A Seattle moviegoing lifestyle magazine
Fascinated from the moment light hit the screen, young Samay is hooked on moving pictures. A strict father insisting the film industry is made up of sleaze and nothing else, the precocious nine-year-old is even more drawn in. Skipping school to watch everything he can get his eyes on, he befriends the man running the projector at his local movie house and learns everything there is to know about splicing and reels eating up every last morsel of knowledge he can grab…
Sarah is steeped in a world of scientific study and dissertations; that world suddenly stops with just a single phone call, her mother has died of a sudden aneurism. Not only has she lost someone dear to her but she’s thrown into the deep end of caring for her funeral arrangements, both American and Ghanaian. She’s much more familiar and comfortable with the former, but the culture and customs of her mother’s homeland go way over her head.
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.
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.
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!
Even though Local Sightings came to a close yesterday, I had to fit in one more set of shorts. There were just so very many to choose from I know I missed out on more than a few that deserved attention but following are the ones that really stood out in the bunch I was able to get to. If you’re able to seek them out, I highly recommend finding them and enjoying them as much as I did.
Morgen discusses two documentaries, Occupying the Megalopolis and Reflecting on Anti-biased Education, appearing at the Local Sightings festival currently being held by the NW Film Forum both virtually and in person.
There’s an enormous number of short films included in this year’s Local Sightings Festival, lucky me! I’ve probably said this many times before, but I seriously love shorts. I’d argue it takes quite a bit more planning, creative storytelling and ingenuity to make a quality short than a feature-length; especially one that stays with the viewer long after the 5, 10, or 20 minutes it shows on the screen. Below are a few of my favorites so far; I haven’t taken a precise approach to my viewing (like grouping them by type or genre) so it’ll seem a little more slap dash, but it also means I won’t limit my favorites to one per grouping… just the best of the best to share with you.
A pair of best friends decide to take their favorite child-star actress to a cabin in the woods to help her dry out. As you can imagine, the aging actress isn’t into it, and chaos ensues.
We’re dragged through the streets of London as Lara (Laura Jean Marsh) and Daniel (Jamal Franklin) are rushing to make it from one debaucherous romp to the next. An all too familiar scene for those of us barely tickling 21 in the early aughts and perhaps something we’d mostly like to forget. The story turns tragically dark and we’re left to deal with the fallout of a lifestyle that’s never meant to last.
