Two films in this year’s virtual genre fest explore social paranoia, and that weirdo who throws off the vibe of a peaceful retreat.
Year: 2021
MVFF: Buladó
Kenza is a headstrong, whip-smart young girl living on the island of Curaçao where, like any indigenous peoples lorded over by a colonial nation, is pulled in two directions. Her father, Ouira, wants to fit into the Dutch culture that has taken over the island, but her grandfather Weljo is steadfastly holding to their tribal traditions. Kenza feels pulled toward the mysticism and wonder of those traditions, especially the call of the dead after losing her mother at a very early age. Loss of land and culture is a constant undercurrent throughout the film, there’s a growing feeling of heartbreak in all three generations and in the end they find each other again through the love of family.
Emotional catharsis and dark fantasy inform The Blazing World
Any truly personal and genuinely ambitious film that manages to get made in this safe-bet, profit-driven cinema landscape deserves a round of applause. And The Blazing World, actor Carlson Young’s feature film directorial debut, possesses both ambition and a decidedly personal touch in spades.
MVFF: The Bears’ Famous Invasion
In a fantastical animated world where bears speak, are rarely interested in attacking humans and live for their fellows’ happiness is where we find ourselves in The Bears’ Famous Invasion. A story within a story, it unfolds with the city of Sicily coming under invasion by a mass of bears because their leader has lost his son and believes him to be taken into the city unwillingly by humans.
Lamb and the quiet horror of what happiness looks like in rural Iceland
A24’s trailer for Lamb is quite possibly one of the best short films of the year. It’s two minutes of electricity in a bottle. Valdimar Jóhannsson’s actual 107 minute film didn’t stand a chance.
NIGHTSTREAM 2021 is a go!
Jenn is diving in to the second-annual virtual genre festival, organized in part by the team behind the North Bend Film Fest!
Retirement proves elusive for James Bond in No Time To Die
“We have all the time in the world”, Daniel Craig’s James Bond purrs to Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) as they zip along a spectacular winding Southern Italian coastal highway in his latest tricked-out Aston Martin. Although the title of this installation of what became an interconnected franchise is No Time To Die, no Bond is forever. Following the lead of his 007’s retirement from MI6, Craig’s intention to get out of the big screen spy game were well known, so this one marks a long goodbye that’s largely successful for the Bond of it all, even if the story gets overly knotty in trying to give everyone a sendoff.
Mill Valley Film Fest, here I come!
Morgen is “headed” to the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF), virtually of course, and she couldn’t be more excited about adding a new festival to our growing roster here at The Sunbreak. It actually starts tomorrow 10/7 and runs through 10/17, so I highly recommend you check out their site and nab a virtual viewing ticket while the getting is good. Read on for more info and what’s to come at the festival!
SIFF DocFest 2021: Storm Lake
Most people haven’t heard of the Storm Lake Times newspaper for the same reason they likely haven’t heard of the Nome (Alaska) Nugget or, say, the Daily World from my hometown of Aberdeen, WA. But the Storm Lakes Times fills an important role in informing the citizens of Buena Vista County, Iowa. Despite having a circulation not much over 3,000 for a bi-weekly, small-community newspaper, it won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for editorial writing and exposing corruption in the agriculture industry.
SIFF DocFest 2021: The Hidden Life of Trees
German forester Peter Wohlleben’s bestselling book becomes a documentary sharing his infectious passion for preservation and deeper understanding of our forests.