Film
Eiichi Yamamoto’s Belladonna of Sadness
By Payton McCarty-SimasBelladonna blends erotica, violence, and anti-establishment feminist politics, establishing a precedent for representations of the witch as a feminist icon.
Shirin Neshat’s Land of Dreams
By Laura ValenzaIn Shirin Neshat’s 2021 satirical film Land of Dreams, Simin’s job as a “dreamcatcher” for the US Census Bureau is to go door-to-door asking that unusual final question: What was your last dream? And thus begins this satirical tale twisting the concept of the American Dream every which way possible until it has been wrung dry.
Documentary Feedback
By Finn LeMaitreThe concept of the feedback loop has no inherent ethical connotations, but the Anthology Film Archives program links documentary feedback with attempts to address some of the ethical pitfalls of filmmaking.
Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Touki Bouki
By Michael KolawoleAs a key component of Mambéty's narrative style and commentary, as well as Touki Bouki’s central theme, the music evokes emotions that drive the story to its melancholic conclusion.
Cannes Roundup
By Nolan KellyThere are several types of “festival films” that help make Cannes what it is. In its Official Selection, the programming walks a fine line between politically sensitive (read: calculatedly scandalous) pictures and an all-out devotion to art for art’s sake. Kelly explores new films including May December, Firebrand, Homecoming, and more.
