Danny Perez’s mind-bending, underground tinged film “Antibirth”. has been racking up the notices from all the big festivals and garnering rave reviews from the critics and audiences. Consisting of a stellar star cast led by Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Chole Sevigny (The Brown Bunny) and, after a 20-year absence from the big screen, Meg Tilly (Psycho 2). The film throws you into a tailspin story of infliction and betrayal with intense imagery in a bleak suburb of Michigan. I will somewhat refrain from what the film story is about since the most of the fun is seeing…
Author: Michael Macdonald
Writer/Director Calvin Reeder is known for his bent films such as 2006’s ‘Little Farm’ and the dark comedy of 2005, ‘Jerk Beast’. His newest work ‘The Oregonian’ is one of those few movies that allows the audiences to come to up with their own interpretations. It is not a horror/slasher film, nor a “bent on revenge” film—though the stills released from the movie would make you think otherwise. The Oregonian provides a unique tale of a girl’s guilt and her journey to evolve from her introspective reality. Reeder’s work invokes feelings akin to Carlos Castaneda’s “Don Juan” writings, and Herk…
Here & There (2009), the first narrative film from Serbian filmmaker Darko Lugulov, opens as Robert, a down-on-his-luck New York musician, is being forced to move out of his apartment. He has no prospects and seems to have become totally withdrawn and apathetic as evidenced by his wild, unruly hair; thick coating of stubble; and lethargic manner. He is played with an understated grace by David Thornton. Robert tries working with Branko, the Serbian immigrant who helps him move, but after one back-breaking day of moving furniture for minimal pay decides that being a mover is not for him. Branko…
Imagine the pressure of being an illegal alien with a crappy job and countless other hurdles to overcome. Welcome to the life of Lalo, a New York City Mexican delivery worker who must prove to himself that he can overcome any obstacle. Daniel Maldonado’ excellent short film is presented as a keystone cop-comedy and touches upon many moments of madness that occur to many people around the world.The film begins when Lalo (Neftali Jurec) is given an ultimatum to get his deliveries done on time. He races out only to have his bicycle demolished. He spies a little girl, Lucy…
“Junkie Nurse” (aka “Boppin’ at the Glue Factory”) directed by Jeff Orgill is a hilarious satire which incorporates a variety of likeable characters spearheaded by the very talented Henry Dittman and Conrad Roberts. Ditman plays Eric Labudde, an addicted nurse who can get away with anything, and Roberts plays jazz man Tharin Sanders. Together they form an unlikely partnership all in the name of getting high.After getting away with a box of Dilaudid (hydrogenated morphine) from a county hospital and nearly running over Sanders—who suffers from moments of dementia—Labudde applies for a job at a convalescent home where Tharin resides.…
When I first received a copy of composer Ronen Landa’s “Picturebooks”, I knew I was in for an astounding auditory journey. The packaging perfectly states what you are in for; the mysterious photo of a film reel showing a seascape bay reflects the impactful music within. The album itself is a compilation of soundtrack works from this imaginative composer.The album is organized into three different books. Book One being from the acclaimed 2005 film by Iraqi director Haydar Daffar, ‘The Dreams of Sparrows”. Tracks 1-8 bring a combination of strings, Oud, electronics and haunting lead vocals/whispers by Vlada Tomova, a…
Three women is a production directed by Manijeh Hekmat (Director of Women Prison) starring Iranian actress Niki Karimi (Minou-the mother), Pegah Ahangarani (Pegah-The daughter) and Maryam Boubani (The grandmother) as three generations of women linked not only by blood but have the symbol of a rug as a common binding theme.The story begins with Minou, a Persian rug restorer who is in a struggle. A museum that she does work for has given reason for a patron to sell his valuable carpet because of delinquent payments. She inadvertently steals the carpet from the buyer and with her mother, who has…
Taking place on the once war torn borders of Iraq and Iran the film tells the story of Niloofar (Mobina Aynehdar), a twelve year old girl who has high ambitions to learn how to read and write and become a doctor due to the teachings of a local modern woman, Banoo (Fatemeh Motamed Aria). Her mother, on the other hand, Salmah (Roya Nownahali) a midwife, insists she follows her footsteps.The story becomes more complicated when Sheikh Abbas (Tooraj Faramarzian) approaches Niloofar’s father, Abdoullah (Sadegh Safai) and asks for his daughter’s hand in marriage as soon as she becomes a woman.…
From time to time Cinema Without Borders has dealt with the music side of the film industry. Composer and visual artist Gary Miraz regularly contributes articles, which deal not only with his wealth of knowledge on film matters but with music technology as well. Not too long ago an idea came to me; why not establish a blog of Mr. Miraz’s experiences in the studio. When approached, he suggested seeing if readers cared to share their opinions in addition to reading a record of his experiences as a whole. Gary has worked throughout the music industry; as a graphic designer,…
After first few minutes of “La Antena” revealed itself, I didn’t know what to say. I only knew that I was in for a ride through an all too familiar surreal version of our own world. “La Antena” is an amazing spectacle of sight and sound. The film is done in silent film fashion with influences of German Expressionism with high regards to Spain’s Bunel, Germany’s Lang, Murnau and France’s Méliès. Accompanied with an exhilarating modern tango soundtrack from Juan Aguirre and Federico Rotstein, it dances across the screen, communicating with fashioned visual words that emit and resonate from the…