Source: Walt Disney Pictures

Just like most superhero origin films there is a long intro story packed with the film’s world and hero backstory.

Carol Danvers, known by the Kree as Vers (pronounced “Veers”), is a powerful Kree soldier in training by her mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). He spends most of the time training her to control her emotions, which he deems the one thing that will make her most powerful.

The Kree are in a chronic war with the Skrull, alien creatures who are their main enemy. The film centers on the capture of a leader of the Skrull, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). Yon-Rogg is sure that if Talos is captured it can end the war.

The Kree plan goes awry though, and Vers is captured. With that comes the first of several refreshingly unusual scenes where Vers saves herself. Though surrounded by roughly ten Skrull and bound, in an epic display of power, she manages to free herself and make chase after Talos into space.

The pursuit brings the chaser and chase-ee to Earth, where much of Vers story actually began. We see flashes of her early memory throughout the opening story, but there is a huge part of her life she cannot remember. Luckily, with this convenient crash, she will be able to connect the puzzle of her previous Earth life and current alien life, back together.

Source: Walt Disney Pictures

I want to stray here, from the same format of the usual summation of the film to dig deeper into its treasure trove of meaning and representation. Its not the pinnacle of feminist personification, but it had an immense amount of metaphor that I don’t believe everyone, especially men, will glean from it. I am convinced that the saviors of the film world, if ever allowed to do more, will be women.

Through the EYes of a WOMAN

“The repression of the feminine has led to a planet on the edge of collapse. The re-emergence is going to be a dance to behold.” - Clare Dakin

As long as human history goes, women have always played second fiddle to men. The Yin is the dark or “feminine” side, the Yang is the light or “masculine” side. The Sun is deemed a masculine energy and the Moon the feminine. Just from these examples we see how feminine energy has been set up to be dimmed by the bright, light, all-encompassing masculine.

Though the female gives birth to the entire world and makes up half of the population, toxic masculinity has managed to keep most of femininity in its place. We come into this world at an almost equal rate, but that is where the equality ends. Starting with the popular belief that male children are more desirable; to the never-ending violence that kills women and girls every day; from day one, women are shown just how undervalued we are in most human cultures.

This toxic culture is cleverly woven into the fabric of Captain Marvel’s script. Did you notice it? From Yon-Rogg’s training Vers to believe that her weakness is in her emotions; a random man on Earth telling her she should smile more; to her awakening to the lies she’s been told her whole life about who her enemies are and who she really is. Haven’t we as females all experienced this at some point in our lives? Just like Vers, the difference is whether or not we are ready to choose to awaken and rise above societal lies to become the powerful, blazing phoenix’s we truly are.

The truth laid out in Captain Marvel is that Vers is most powerful when she overcomes fear of her own power, not her emotions. She exemplifies a piece of what it’s like to live in our world as a female and how the power to break the chains of ingrained toxic masculinity resides within each of us. The “chronic fatigue” of being a female in a male world is a battle women simply can’t win if women are always looking outside of ourselves to be validated and rescued.

Source: Walt Disney Films

This is why the existence of superhero film like this one is so important. Girls and women need to see themselves in places of power. Without the input from female writers/directors like Anna Boden, I’m positive this film would not have resonated so much. Its subtle and not so subtle nuances required its creators to thoroughly understand how it feels to live under an oppressive thumb every day, in every facet, of life. A man simply couldn’t have written this story as effectively alone.

And, no, that’s not saying that all female directors and screenwriters are better than men, nor that there hasn’t been phenomenal films made by men. But guys, at least step back and let us write and tell our own stories because you can’t possibly understand all that it means to be female.

Still Not There yet

As impressive as the story and Captain Marvel’s character are, we are STILL lacking more women of color. Yes Danver’s best friend is an amazing woman of color pilot,who helps Danver’s re-find herself and leads her back to her truth, BUT, we still have a person of color secondary to the white lead.

I get that Captain Marvel was white and blonde in the comics, but that doesn’t mean that 1: They can’t change things up a little and 2: that we can’t see more superheroes of color in both the Marvel and DC film realms in general. Absolutely ZERO reason.

