Joanna Hogg • United Kingdom • 2010 • A subtle critique of the manners of the British upper class.
A family gathers on the remote island of Tresco, off the southwestern coast of England. Amid this rugged landscape the matriarch, Patricia, takes lessons from local painter Christopher, while bidding farewell to her young son Edward, who will imminently depart for an indistinct social mission in Africa. Edward’s sister Cynthia, older and unsparing, is in attendance, too. Tensions lurk in quotidian gestures within the family’s picturesque cottage.
Artfully framing its characters in wide-shot tableaux while offering a subtle critique of the manners of the British upper class, Archipelago observes hidden jealousies and quiet self-sacrifices as a family unravels. Joanna Hogg’s second film premiered at Thessaloniki, Busan, and BFI London, where it won a Special Commendation. Archipelago is a New York Times Critic's Pick.
Leyla Bouzid • 2015 • Tunisia
Farah struggles to pursue her singing career during a revolution.
While her parents have traditional aspirations for her, Farah is spending her summer performing in a political...
Pamela B. Green • United States • 2018 • A fascinating profile of a lost pioneer of early cinema.
Alice Guy-Blaché entered the film business in 1894, at the age of 21. By 23 she was ...
Pamela B. Green • United States • 2018 • A fascinating profile of a lost pioneer of early cinema.
Alice Guy-Blaché entered the film business in 1894, at the age of 21. By 23 she was installed as head of production at French company Gaumont and directed several films before moving to the United ...