NEWS OF THE WORLD is a somber and sober tale of post-Civil War Texas with few surprises as it wends its way through the mythos of the Old West, unfolding as it does as a metaphor. Or is it an allegory? Perhaps a microcosm of the world’s ills, both then and now? All those elements… Read More »
HUMAN FLOW — Ai Wei Wei Interview
Ai Wei Wei is an artist and an activist who has combined both his callings into pieces and protests that can both be classified as provocative. His latest film, HUMAN FLOW, is an exquisitely filmed documentary in which Ai immerses himself into the lives of people displaced by war, repressive governments, disaster both economic and… Read More »
FINDING OSCAR — Ryan Suffern Interview
For his documentary, FINDING OSCAR, Ryan Suffern started at the end, filming what would be almost the last shot of the story before realizing what a compelling, and timely, piece of history he was witnessing. We talked about that during our conversation on April 20, 2017, but the first thing I asked him about was… Read More »
CRIES FROM SYRIA — Evgeny Afineevsky Interiview
CRIES FROM SYRIA had already made its HBO debut when I spoke with Evgeny Afineevsky on March 16, 2017. He was in San Francisco, though, to do a Q&A after a screening here. Afineevsky is a garrulous, upbeat man, quick with a smile and a hug, but when he talks about the dangers of American… Read More »
FIRE AT SEA (Fuocoammare) — Gianfranco Rosi Interview
Gianfranco Rosi had intended to make a 10-minute film about the refugees who find themselves on the island of Lampedusa, but once there, he quickly decided that the complexity of the situation demanded more. Hence FIRE AT SEA, short-listed for an Oscar™ and otherwise garnering praise for its sensitive, incisive look at how refugees and… Read More »