It is crucial for young POC to see themselves in powerful positions as well, and not to mention, it is just SO BORING to see the same thing over and over again. I can’t believe it’s 2019 and I am just NOW seeing a female hero save herself in a film! We can and should do much better.

In all Honesty….

Source: Walt Disney Studios

And now I understand why this film is triggering to so many men. It represents the unstoppable force of the divine feminine energy. The idea of women rejecting the status quo built by men and coming into their own power scares the hell out of men. Losing power, in any way, scares the hell out of them, because deep down they know, if the female collective were ever to be woke and conscious all at once, we would be unstoppable. We would set forth a blaze across the world unlike any other before, that would change the face of HIS-tory forever.

Though not the poster child for intersectional feminism, the film is a step in the right direction. We still need to stop perpetuating the “white savior” myth and more women of color MUST be included at all of the proverbial tables with FULL equality. Any hesitation will only serve to keep the entirety of female kind down and uphold the toxic masculine status quo.

Women must look within, as Captain Marvel does, and embrace the strength and unique gifts we each hold to create the world that truly should be and liberate the unyielding potentiality found in our divine essences and truth.

Sundance 2019: Advocate: Fighting For What is Right

Advocate, a new documentary by filmmaker Rachel Leah Jones, is the true story of Israeli attorney, human rights advocate and freedom fighter Lea Tsemel. Nominated to this years Sundance World Cinema Documentary category, we get a close, intimate view of an extraordinary person and unrelenting soul in the fight for Palestinian rights.

Born Into Turmoil

Lea Tsemel was born in 1945 in Haifa, Isreal, a town where Jews and Muslims co-existed. She was literally born in the age of the Arab-Israeli conflict, when Zionist beliefs clashed with Arab nationalism over rights to lands sacred to both the Jewish and Muslim people. A civil war broke out in Palestine between the Jews and Arabs there, and, by 1948, a mass migration ensued of Palestinian refugees who fled or were cast out of their destroyed homeland.

Raised in Zionist beliefs, Lea volunteered to fight for Israel when the Six Day War started in 1967 and managed to be the first Israeli woman to visit the Western Wall, since the Jordanian occupation and Israeli shut out in 1948. What she found there changed her beliefs about Palestinians and opened her eyes to the lies that the Israeli government told its people about Israeli occupation. The government called it a “War for Peace”, when really it was all about besieging and colonizing a land that was already occupied and calling it their own.

Source: Home Made Docs

Starting with her very first trial as an attorney in 1972, Lea fought for Palestinian freedom fighters who were caught, imprisoned and tortured in Israeli prisons. Fifty years later she is still defending and a staunch advocate for the human rights of a people deemed “terrorists” in her country.

Always an Uphill Battle

The first case Lea takes on in the film, is about a 13-year-old Palestinian boy Ahmed and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan who are accused of entering Jerusalem with knives in order to harm as many Jews as they could. Hassan allegedly murdered a young Jewish man and was shot and killed by Israeli police in turn. Israeli news immediately assails the young “terrorists” and is fast to judge them as dangerous.Though Israeli law doesn’t punish children as adults till they are 14, due to media sensationalism and distortion, the public wants young Ahmed tried as an adult for maximum penalty.

A second case involves Israa Jaabis, a young Palestinian wife and mother, who stands accused of a suicide bombing, when propane tanks in the backseat of her car accidentally ignite at a checkpoint. Though no one but Israa was injured, the Israeli media paints a compelling picture of a “terrorist” who’s intent was to blow herself up in the city center to kill as many Jewish citizens and officials as possible. However, they don’t disclose Israa’s two prior suicide attempts due to her past history suffering with depression and an abusive marriage.

What also is missing in these newscasts, are the reasons why so many Palestinians are willing to sacrifice their own lives in their fight against Israel.

For over 70 years war has raged between these two countries, mostly over the fight for sacred, religious land and monuments. But Palestine has consistently been on the losing side in the war. Israel, funded in part by the United States, has displaced and killed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and continues to do so.

Source: Home Made Docs

Tsemel has seen in real time the unscrupulous side of the Israeli government and court practices heavily skewed in bias and bigotry. She knows how every Palestinian deemed a terrorist by the Israeli media is actually responding to the long standing violence, oppression, jailing and torture of their own people by Israel.

