The Teacher who Promised the Sea at the Spanish Film Festival
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
The Spanish Film Festival in Perth is just around the corner and my friend and I were lucky enough to preview The Teacher Who Promised the Sea (El maestro que prometió el mar ) at Palace Cinemas Raine Square – the centrepiece of the Festival.
The unique and quaint film title bubbled up in my head in the lead up to watching the movie – curiosity aroused in me as to what story might unfold in the movie.
Young and determined Ariadna (Laia Costa) sets out on a mission to discover the hidden past of her ailing grandfather’s father – something that has not been talked about in her family. She arrives at the exhumation of a mass burial plot close to where her great grandfather resided back in the day, but as it turns out this is only the start of her investigations.
Alongside this plot line, we also follow the story of Antoni Benaiges (Enric Auquer) a teacher from Catalonia who in 1935 is assigned to teach children in Burgos (in a small village called Bañuelos de Bureba). While the kids thrive under his tutelage, his innovative teaching methods are viewed with disdain from the local community.
Radical Afternoon Tea at Luna Leederville
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- Written by: Greg Letts
In a world where many movies set in impoverished circumstances dial up the violence, crime and brutality to 11, Radical is a welcome change of scene, faithfully following the standard trope of well-meaning middle-class teacher with new ideas coming to work with disadvantaged schoolchildren, but telling the familiar story with warmth and wit.
Set in Mexico in 2011, Sergio Correa, a teacher who had a breakdown at his previous school, arrives at the Jose Urbina Lopez elementary school to teach sixth grade. In a town where poverty, crime and violence are everywhere, and gunshots can be heard from the classroom, Sergio has the radical idea of teaching his students to think creatively for themselves, instead of just trying to prepare them for the standardised tests that the government makes all children take.
Hesitation Wound at Revelation Perth International Film Festival
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
As I waited for my friend to arrive at Luna Leederville, there was an exciting buzz in the foyer as patrons waited to watch the feature film Hesitation Wound, and for the official program launch of the Revelation Perth International Festival.
Hesitation Wound is a legal thriller by Director Selman Nacar - it revolves around the story of Canan, a lawyer who is tasked to defend a young man for the murder of his boss at a factory where he used to work.
Meanwhile, Canan is battling with her own personal problem – her Mum is in hospital in a coma with no hope in sight.
Hesitation Wound was an interesting movie from a myriad of angles – it keeps the film goer riveted as the story unravels and we are left wondering whether the young man did indeed commit the crime that he is accused of.
The Beast at Luna
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
On a sunny Saturday morning, my partner and I headed down Oxford St to Luna Leederville to watch The Beast (Le Bête).
Starring Léa Seydoux (One Fine Morning, Farewell, My Queen, Blue is the Warmest Colour) as Gabrielle Monnier , and George MacKay as Louis Lewanski, each actor plays 3 different characters spanning over 3 different time periods.
It is an intriguing movie that might best be described as a sci-fi romantic drama – with a thriller and noir element thrown in for good measure.
And intriguing it was, as we were hurled between modern times, back to the past (into Belle Époque-era Paris) and into the future (2044) of a world controlled by AI’s, where feelings are muted through re-programming
Housekeeping for Beginners at Luna
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
The trailer for the movie Housekeeping for Beginners caught my attention – the life and times of a blended family living in Northern Macedonia. It sounded interesting.
Stories about blended families that come to mind include the two Korean movies Shoplifters and Broker by Director / Writer Kore-eda Hirokazu, both of which I have enjoyed in the past.
In Housekeeping for Beginners, the story revolves around the couple Dita (Anamaria Marinca) and Suada (Alina Serban) – with Suada passing from terminal cancer and leaving Dita to care for Suada's kids. Dita never wanted to be a mother and she is left looking after her girlfriend’s two daughters whilst confronting immense grief.
The story unfolds with lots of highs and lows as this newly formed blended family somehow gets it together.
Evil Does Not Exist at Perth Festival
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
On a warmish evening, my partner and I headed to the UWA Somerville to watch the Perth Festival movie Evil Does Not Exist.
I had been drawn to watch this movie – having watched the well known Oscar award winning film Drive my Car by the same Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
The story line revolves around Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his eight year daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa), who live in a small village in Japan where locals enjoy the tranquillity of nature and slower paced lifestyle, and reap the benefits of a small community where everyone knows each other and helps out where they can.
Then in come the developers with big plans to set up a glamping site for tourists, and hence the story unfolds as conflict and tensions arise due to community concerns about their water supply.
With gorgeous cinematography capturing nature, along with melancholic music by composer Eiko Ishibashi, this sets the tone for a reflective movie and an interesting story line that brings up the issue of what happens when we disrespect nature ?
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