Hou Hsiao-hsien, portrait

Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Meditations on Time

As the long wait for the European release of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin is coming to an end, the London audiences’ appetites have been whetted by the fascinating retrospective of the acclaimed Taiwanese director’s oeuvre[ . . . ]

Steve Gunn with Erik Heestermans (drums) and Tommy DenNys (bass) @Cafe oto, London, November 2014 ©Anna Bajor-Ciciliati

Ways of The Master: Steve Gunn

So far known to the broader audience mostly as a former touring member of Kurt Vile‘s backing band The Violators, Steve Gunn, a formidable finger-picking guitarist, has recently taken a new[ . . . ]

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Musical releases. Part 1: J Mascis

This time, let’s talk about music. There is no way to deny that the subject has been recently given relatively little coverage on this blog. This is to be blamed on[ . . . ]

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Birdman

It is interesting to notice that at least three among this season’s Oscar contenders, Birdman, Foxcatcher and Whiplash, deal with the problem of self-creation and the resulting psychological duplicity. Coincidence?[ . . . ]

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Interstellar: A Journey to the End of Time

I must admit I wasn’t immediately inclined to see the newest Christopher Nolan film on the big screen. Not particularly acquainted with the director’s previous work, I almost made up my mind[ . . . ]

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Going beyond with Studio Ghibli

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, Mami Sunada’s documentary dedicated to Studio Ghibli, the iconic cultural institution of Japan whose cinematic output is admired by diverse audiences all over the world,[ . . . ]

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Jarmusch revisited

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the British Film Institute is London’s temple of cinema. Its vast archives satisfy even the most refined tastes. If you happen not[ . . . ]

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Boyhood: On the Way to Self Discovery

The newest picture of Richard Linklater, Boyhood, has just gone on release in the UK cinemas. It is a truly unique film, a fruit of cinematic work comprising no less[ . . . ]

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In Search of the Great Beauty

It’s not every day that we get a chance to experience such an utter perfection unveil itself on screen. Few filmmakers are capable of similar artistic flair and fewer still[ . . . ]