Movie Diary 6/4/2024

I’m on the narrative feature jury for the Brooklyn Film Festival again. Our award hasn’t been announced, so I will list some of the titles over the next couple of days with a minimum of critical comment.

Atikamekw Suns (Chloe Leriche, 2023). In 1977, five tribal members in a First Nations community in Quebec died under mysterious circumstances. This film (not a documentary) examines the case in lyrical, committed fashion. Canada.

The Teacher (Farah Nabulsi, 2024). A responsible Palestinian schoolteacher (Saleh Bakri) is also a clandestine member of the resistance, something that comes to a head during a time of crisis. Nabulsi’s first feature was The Present. UK/Palestine/Qatar.

Heavier Is the Sky (Petrus Cariry, 2024). Two people cross paths on the road, which is a very dangerous place in this unsparing survey of life at the fringes. Brazil.

Ben and Suzanne, a Reunion in 4 Parts (Shaun Seneviratne, 2023). Relationship comedy, about two people meeting up in Sri Lanka after a few months apart – lots of banter and scenery included. US/Sri Lanka.

OnlyHuman (Yana Klimova-Yusupova, 2022). A Russian man plans to move to Spain with his girlfriend, but is haunted by the possibility of finding his birth mother before they go. Russia.

Chaperone (Zoe Eisenberg, 2023). In Hawaii: A 29-year-old woman, perpetually at loose ends, inadvertently takes up with a high school student, a situation that becomes increasingly uncomfortable (especially because he doesn’t know her age). US.