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Direction: Ramón Salazar
Country: Spain
Exhibiting a severe, intriguing mood, this film could have been much more effective if the director, Ramón Salazar, didn’t have stretched a few scenes into the limit while packing them with a lugubrious gloominess. Somewhat painful to watch in all its human suffering and ultimately redemption.
Director: Youssef Chahine
Country: Egypt
Egyptian director Youssef Chahine makes his most personal statement with An Egyptian Story, which, not having the magnetism of Cairo Station (1958), encapsulates some metaphoric scenes that implies both self-analysis and self-acceptance. Chahine trusts the leading role to Nour El-Sherif, taking us from one delicious take to another with legitimacy.
Director: Julie Cohen, Betsy West
Country: USA
A so-so documentary about a key figure in the fight for gender equality and women’s right. It’s sort of bland the way co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West conduct this presentation, but if you want to know a bit more about Justice Ruth Baden Ginsbourg, maybe this is a good place to start.
Director: Maimouna Doucouré
Country: France
Most of the polemic involving Cuties, the debut feature of Maimouna Doucouré, is unjustified. It’s just painful to watch. I don’t see a bad intention from the writer/director here, rather seeing the story as an eye-opener for the perils to which susceptible youth is exposed through social media. The pursuit of fame at all cost, cultural differences, estrangement, and insertion in a new community are addressed. Yet, the film gradually loses strength and focus as it moves forward.
