Category Archives: Releases

Coming to virtual cinemas today, Friday, January 29:
THE REUNITED STATES

Director:
Ben Rekhi

World Premiere:
Woods Hole 2020

Select Festivals:
Nashville, Cinequest, United Nations Association, Milwaukee

About:
A profile of individuals attempting to bridge divides in an increasingly polarized America.

Inspired by Mark Gerzon’s similarly titled THE REUNITED STATES OF AMERICA, filmmaker Ben Rekhi follows five Americans in their missions to find common ground between seemingly intractable sides. David, a former Republican strategist, and his wife Erin sells their Texas home to travel with their kids to all 50 states to listen to the stories of strangers, primarily confronting the idea of white privilege in the process. Similarly, Susan, who became an activist after the murder of her daughter, Heather Heyer, in Charlottesville in 2017, seeks to prevent other violence while also acknowledging the role Heather’s race played in garnering media attention in contrast to countless deaths of people of color each year. More explicitly taking on the limitations of a two-party system are Greg Orman, an independent gubernatorial candidate in Kansas; and Steven Olikara, the founder of the Millennial Action Project, a coalition to strengthen bipartisan communication and cooperation among younger politicians. The film is a well-intentioned project, and one meant to inspire hope that our nation can work past division, but with so many subjects and concerns to juggle, it struggles to find a clear and sustained focus and ends up feeling too episodic as a result.

Coming to Hulu and VOD tomorrow, Friday, January 29:
NOTTURNO

Director:
Gianfranco Rosi

World Premiere:
Venice 2020

Select Festivals:
Toronto, IDFA, New York, London, Reykjavik, AFI Fest, Chicago, El Gouna, Busan

About:
An atmospheric immersion into life in the shadow of ISIS.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to virtual cinemas today, Friday, January 22:
NOTTURNO

Director:
Gianfranco Rosi

World Premiere:
Venice 2020

Select Festivals:
Toronto, IDFA, New York, London, Reykjavik, AFI Fest, Chicago, El Gouna, Busan

About:
An atmospheric immersion into life in the shadow of ISIS.

Filming for several years in the fringes of Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, and Lebanon, acclaimed Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi crafts a meditation on everyday existence despite the trauma and legacy of unrest and devastation wrought by ISIS and other forces. As in his other recent films, Rosi is not particularly concerned with identifying or developing individual subjects; instead, he provides viewers with more panoramic glimpses of various Everymen, traversing borders without identifying exact locations. Scenes follow in quick succession of military troops on the march, bereaved mothers, boys fishing and hunting, a couple enjoying a relatively quiet moment on a rooftop, children in therapy sessions, psychiatric patients rehearsing a play. Some figures recur, others are seen only once. Conflict is always present, whether immediate or hovering in the periphery. While the film is unquestionably artfully composed, presenting striking, and occasionally indelible, images, its meditative, associative collage approach ultimately tempers its impact.