Though she doesn’t condone the violence, she is able to see and understand the aggravation of a people who are killed, persecuted and displaced daily by a well funded, unrelenting government.

One Voice Speaking for Many

Lea Tsemel isn’t the only voice in Israel speaking up for Palestine, but she is nearly the only one who represents Palestinians accused of criminal acts in Isreal. She has long been scrutinized by her colleagues, the press and the public.

Once nicknamed the “Devil’s Advocate”, she and her family have been threatened with violence and murder, spat on and ostracized for her work. She knowingly defends people at a clear disadvantage, but her faith in what she is doing and what is right has never faltered. She is also one of the only practicing female attorneys in Jerusalem and has never allowed anyone to intimidate her out of the system.

Despite insurmountable odds, from biased media to dishonorable judges, Lea’s unwavering tenacity brought about an Israeli Supreme Court decision, creating a law that now disallows any guilty “confessions” elicited by torture or under duress, to be admitted in court. It was the first law of it’s kind and a major triumph for Tsemel and her staff.

It is these rare triumphs and her own hope for true justice and peace between the two nations, that keep her moving forward despite the overwhelming disproportions.

Source: Home Made Docs

In All Honesty….

This film is timely and incredibly important.

In an age where anyone who dares to stand with Palestinians is labeled an anti-Semite, Jones takes a huge risk bringing this very touchy subject to the forefront. The tensions between Israel and Palestine are at an all time high and countless Palestinians are still being killed, tortured and displaced from the only place they know as home.

Using a “fly on the wall” technique while following Tsemel; creatively incorporating animation over real people to respect individual privacy; cutting between Tsemel’s present and past and interviewing members of her immediate family, Jones creates an effective, all-encompassing view of Tsemel’s life and paints a picture of an all but unheard of Israeli justice system steeped in bias and Zionism.

Jones shows a wider perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a point of view seldom used in world news today. We get to know a champion of justice who has spent decades fighting for the rights of people she was taught to hate. It shows us the resilience of the human spirit and just how much one person can affect a giant system predisposed to prejudice and intolerance.

Advocate also illustrates the effects of a tendentious, fear-mongering media that only tells a society what they want it to know rather than the truth. The spread of misinformation is a cancer to the world that can only breed ignorance and malcontent. Though almost no writing is ever totally without bias, literal lives are at stake in this situation and the Israeli media seems responsible for fueling the fire of a seemingly endless conflict.

Humanity must make a crucial choice: Is being “right” worth more than hundreds of thousands of lives? Is it possible for one culture to overcome the toxic “patriotism” saturated in bias, long enough to see the humanity in another? Can centuries old religious beliefs be put to rest long enough to enable the much needed objectivity to establish peace?

The answers can be found if we are courageous enough to look past what is being fed to us and exhume the truth buried beneath it all. Until then, we must rely on daring filmmakers such as Jones, to bring that which is unseen to light.

Advocate premiered at Sundance Film Festival, January 27, 2019

Sundance 2019: Sea of Shadows: Yet Another Area of the World Being Recklessly Destroyed by Greed

In the age of an overwhelmingly large human population across the world, demand for everything from food, gas and even fresh water has exploded. Because of this, the entirety of the earth is suffering. Animals, plants, minerals and even entire ecosystems are deteriorating from human consumption and greed. Since humans consider themselves to be the most important species on Earth, they stop at nothing to save themselves even to their own detriment.

Sea of Shadows, directed by award winning documentarian Richard Ladkani, explores the decimation of the Totoaba fish for its bladder in the Sea of Cortez, and how this fishing is affecting other species.

It’s All About The Money

Following the beautifully made The Ivory Game, which exposes the illegal ivory trade from Africa to China, Ladkani brings forth another extraordinarily made film in the quest to conserve the world’s animals and expose their exploitation for human greed.

The film immediately draws the audience in with it’s action packed opening, featuring a crew from the conservation organization, Sea Shepard, in the midst of catching totoaba poachers, off the coast of the Gulf of California, at night. Using night vision and a drone, we see how this crew locates the poacher’s speed boats, identifies it’s contents and communicates with the Mexican Navy and smaller crew boats, to attempt to capture the poachers and remove their illegal netting.

