BFI Flare: People get ready

The 39th BFI Flare festival wrapped up this weekend with a terrific closing night film in Night Stage, which led to a superbly celebratory wrap party. Here are comments on that film and one other, plus notes on the shorts I managed to catch and my best films of the festival..

Night Stage [Ato Noturno]
dir-scr Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon; with Gabriel Faryas, Cirillo Luna 25/Br ****
From the opening shot, this Brazilian drama channels the surging operatic sensibilities of Brian De Palma's 1980s erotic thrillers. But what's coming is thoroughly rooted in the present day, mixing more open-minded public opinion with ideas that are still transgressive. Filmmakers Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon create a wonderfully lurid visual sensibility alongside characters who are complex, shady and likeable. And they delight in making us think.

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking
dir-scr Petersen Vargas; with Miguel Odron, Jomari Angeles 25/Ph ****
Lush cinematography captures the colours and textures of the Philippines, creating a vivid backdrop for this gritty drama about a group of fast-talking teens who run wild in the streets. The plot sends them on an odyssey that's strongly involving, largely because the characters and situations are so complex. Writer-director Peterson Vargas includes a terrific mixture of emotions in these found brothers who care for each other in the face of hatred.

Shorts 
I only saw 11 short films at this year's Flare, which is a very small number for me. These include this year's strong selection of Five Films for Freedom, which are available free to view worldwide during the festival. My favourite was one of these, Dragfox (Lisa Ott, UK), a witty stop-motion musical comedy about a boy who is coaxed by a cheeky fox (voiced by Ian McKellen) to let his true self out into the world. Other favourites included the earthy street-kid drama Home (Donja R Love, US) and the snappy dress-up-and-sing comedy Wait, Wait, Now! (Ramon Te Wake, NZ).

Rich's Best of the Fest

1. 
   High Tide (Calvani, US)
2. Viet and Nam 
   (Truong, Vie)
3. Night Stage
   (Matzembacher/Reolon, Br)
4. The Astronaut Lovers (Berger, Arg)
5. Memorabilia
   (Lum/Verow, US)
6. Departures 
   (Eyre-Morgan/Ely, UK)
7. Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Vargas, Ph)
8. Really Happy Someday (Stevens, Can)
9. We Are Faheem & Karun (Onir, Ind)
10. The Wedding Banquet (Ahn, US)

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

Dance: Birds of a feather

Julie Cunningham & Company / Jules Cunningham
Crow / Pigeons
choreography Jules Cunningham
performers Harry Alexander, Nafisah Baba, Yu-Chien Cheng, Jules Cunningham, Matthias Sperling
Crow: soundscore JD Samson • design Julie Verhoeven
Pigeons: music Julius Eastman • costumes Loe D'Arcy
lighting Joshie Harriette
Sadler's Wells East, Stratford • 27-28.Mar.25 ★★★★

Part of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, this show features two pieces by Jules Cunningham, both of which use birds to explore issues of marginalisation in the vast but intimate new space at Sadler's Wells East. Each of these performances looks at issues of isolation and community, obstacles and freedom, through the eyes of vulnerable beings in the big city. So there are moments in each piece that are dazzlingly powerful, especially in the way the music combines beautifully with the skilled dancers' movement. At the same time, they also remain just a little out of reach.

Crow features Cunningham and Harry Alexander performing on a huge stage dotted with offbeat artefacts that create little spaces. In one of these, JD Samson performs live at a DJ deck, interacting with the dancers. Dressed like New Romantics, their movements resemble crows, individualistic but mimicking each other, moving in start-and-stop circles and striking staccato poses, reacting to the music. They also observe their surroundings, including an extended period when they amusingly stare down the audience. The lighting features red and black against a background screen featuring a swirling collage of colours and shapes. The kinetic performances are loose and offhanded, creating lovely rhythms and shapes without even a hint of emotion.

By contrast, Pigeons is more lyrical from the start, as all five dancers fill the stage by darting around in various formations, spiralling off on their own or moving together in fascinating layers of synchronicity. The costumes are floaty, deconstructed streetwear, and the way they group together and spin apart is fluid and naturalistic, beautifully augmented by Julius Eastman's multiple-piano piece Gay Guerilla. With very little arm movement and no lifts, the dancers convey feelings of isolation as well as unity, creating engaging connections that soar and resonate lightly. They also leave us with something to think about after the show. 

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

conceptual photos by Studio Long • 27.Mar.25

BFI Flare: Dance the night away

We're coming into the final weekend of the 39th BFI Flare, and I still have quite a few films to watch, including the closing film Night Stage, followed by a party, which I think we all need after such a busy 12 days. I also want to catch up on this year's Five Films for Freedom. Here are some more highlights...

A Night Like This
dir Liam Calvert; with Alexander Lincoln, Jack Brett Anderson 25/UK ***
Because this film is so beautifully shot in locations around London, it doesn't really matter that the city's geography is rather fantastical, as are two major coincidences in the plot. As lonely people at the end of their rope intersect over one fateful night, it's the big ideas rippling through Diego Scerrati's script that hold the interest. And director Liam Calvert maintains a warm, intimate tone that nicely balances the sometimes overpacked dialog and performances.

