Between Revolutions (2023) Romanian Cinema: Making Waves

 

Documentary/essay/drama is a beautiful and haunting film about two women who met at the University in Bucharest and formed a friendship that continued through letters when one of them returned to Iran after the revolution.

Blending letters with period footage and some poetry this film is more like a dream then a documentary. Watching this on a big screen in a darkened room I drifted off to another time and place. Carried along by the marriage of images and sound I found myself connecting to the women in ways that a more conventional telling.  I felt the relationship.

This is magical filmmaking and a must see.

Occasional Spies (2023) Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema

This is a great documentary that I’m glad Making Waves put on my radar.

This is the story of how the British during World War 2 went to Palestine and recruited Jewish refugees to become spies and go back behind enemy lines and do espionage. The jobs they needed done needed the ability to instantly blend into deep cover situations, something that a British national could never do.

This is a nail biting spy tale that is going to have you on the edge of your seat. Perfectly set up by opening with a letter written by one of the operatives who was captured and heading toward execution, the film lets us know right at the start that this was not fun and games. The film then speeds along telling us the story of the men and women who put their lives on the line to fight the Nazis. 

The film is a perfect blending of documentary and recreation. A lot of times with tales like where it’s either pure documentary or pure recreation you wonder how it would be told in another style. Here you never wonder simply because the mix is so perfect. Ultimately you just want to go again as soon as the film ends.

This is an absolute delight and highly recommended.

NIGHTCAP 3/24/24: Making Waves New Romanian CInema Starts this week, good bye NYICFF, random bits

The annual New Romanian Cinema Making Waves is playing NYC at IFC Center, Roxy and DCTV we are better for it.

Highlighting some of the best films Romania. The festival will open your eyes as to films outside of the art house. Films beyond the very serious films that American distributors pick up are high lighted so aren’t getting dark sides of life.  

What kills me is that the distributors here go for the sturm and drang films where as they don’t bring the comedies which, I’ve discovered thanks to this festival, are very funny.

I’ve not finished seeing films for the festival, so I’m not certain if there are comedies, but I do know that they are running good films (reviews are coming).

I suggest that if you want to see some great off Hollywood films that you check the schedule and buy tickets.

Screening Venues:

Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film, 87 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013 (The cinema’s entrance is around the corner on White Street between Lafayette and Centre Streets)

IFC Center, 323 6th avenue, New York, NY 10014

Roxy Cinema New York, 2 Avenue of the Americas, Cellar Level, New York, NY 10013

Tickets:

DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema: $17 General, $8 DCTV Members. Visit www.dctvny.org/s/firehousecinema for more information.

IFC Center: $18 adult/$15 senior/$12 IFC Center members. Visit www.ifccenter.com for more information

Roxy Cinema New York: $17 General. Visit www.roxycinemanewyork.com for more information.

--

I am increasing of the opinion that people getting upset about the use of the wrong terminology, as in the case of CHASING AMY not mentioning the term bisexual,  or in the case of older films using offensive language or stereotypes is simply a refusal to deal with the world as it is and was. These things happened and a desire to ignore that won't make them go away or make a great film any less great because it doesn't fit in your box.

Film fans don’t want to think or consider or go outside their cocoons and deal with the big bad world. Of if they want to deal with it, it is to cut loose anything doesn't fit with their world view or experience.

The refusal to watch a film, or see a work of art, because of something "offensive" or wrong in today's eyes is to narrow a world view, especially if the offensive thing can be seen in context.  Perhaps the term they want used wasn't readily used or invented.  You can't fit today's views into the eyes of people decades or centuries ago.

Additionally dismissing something because it isn't as enlightened as today is wrong, just like saying the the ancient Romans were stupid because they didn't have cellphones.

---

For those who are interested, the plan for the next month or two are a bit free form, more so than the last few months where I was trying to be free form.

This week is a whole bunch of new releases.  That will bleed into coverage of New Directors New Films. From there I have a smattering  more of new releases, and then things are kind of vague until the mid-year festivals.

I do know that there will be more streaming reviews  of Netflix, Amazon and other streaming films. Yes they are late, but they are coming.

If you want a steady stream of what I’m watching with early reactions, as well as Randi’s favorite things- blind comments on embargoed films follow my on Twitter or Blue Sky.

--

This is a reminder that Peter Gutierrez has two new books out. One is a collection of short stories and the other is a novella. Both are excellent

Details and links to buy them can be found here.

--

I am enjoying the post awards silence. It’s so nice not to have to listen to talk of the same four of five Oscar films and which is better than another.

I am enjoying that we are back to discussing a wide variety of films that cross all sorts of genres and nationalities.

--

Ran into some clips from CODA on You Tube recently and I realized that I want to see it again…

…and I also realized that the streamers exclusive lock on films is a bitch. There are so many recent films that either I missed or saw before their release that are now locked behind a pay wall that it’s likely I will never see them.

I have Amazon and Netflix (and Max because I subscribe to HBO) but I don’t have anything else. I don’t have time or the cash to have a stack of streaming services I probably won’t watch beyond the odd title. It might be different if I wasn’t dealing with Unseen, but I could potentially have a new film every night chose for me.

--

Related- I’ve largely stopped buying physical media- not because I don’t want it- rather because I don’t have time to watch it.

--

Lastly I want to thank everyone at NYICFF for another wonderful festival.

Thank you for putting it together.

Thank you for  your kindnesses.

I can’t wait for next year.