The Gleaners and I (2000) Agnes Varda’s beautiful film follows gleaners at work, from people who depend on the practice for survival to hobbyists. She exposes how connected we are and shines a light on our coldness to the needs of others as she pointedly interviews jurists about the seemingly arbitrary French laws which prohibit some forms of… Continue reading Best of the 2000s
Tag: Holocaust
Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
The Past (2013) Iranian Ahmad travels to Paris to complete his divorce from Marie (Berenice Bejo) who’s already in a new relationship with the married Samir, whose wife is comatose after a failed suicide attempt. This is a melancholy film about the difficulties in multicultural relationships and the importance of honesty to the success of… Continue reading Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
Evil remembered
The Karski Report (2010) Claude Lanzmann interviews Polish resistance fighter, Jan Karski, who details his 1942 meeting with FDR and his efforts to make the President understand the devastation at the Nazi concentration camps. The extent world leaders knew about the atrocities at places like Auschwitz and chose not to act is shameful. A Visitor… Continue reading Evil remembered
Abused children desperately search for justice and philosophical truth
Short Term 12 (2013) In this expansion of his earlier short film, Destin Cretton documents a group home for abused and forgotten kids who’ve been told they were worthless until they believed it. Grace (Brie Larson), a survivor of abuse and current counselor at the home, must deal with unresolved feelings when newcomer Jayden reminds her… Continue reading Abused children desperately search for justice and philosophical truth
While the California fires burn, the lady in number 6 saves our lives
Let the Fire Burn (2013 film) Did you know city leaders in Philadelphia once bombed a residential apartment? How did we collectively forget one of the largest cities in the United States once decided to murder its own people? MOVE was a bizarre radical origination led by John Africa. Its members destroyed sidewalks in order to plant… Continue reading While the California fires burn, the lady in number 6 saves our lives