The Astronaut Lovers 
[Los Amantes Astronautas]
dir-scr Marco Berger; with Javier Oran, Lautaro Bettoni 24/Arg ****
Smart and very funny, this romcom from Argentina takes an audacious premise and spins it with snappy dialog that playfully references a wide range of movies along with the titular metaphorical running gags. Writer-director Marco Berger takes his usual astute look at masculinity and identity, avoiding cliches while playfully remaining faithful to the genre. Indeed, he includes an unapologetic romance that sneaks in through character-based wit. 

Sandbag Dam 
[Zečji Nasip]
dir Cejen Cernic Canak; with Lav Novosel, Andrija Zunac 25/Cro ***.
Set in rural Croatia, this relaxed drama skilfully captures the everyday rhythms in this place, focussing in on a young gay man who finds himself at a crossroads in his life. The title refers to a wall of sandbags that protects a village from rising river levels, and of course this also represents the wall this guy has built to hide himself from those around him. As a slice-of-life drama, this is a very powerful film that has a lot to say about how a culture can push people away.

Winter Kept Us Warm 
dir-scr David Secter; with John Labow, Henry Tarvainen 65/Can ****
Pristinely restored, this Canadian drama was made in 1965 by student filmmaker David Secter, starring his classmates. In the style of the French New Wave, the film features a subtly gay narrative at a time when homosexuality was criminalised. So it's understandable that the approach to the topic is discreet, but the plot is remarkably sophisticated, taking what today feels like a fresh run at this kind of narrative. This makes it both involving and surprising.

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Time Travel Is Dangerous
Holy Cow • The Penguin Lessons
Misericordia • Viet and Nam
PERHAPS AVOID:
A Working Man
ALL REVIEWS >

Aside from films at BFI Flare, I also watched Jack Quaid in the guilty-pleasure action comedy Novocaine, Jason Statham in the derivative A Working Man, Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson in the engaging true story The Salt Path, Steve Coogan and Jonathan Pryce in the engaging true story The Penguin Lessons, plus two live stage performances at Sadler's Wells: Outsider and Crow/Pigeons.

This coming week I'll be watching A Minecraft Movie, whatever that is, Rami Malek in The Amateur, Miguel Gomes' Grand Tour and British drama Restless, plus more films at BFI Flare's closing weekend.

Dance: Reach for the stars

Rachid Ouramdane
Outsider
Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève
choreography Rachid Ouramdane
highliners Nathan Paulin, Tania Monier, Louise Lenoble, Daniel Daruelle
music Julius Eastman • set Sylvain Giraudeau
costumes Gwladys Duthil • lighting Stephane Graillot
Sadler's Wells, London • 26-27.Mar.25 ★★★★★

Outsider has its UK premiere as part of the Dance Reflections season by Van Cleef & Arpels, featuring 24 dancers from Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, plus four athletic high-wire and slack-line experts. This hour-long piece is very physical, packed with audacious acrobatic movement, and it is performed with an unusual fluidity that makes the most of the liquid choreography, pulling the audience into the yearning expectancy of the dancers. Which makes the show feel like a churning blast of buoyant energy.

It's unusual to see such a huge crowd of dancers on-stage together, running like a pack, smoothly lifting each other in ways that seem to defy gravity. It's celebratory and playful, and while there's a lot going on there's never a question of where to look. Lighting is soft, almost monochromatic, echoing the performers' black and tan body suits. So as they spin, fly and float, the show begins to soar. Then four wire walkers slowly emerge on lines stretched above the stage, moving slowly. 

In the heart-stopping silence, the dancers on the stage begin to reach upwards, stretching to join these strangers in the sky. The lifts become intentional and intense. And the highliners also reach down, reaching toward the people below. Yes, this might be a simple metaphor, but it plays out with such smooth, kinetic movement that we are taken right along with the performers. And Julius Eastman's multiple-piano score fills the theatre with lush waves of sound.

While the dancers are required to use strength, balance and precision synchronicity, the performers above use stillness. At one point they stop and just watch, without even the slightest bobble, for what feels like an eternity. They also dangle and bounce, and at one point finally manage to catch upstretched hands from below. It's a simple, fiendishly effective show that leaves us breathless. We want to get up there on-stage and join them, and maybe even take our chances on one of those wires.

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by Gregory Batardon • 26.Mar.25

BFI Flare: Hit the road

We're into the second half of the 38th BFI Flare film fest, and I've been enjoying the wide range of films in the programme. The four highlights noted here are quite an eclectic bunch, very different styles of moviemaking from four countries — a comedy, drama, collage and documentary...

