Film Festivals 2006
Another eclectic clutch of fine cinema from around the world. The 30th Telecom International Festival kicked off this year with Ken Loach's 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley', exploring tense Anglo-Irish relations in the 1920s; auteur Terrence Malick returned to filmmaking with a different story of colonialism, an eerily dream-like re-telling of the Pocahontas story and the 'conquering' of 'The New World'. Speaking of dreams, the innovative Michel Gondry gave us the enchanting 'The Science of Sleep', Richard Linklater came out with the animated 'A Scanner Darkly' and Korean Joon-ho Bong revisited the monster movie nightmare with fan favourite, 'The Host'. More personal stories included the excellent Canadian coming of age flick 'CRAZY', Tommy Lee Jones's 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'; low-key thriller 'Keane' and a blackly humourous tale of the prodigal son, 'Lonesome Jim'.
49 Up (2005)
8.2/10
Director: Michael Apted
And now they are 49. Michael Apted's legendary social experiment continues with 10 of the original 12 participants taking part. With each entry seem... Read more
Ballets Russes (2005)
7.9/10
Director: Dayna Goldfine, Daniel Geller
A rich tapestry woven from a treasure trove of archival gems and new documentary footage, forms the backbone of this entrancing ode to the revolutiona... Read more
Ans Westra: Private Journeys / Public Signposts (2006)
Director: Luit Bieringa
Starring: Ans Westra
This insightful documentary features the work of acclaimed photographer Ans Westra, whose photographs of New Zealanders constitute a uniquely expressi... Read more
The Road to Guantanamo (2006)
7.5/10
Director: Michael Winterbottom, Mat Whitecross
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Farhad Harun, Waqar Saddiqui, Afran Usman, Shahid Iqbal, Sher Khan
A searing dramatisation of the real-life experiences of three men who set off from Tipton, England, for a wedding in Pakistan in September of 2001. O... Read more
Battle in Heaven (2005)
5.7/10
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Starring: Marcos Hernandez, Anapola Mushkadiz, Bertha Ruiz, David Bornstein
Marcos is the chauffeur of a general with a secret that only he and his wife know - they kidnapped a baby for ransom, and the child died in their care... Read more
Fateless (2006)
7/10
Director: Lajos Koltai
Starring: Marcell Nagy, Aron Dimeny, Andras M Kecskes, Joszef Gyabronka, Daniel Craig
A subtle, yet disturbing and profoundly moving drama about a Hungarian Jewish boy's life-changing experiences in Nazi concentration camps, and his att... Read more
Maxed Out (2005)
7.3/10
Director: Jamed D Scurlock
Takes the viewer on a journey deep inside the American Style of Debt. Casting a harsh light on 'hard times, easy credit, and the era of predatory lend... Read more
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
7.6/10
Director: Mamoru Oshii
This highly anticipated sequel sees the return of Batou, the Section 9 cyborg cop who has almost nothing of his human self left - just a part of his b... Read more
Overcoming (2005)
7.1/10
Director: Tomas Gislason
Starring: Bjarne Riis, Ivan Basso, Carlos Sastre, Michelle Bartoli
Focusing on the Danish team at the 2004 Tour de France, this documentary follows cycle guru Bjarne Riis as he tries to push his bikers to the limit in... Read more
The White Masai (2005)
Director: Hermine Huntgeburth
Starring: Nina Hoss, Jacky Ido, Katja Flint, Antonio Prester
A truly incredible love story based on Corinne Hofmann's autobiography about her journey to Kenya and her culture-shock romance with a Masai warrior.... Read more