We are then thrust into a flashy, Mexican news show that relays the information about the widespread political, police and military corruption and the criminal underworld responsible for the trafficking of totoaba fish bladders to big buyers in China. Totoaba bladders are believed to have special healing properties worth more than gold to the Chinese. Because of this, totoabas are known as “the cocaine of the sea”. Each bladder can fetch up to $100K on the black market.

Poaching these endangered species is already illegal in Mexico, but due to their demand/money potential, it has been all but impossible to stop. The totoaba bladder trade has become an international, multi-million dollar business and has managed to infect the legal fishing trade off the coast of San Felipe.

Literally caught up in all of this greedy mess, are a number of species who live and thrive in this richly populated area of the sea. The most endangered is that of the Vaquita, the smallest living whale species, found only in this area. There are believed to be less than 20 Vaquita left on earth, and they are literally being killed off by the miles of illegal nets that litter the Sea of Cortez.

The San Felipe coastline, labeled the “Aquarium of the World” by legendary conservationist Jacques Cousteau, is one of the richest ares for oceanic biodiversity on Earth and all of the species there are threatened and affected by this poaching.

Everyday Heroes

Source: Terra Mater Studios

Along with organizations like Sea Shepard, Ladkani follows Andrea Crosta, who also appeared in The Ivory Game. Crosta is a conservationist, the Director of Operations of Wildlife Crime for the Elephant Action League and the founder of WildLeaks, a website to report illegal poaching across the world. Crosta has created a team of ex-Special Ops who specifically investigate crimes like these that threaten wild animals and our environment.

Working in tandem with them is investigative journalist Carlos Loret de Mola; a popular news anchor and host of television show Despierta. Loret de Mola is furious about the idea of the Vaquita extinction and has made it his mission to find out who is responsible for the trafficking of the fish bladders out of Mexico. Starting in San Felipe, the bladders are sent to Mexicali, then over to Tijuana to be imported to China for distribution. He and Crosta search for the elusive Oscar Parra, the one man in control of the illegal fish bladder trade operations in Mexico. They both work on finding and exposing those responsible, including corrupt officials in the police and military, who are paid off to “ignore” the illegal fishing, in the hopes of stopping it altogether before the Vaquita becomes extinct.

Cynthia Smith, a marine veterinarian, launches a campaign called “Vaquita CPR”. The hope is to find, capture and rescue the remaining Vaquitas and put them in an oceanic sanctuary to keep them safe until the illegal fishing can be stopped. Vaquitas are generally shy and slow to breed, so the sanctuary would also provide them with a protected area for proliferation. But will it be possible to capture and contain a wild creature best suited to roaming in the open sea?

Most of the film is spent with de Mola and Crosta as they speak with locals; undercover snitches and local law enforcement in pursuit of Parra. As the search deepens, they discover an elaborate syndicate of fraud and double dealing that extends across the Pacific and into China. The people who come forward risk their lives to give the investigators information. All the while, legal fisherman are rising up against the fishing ban, as it is affecting their livelihoods and their ability to feed their families.

Risking It All

Source: Terra Mater Studios

To say that the jobs that all of these heroes do is dangerous is an understatement. Every single day they put their lives on the line and face insurmountable odds. Whether it involves fighting crime syndicates and the never ending power of the greedy; attempting to save endangered creatures who resist rescue; trying to work with governments tainted with corruption or placating the local public to agree to new law implementations, this job is never done.

Recently, Sea Shepard shared with the press, post Sea of Shadows filming, a video of an attack by local poachers on one of their ships in a protected Vaquita refuge area. In it, we see the poachers race along side the Sea Shepard boat, thrusting huge rocks and smashing in a window. They also toss Molotov cocktails, setting the boat aflame. These advocates also risk being shot at for all of the enormously critical work they do. In Sea of Shadows, the drone they use to locate poachers in the dark falls victim to a shooting.

The investigators on land risk their lives to get undercover evidence of the crimes happening in real time. From the ports of Mexico to the shores of Hong Kong, no distance is too far to go to solve the mysteries and put an end to the corruption.

