“Buddies (1985) – Challenging Silence: Amplifying the Voices of AIDS Patients”

In May of 1981, the biweekly gay/lesbian news journal New York Native began reporting on rumors of a new “gay cancer”. While unfounded at the time, within a month the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released the first clinical study on what would become known as AIDS. The next month, The New York Times would […]

Revolution Personified: The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On (1987)

Political revolution represented in film can be one of the most inspirational depictions of human history on the screen. I think back to The Battle of Algiers (Pontecorvo, 1966) and the depiction of uprising through violent resistance by the Algerian people against the French imperialist forces. Or to Steve McQueen’s powerful Troubles film Hunger (2008) […]

Warrendale (1967): A Raw and Impactful Journey into Post-War Canada’s Treatment of Mental Illness

“Warrendale,” directed by Allan King, is a powerful documentary that offers an unfiltered glimpse into the treatment of individuals with mental illness in post-war Canada. Released in 1967, the film captures the daily lives of emotionally disturbed children residing at the Warrendale Residential Treatment Center. Beyond its immersive portrayal, the documentary sparked controversy due to […]

Land and Sacred Spaces in: This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (2019)

“This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection” intricately weaves its narrative with the history of colonization in Africa and the enduring legacy of imperialism within the region. The film serves as a poignant exploration of the struggles faced by African nations and their ongoing efforts to reclaim their cultural identity and sovereignty. The director, […]

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001): “I’m Sorry for not telling you about the world”

Throughout the 21st century our species has been witness to some of the most readily visible disasters from our screens. Artificial Intelligence releasing only months before 9/11 makes it more poignant by recognizing these technological breakthroughs and our relationships to them. We gravitate to our screens and media to help us feel secure in times of crisis after […]

The War Room (1993)

I’ve seen quite a few people look back at this “era” of American democracy and speak on it as if it were a time of peace or civility. Speaking on our current landscape as if it were simply a product of idiocy or a momentary lapse in judgment on the part of the heartland of […]

A New Identity in the World of Independent Animation

A Review of Albert Birney’s Tux and Fanny (2019) The modern landscape of animation has been made up of grand studios since the medium’s inception. This is no more obvious then today. In this era, it is clear that Disney, Dreamworks, Illumination and Studio Ghibli are the studios that make up the majority of […]

The Social Progression of the Western Genre

In the long-standing tradition of the cinema, it is clear that the artists who make films lean into their values while making their craft. It becomes abundantly clear when ones biased political stances come forth in their films. These tropes have dominated social politics for the better part of the past few hundred years and […]

An Examination of Narrative Connection in The New World (2005)

Throughout the history of art and media, artists have done their part to attempt to convey certain emotional traits and conventions. One of the newest forms of art being the silver screen. It becomes apparent that directors and filmmakers have done their part to retain the idea of physical and emotional connection in art. From […]

Dogville (2003): A Realistic Formula

The creation of a movement is an effort to give wider audiences an experience they have never been a part of before. This was the crux of the Dogme 95 movement brought on by Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier in 1995. Brought on by an exhaustion of the studio system and a technological era […]