Venice 2020 Archives - The Playlist

‘Apples’ Trailer: Greek Drama Explores The Beguiling Facets Of Memory And Identity On June 24

May 19, 2022 12:03 pm

How would you pick up the pieces if you lost all concept of who you are? In "Apples," the directorial debut of the Greek filmmaker, Christos Nikou, an amnesiac pandemic sweeps the globe and forces those afflic...

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Wife Of A Spy’ Is A Beautifully Crafted, Twisty Thriller [San Sebastian Review]

Jessica Kiang

September 28, 2020 11:13 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a directorial polyglot, no doubt about it, but he's more fluent in some cinematic languages than others. Having more or less co-founded the J-horror wave, and with "Pulse...

‘Notturno’ Is A Meditative Look At Middle Eastern Conflict [Venice Review]

Christian Gallichio

September 18, 2020 10:29 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

Composed of a series of striking tableaux, Gianfranco Rosi’s contemplative documentary, “Notturno,” mines the intergenerational conflict on the borders between Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, and Lebanon. Cross-cuttin...

‘The Disciple’ Is A Profound Study Of A Failed Artist [Venice Review]

Christian Gallichio

September 14, 2020 12:16 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

Unfurling an entire life of failed artistic ambitions in the span of a two-hour film, Chaitanya Tamhane’s remarkable sophomore feature “The Disciple” is decidedly leisurely in its approach. Executive produced ...

‘Hopper/Welles’: The Lost Conversation Between Two Fascinatingly Flawed Legends [Venice Review]

Jessica Kiang

September 14, 2020 10:17 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

Choose your fighter: Orson Welles, recently back in LA after a decade of European exile, and embarking on a project so meta he will emulate the film's director-protagonist and die at 70 never having finished i...

Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’ Is As Vast As The American Landscape It Travels [Venice Review]

Jessica Kiang

September 11, 2020 4:00 pm

Features, Festivals, News, Reviews

In almost no way does Chloé Zhao's quiet, enormous, deep breath of a movie, "Nomadland," resemble "Blade Runner." Except there's this one moment: an outstanding speech in a film as attuned to vast wild silence...

‘In Between Dying’: Fleeing Death And Finding Love In Azerbaijan [Venice Review]

Joe Blessing

September 11, 2020 12:58 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

“In Between Dying” is a dreamlike story of personal transformation from rising Azerbaijani director Hilal Baydarov. With a fast-growing body of work that blends fiction and documentary, Baydarov is singl...

‘New Order’: Unflinching Mexican Dystopian Film Shocks With Blistering Purpose [Venice Review]

Carlos Aguilar

September 10, 2020 3:00 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

Serious discussions on the perpetuated correlation between race and class in Mexico have dominated the country’s collective consciousness over the last few years. Cinema has actively participated in such recko...

‘Run Hide Fight’ Is Exactly Why No One Ever Asked For A School-Shooting ‘Die Hard’ [Venice Review]

Jessica Kiang

September 10, 2020 3:00 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

So somebody somewhere one day had a thought: "What if 'Die Hard' except a school shooting?" and not only didn't they immediately check themselves for other symptoms of lead poisoning but thought, "Yep, that's ...

‘Topside’: Celine Held & Logan George Discuss Their Gripping Debut Feature & Its Venice Debut [Interview]

Ally Johnson

September 10, 2020 1:33 pm

Festivals, Interviews, News

Filmmakers Celine Held and Logan George have had quite the journey when it comes to the release of their first feature film. With years of research and numerous short films under their belt, “Topside” was mean...

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