In his latest film, Life and Nothing More, Spanish director Antonio Méndez Esparza employed non-professional actors and documentary realism to create a moving study of race, class, and familial bonds in America.
Ela Bittencourt
Ela Bittencourt is a critic and cultural journalist, currently based in São Paulo. She writes on art, film and literature, often in the context of social issues and politics.
Posted inFilm
Shakedown Documents the Overt Sexuality of Lesbian Strip Clubs, and Then Shifts Our Gaze
In a documentary about Black female strippers who dance for women, Leilah Weinraub makes us question how we think about sex and its presentation on camera.
Posted inFilm
A Surrealist Filmmaker’s Legacy of Feminism and Cinematic Innovation
Germaine Dulac may have just been too far ahead of her time as a queer woman filmmaker, and too prodigious in her output to receive proper recognition in any category.
Posted inFilm
How Women Filmmakers Were Bending Social Norms Since the Birth of Cinema
Women were fighting since the very beginning of celluloid for a role that allowed them to express their creativity.
Posted inFilm
A Starkly Beautiful Film About Bach, Through the Lens of His Wife’s Diary
Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet’s The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach, entirely played by professional musicians, is a peculiar and striking film.
Posted inFilm
On Body and Soul Follows a Strange Romance Set in a Slaughterhouse
Ildiko Enyedi’s film, which is nominated for an Oscar, is a fantastical reflection on human intimacy and vulnerability.
Posted inFilm
Brazil’s Extreme Social Tensions on Film
The 21st edition of the Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes film festival reflected Brazil’s volatile social and political climate, while avoiding the conventions of poverty porn.
Posted inFilm
Female Filmmakers Intimately Tell Women’s Stories
A new series at Metrograph features documentaries made by women directors — from Chantal Akerman and Peggy Ahwesh to Yvonne Rainer and Claire Simon — about women’s lives.
Posted inFilm
A Czech Filmmaker Who Portrayed Eastern Bloc Life Through Women’s Eyes
At Doclisboa, a comprehensive look at Vera Chytilová’s incisive critiques of gender, family, and love.
Posted inArt
A Photographer Captures Chilean Street Life, from the Hustlers to the Homeless
In a retrospective in the south of France, Paz Errázuriz’s kaleidoscopic vision encompasses all aspects of life in Santiago.
Posted inFilm
Reactivating the Lost Revolutionary Films of Guinea-Bissau
In her debut feature, artist Filipa César documents the digitization of films made in the African country around the time of its independence.