In All Honesty…

This is a compelling, poignant film. It plays out like a detective/action film, but with real people poised to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the species and ecosystems of our world. Using captivating imagery, fast-paced intrigue and authentic ticking clocks, Sea of Shadows captivates the viewer from scene one. We feel part of the investigations and experience the heroes exploits, in their never-ending quest to thwart lawlessness, while maintaining the delicate balance between the needs of the seas and the local people it serves.

Ladkani is the very definition of an artist who uses his talents for the good of the world. I salute him and all of the brave, passionate individuals who fight for our home with their lives on a daily basis. Sea of Shadows is a film not to be missed. It will keep you captivated and absorbed throughout, and pulling for the heroes involved. It restores hope by showing us that there are people everywhere, battling tirelessly, to make what’s wrong, right again.

It also opens our eyes to the fact that there is no part of the world greed and the pursuit of money doesn’t touch. Humanity’s irreverent voracity is destroying the world from the inside out. We must come together and make concerted efforts to appreciate the richness and bounty that the Earth offers us in all of it’s natural resources, before it’s too late. Let us share, with one another and the rest of Earth’s natural inhabitants, the abundance of creation by living more simply and taking only what we need. Let us use our gifts to give back to the world and hold accountable those who seek to selfishly destroy it.

For there is far more harm and risk in remaining idle and looking away, because the next species to be extinct may very well be us.

Sea of Shadows premiered at the Sundance Film Festival January 27, 2019, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. It has recently been picked up by National Geographic Documentary Films. Follow Terra Mater Productions’ website for future release information.

Slamdance 2019: Behind The Bullet: A Glimpse Into the Impact of Pulling The Trigger

Premiering at this year’s Slamfest, Sundance’s edgier sibling, is a documentary by Columbine High School graduate and director Heidi Yewman called Behind The Bullet. The film explores the impact that “pulling the trigger” had on 4 every day individuals in four completely different scenarios.

Using an interesting technique of telling each individuals story from present to past, we get a glimpse of each person’s lives years after each incident, culminating with the story of each incident as the documentary’s climax.

Christen

The film starts with Christen McGinnes, the victim of an attempted suicide. Christen was one of the very few that survived a gunshot to the head. She has endured nearly 50 surgeries to reconstruct her face after the gunshot wound blew off her lower jaw. She spent three weeks in a coma before even realizing she was still alive. Through all of the pain and trauma she endured, both before her suicide attempt and after, she now has a renewed interest in life and has been happy to wake up every day since.

Will

Will Little started out in life with a narrow outlook on life. Basically raised in the streets of Philadelphia, Will fell victim quite young to the gangster lifestyle in his neighborhood. There was a lot of violence, drugs and plenty of guns. Guns helped him feel protected and safe in a place he never truly was. It was just another night on the street when Will, at only 19, shot and killed another young man. He spent many years in jail and now spends his life educating other people in his community about the effects of violence and the consequences of gun use. Through the forgiveness of his victim’s brother and his own 180 degree life turn around, Will finds the courage to forgive himself and create something advantageous out of tragedy.

Kevin

Kevin Leonard lives in a rural area of North Carolina. Though he lives in a quiet, remote area where residents were used to being able to leave their doors unlocked when they left their houses, he found himself a victim of a home robbery one night. Unable to see the intruders at first, he ended up shooting one as they tried to escape. The man laid on his front lawn for over thirty minutes before he died. It was a night that has haunted Kevin ever since. He was let off for the man’s murder because it was in self defense, but he has never been able to let go of watching someone die. Plagued with nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD, Kevin attempts to navigate his life since the incident and find peace, but feels less safe now than he ever did before.

Taylor

Taylor Dwyer was only 8 when tragedy struck. His father, who traveled a lot for work at the time, bought a gun for his wife and family for protection. One day, his wife accidentally left the gun out and Taylor got a hold of it. Innocently playing with it, he shot and killed his 5 year old brother. His family knew it wasn’t his fault and spent the next ten years trying to raise Taylor the best they could with compassion and forgiveness. But no one can escape consequences of something so utterly final and consequential. He says that this incident hasn’t changed his outlook on using guns other than heightening his diligence on keeping them locked away.

