Dispatches from Hong Kong: In This Corner of the World, The War Show, 76 mins and 15 secs with Abbas Kiarostami

Sunao Katabuchi's In this Corner of the World is based on the manga of the same name, detailing the life story of a young woman as she moves to the port city of Kure during WWII.

There are some really dark moments in this movie, showing us the horrors of the war and how it affects the characters and the place they live in. Comparisons can be made to the manga Barefoot Gen and the classic Grave of the Fireflies. Speaking of Grave of the Fireflies, In this Corner of the World feels like a Ghibli movie and its no surprise, as Katabuchi worked as assistant director for Kiki's Delivery Service, among others.

The film, however, is not as relentlessly bleak as the Ghibli classic. It's far more gentle, even whimsical at parts, despite the darkness going on in the background. There is a lingering spirit of hope and optimism for the future in this film, even though almost everything has been taken from these characters.

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The next two films are documentaries from the 41st Hong Kong International Fuilm Festival (description in the next post.) Enjoy~

Ever since the Arab Spring led to the Syrian Civil War, many documentaries have sprung up about the conflict. The War Show is a deeply personal account of the struggle from the perspective of a radio DJ as she joins the resistance against the Assad Regime.

The film has many powerful images that lets us see the disturbing reality of the war: a house filled with orphans of war. Resistance fighters showing off for the camera. Secular and extremist protesters clashing in the streets.

The film also spotlights the power of the camera itself in the course of the war; Assad's men target people with cameras as the highest priority. Men are proud to show the scars of their torture to the camera, hoping that it would be seen by people around the world, as the regime tightens its hold on the flow of information. And it is evident that the propaganda war works both ways to fuel the fire of dissent.

Its epilogue is somber, noting that the Syria these people knew is no more; with the Syrian people itself serving as the new map of a country now lost. 

76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Abbas Kiarostami is exactly what it says on the tin. It's a personal filmi portrait of the filmmaker and the artist behind some of Iran's most celebrated contemporary films.

The film follows Kiarostami as he works on his films, as well as footage of him on the road, capturing images with his eye for the frame. Kiarostami is happy and joyful, enamored by the natural beauty of the world around him. He tries to capture the perfect shot as much as he can: even pleading with people to not move snow on the road or use the windshield wiper to get the perfect shot.

We see a man passionate about his art, from the time he bought a newspaper for his star Juliette Binoche during the making of Certified Copy, or meeting casually with the co-stars of one of his other films. These scenes flow together like a tone poem, creating the portrait of a filmmaker whose works will stand the test of time. He will be missed.