Source: BTB Productions

Our Gun Problem

Since there are multiple shootings every single day in the United States, and recently, seems to be a mass shooting every other month, the debate on gun violence is at an all time high. Let’s just be honest here, without big corporations and the NRA consistently fighting for greed, there would be less of a debate and more answers. A constitutional amendment created in a time of war used as a means for the public to buy machine guns today is preposterous. But we know it’s only a front for the true reason gun incidences keep rearing their ugly heads. It’s more about power and money.than self defense.

Fear is sold in just about every single thing we buy today and guns are no exception. Nine times out of ten, the reality is that no one is sneaking around your house trying to figure out how to kill you. Most rape victims know and trust their assailants. Researchers say that there is less than .00039% chance of being killed by a serial killer, even though 49% of serial killers kill with guns. Americans are more likely to die from cancer and heart disease than anything else and guns don’t lower that risk. In 2018 there were 82 school shootings, the highest amount ever since 1970. So is the answer more guns for “protection”?

Director Heidi Yewman herself lost people she cared for in the Columbine shooting and she has since spent her life advocating against gun violence, yet more and more mass shootings continue to happen. She isn’t the first documentarian to address gun violence and, most likely, won’t be the last. Though bringing this film to life was meant to impact us in some way, I’m not quite sure that it will make as great an impact as she intended.

The Stories

The film’s way of presenting the stories is interesting, leaving the “juiciest bits” until last, rather than telling each person’s story up front. However, I’m not sure it really worked in this instance. Because we were following each of the subjects and their friends and family around, we do get intimate glimpses into their lives, but not knowing what actually happened to begin with leaves a bit of a hole throughout the entirety of the film.

For example, we see Taylor and his family as they live day to day, going to church, talking to others about their son/sibling being shot, but without background on what happened, it seems more like boring reality TV than a compelling story.

We see Christen going to appointments for the restructuring of her facial deformities, but since we don’t even know what happened, it’s hard to try and relate to or sympathize with all she is going through. We find out that Kevin is a bit of a recluse and his segments focus on his day to day life and the death of his dog, rather than knowing how he was affected to begin with.

I felt like the incidents involving the guns were supposed to be the focus, as it’s about how using a gun on someone affected each of them, yet we don’t know what actually happened until the end.

Source: BTB Productions

The most interesting part of this is getting all of the incidents, pretty much at once, at the end, which does make for a compelling climactic feel. But the rest of the film suffers because of this choice and makes an imposing, colossal societal issue seem commonplace. I wanted to care more about each of the people since their stories are devastating and deserve to be heard. But choosing to film in the order Yewman did, made a huge difference on the film’s overall impression and effect.

I might be wrong, but I don’t think we are meant to be focusing on a person’s day to day life when the subject of a documentary is about gun violence.

In All Honesty….

I don’t want to leave the impression that the film is bad. Regardless of structure this is still a very important story to tell, from a fascinating slant. Most of the time we only get to hear from victims of gun violence, and this time we hear about how using guns affects those who use them legally. I really wish Yewman had chosen to structure the documentary differently to make a greater impact and generate as much emotion as possible from the viewer.

I can only imagine the difficulty these people had in telling their stories to the world, so it behooves any filmmaker to tell their stories in the strongest possible way. Because the audience never knows why we are following these people for certain until the end, it creates a level of “every day” that becomes more “ennui”. This should never be the case in a documentary about such an important and relevant subject that infects and kills Americans every single day.

I think this film will struggle finding distribution because of this. In an already competitive industry saturated with films, a filmmaker must create inventive, visionary work, even with strong subject matter, because the subject matter can’t carry an entire film alone. A strong, artistic piece comes down to creativity coupled with smart choices and this film, unfortunately, didn’t quite have what it took to leave an impression.

Behind The Bullet premiered at Slamdance January 25,2019.

Sundance 2019: Throat Singing in Kangirsuk: A Beautiful Glimpse of The Indigenous Arctic

I was more than honored to be invited to Sundance Film Festival 2019 at the end of last year. Try as I might I simply couldn’t make the trip happen. However, I have spent hours scouring all of the films accepted and am bringing my own coverage and reviews of some of the amazing films making their premieres there.

In keeping with our company’s mission, Queen B. Productions is super excited to bring to you coverage of a collection of films from all walks. We have women lead, woman made films; films from and about People of Color; brilliant documentaries about the human impact on nature; the brutality of war and indigenous traditions we NEVER get to hear about in mainstream.

I hope you enjoy these reviews as much as I have enjoyed the films, and if you ever get a chance, see them and support the incredible artists.

Indigenous Female Voices

In our first review, we are proud to amplify the voices of two young, Inuit filmmakers from the Quebec Arctic. In their first film, Throat Singing In Kangirsuk, filmmakers Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland, bring a stunning view of their hometown of Kangirsuk, coupled with their own version of the traditional Inuit art of throat singing. In Inuit culture, throat singing is a game between women to try to make each other laugh. It is the imitation of nature and animal sounds that 19th century Inuit women would use waiting for their men to return home from hunting. It is also used as a form of self expression and a way for mothers to sing their newborns to sleep.

Taught by their grandparents, Kaukai and Chamberland bring this tradition to the forefront to show that their culture is not dead, but very much alive in many ways. Their voices intermingle with drone-caught footage, over four seasons, of their small community in Payne Bay, Nunavik. The remarkable imagery of the land and it’s people filmed by Johnny Nassak, Clark Ferguson and Saviluk Thomassie brings together a menagerie of an ancient civilization, their culture and their connection to the animals, land and sea of this region.

Though only three and a half minutes long, the short packs in an exhibition of an age-old population in modern days, and a time-honored tradition that makes the viewer hungry to find out more.

Source: Wapikoni Productions

The Phenomenal Organization Behind the Scenes

In my thirst to learn more about this film and it’s origins, I looked up it’s production company, Wapikoni Productions. There, I was blown away to find a thriving organization dedicated to indigenous culture and youth that travels all over Canada and internationally.

It’s conception started in the early 2000’s by a young, Atikamekw screenwriter. Manon Barbeau, while grieving the untimely death of her friend Wapikoni Awashish. Manon had already been thoroughly versed in the tragic suicides of young people around her due to isolationism, addiction and other difficulties faced by First Nations people. After Wapikoni’s death by car accident, Manon imagined a mobile production unit for audiovisual works and music that traveled out to the people of the First Nations.

Officially founded in 2003 by Barbeau, the Atikamekw Council and the First Nations Youth Counsel of Quebec and Labrador, Wapikoni Productions began it’s mission of isolation and suicide prevention. It travels to youth of numerous Nations to teach job skill training, and development of artistic, technical and social skills. Young people are trained to use state-of-the-art equipment to tell their unique stories, while preserving First Nation heritage.

There are over 1000 short films available to view on their website that deal with anything and everything First Nations. There are films for/by indigenous young men, women and LGBTQ; concerning their politics, struggles, joys, music and spirituality. Many of these outstanding films have been recognized and awarded in film fests around the world. The site also features the original music pieces of hundreds of Aboriginal youth from differing Nations across Canada and the world.

Source: Wapikoni Productions

In All Honesty…

The importance of this film and Wapikoni Productions is immeasurable. I can only imagine the impact Wapikoni Productions has had on the thousands of lives it has touched. The production of indigenous films in a day and age where the First Nations are barely ever heard of is critical to it’s people’s and cultures survival.

These films bridge gaps between remote, elusive cultures and mainstream culture, educating us and giving us personal insight into their lives, heritage and struggles. This education is paramount to our understanding of one another and preserving what is left of a population decimated by colonialism, imperialism and ongoing racism.

I, personally, had never heard of throat singing, nor this particular Inuit Nation in Quebec until this short. Authentic Indigenous history has been all but white-washed out of school history books and white supremacy continues indigenous silencing and erasure today.

Which is why diversity in film is imperative to champion. We need more companies, film fests and major production studios to go out of their way to include all that is human. Not only do children need to see themselves in positive ways in the media, but we all need exposure to differences in order to come together. Knowledge is the first step to learning to respect cultures different than our own.

How truly tragic it would be not to be able to know as much as we can about life. Film is the perfect medium to bring that knowledge to those who can’t see it themselves. But it has to be done authentically by diverse voices so we aren’t doomed to repeat many of the same stereotypes already propagated by an industry ruled by one race and gender. What unmitigated fools we are to think we individually know enough to speak for another.

Throat Singing in Kangirsuk makes it’s premiere in the shorts division of Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 24, 2019.

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