Drive Back Home
dir-scr Michael Clowater; with Alan Cumming, Charlie Creed-Miles 24/Can ****
Based on a true story that took place at a time in Canada when men were sent to prison for being gay, this film bristles with dark humour as it recounts a story involving brothers and entrenched societal homophobia. Writer-director Michael Clowalter and his cast fill the screen with sparky attitude and offbeat character touches that are both funny and honest. It's a lively, entertaining movie that cleverly uses its period to explore present-day attitudes.

The Pleasure Is Mine [El Placer Es Mío]
dir-scr Sacha Amaral; with Max Suen, Katja Alemann 24/Arg ***.
Like its central character, this drama from Argentina is a bit flippant and enigmatic, pulling us in with pure charm. Unfolding in fragments of scenes, this observant film follows a quick-thinking hustler who finds it easier to manipulate people than to make a meaningful connection. Writer-director Sacha Amaral shoots with offbeat wide-screen camerawork that sharply captures the characters, which makes it eerily easy to put ourselves in their shoes.

Memorabilia
dir-scr Charles Lum, Todd Verow; with JJ Bozeman, Justin Ivan Brown 24/US ****
Planned by filmmaker Charles Lum before his death and completed by his collaborator Todd Verow, this experimental film is a collage-style film memoir tracing a gay man's sexual journey, including things rarely spoken of on film. It's also unusually honest in its depiction of inner yearning, creating a gorgeously lusty vibe that runs through even in the more prosaic interludes. So the cumulative effect is dreamy and resonant.

Fatherhood 
[Tre Fedre]
dir-scr Even Benestad, August B Hanssen; with Kristopher, David, Sindre 25/Nor ***.
Warmly soft-spoken, this documentary presents three men in a relationship in a matter-of-fact way. Being gay in Norway has never been a problem for these guys, although being a throuple did catch people off guard, as did the way they planned to become parents. These are earthy, funny men who will clearly make good fathers, and the film knowingly traces their journey as they prepare for the birth.

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

BFI Flare: Just keep walking

These are unusually busy days for me, with this week's normal releases alongside watching films for the 39th BFI Flare film festival, which is running on London's Southbank until Sunday. Here are four more festival highlights, including the festival's special presentation film Dreams in Nightmares...

A Few Feet Away [A Metros de Distancia]
dir-scr Tadeo Pestana Caro; with Max Suen, Jazmin Carballo 25/Arg ***.
With the tentative energy of a young man who isn't quite sure who he is yet, this drama from Argentina draws us in with its easy authenticity. It may feel a little underwritten, but filmmaker Tadeo Pestana Caro has a strong sense of visual style, tapping into the attitudes of the characters. The editing feels a bit abrupt, jumping from scene to scene, but Caro is unafraid to take the story in some very dark directions. It's an unusually introspective, thoughtful drama.

Dreams in Nightmares
dir-scr Shatara Michelle Ford; with Denee Benton, Mars Storm Rucker 24/US ***.
Strikingly photographed by Ludovica Isidori, this drama has a wonderfully visual kick, pulling us in with dreamlike imagery and vivid textures that we can almost touch and smell. Writer-director Shatara Michelle Ford uses the loose structure of a road movie to send three characters on an odyssey into their souls, and into the soul of their nation. While the film is a bit meandering, it continually touches on resonant issues from knowing perspectives.

Viet and Nam
dir-scr Truong Minh Quy; with Pham Thanh Hai, Dao Duy Bao Dinh 24/Vie ****
Right from the opening shot, there's a sleepy, dreamlike quality to this film that becomes mesmerising, especially as dreams and visions feature strongly throughout this story. Shot on 16mm film, cinematographer Son Doan's eye-catching imagery mixes earthy beauty and grainy authenticity. And the narrative unfolds in the characters' faces. This is a resolutely gentle film, and viewers who can follow its quiet rhythms will find it darkly involving.

Mea Culpa
dir-scr Patrick Tass; with Patrick Tass, Randa Tass 25/Bel ****
A collage-style documentary, this film is a yearning statement from filmmaker Patrick Tass, who lives in Belgium, to his mother in Lebanon. It explores the geographical distance as well as how they hide things about themselves from each other. The images are beautifully shot and edited, capturing offhanded real-life moments as well as deeper thoughts, ideas and emotions. It's a fascinating exploration of identity, seen through filters of nationality and sexuality.

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

Stage: Laughing through the pain

Double Act
by Nick Hyde
director Jef Hall-Flavin
with Nick Hyde, Oliver Maynard
set Christophe Eynde
lighting Holly Ellis • sound Frederick Waxman
Southwark Playhouse Borough, London • 19.Mar-5.Apr.25 ★★★★

Fiercely inventive, this dark drama has the look and feel of a vintage comedy, with elements of Pierrot-style mime and Three Stooges-esque slapstick clownery telling a properly bleak story of a young man at the very end of his rope. It's sharply performed to keep the audience engaged, with a continual stream of smart visual touches that push the boundaries in ways that force us to think. And since it's exploring the nature of suicidal intentions, it's also vitally important.

Nick Hyde and Oliver Maynard appear on-stage as mimes, although they also have microphones into which they speak in a double-headed stream of consciousness that reflects the mindset of a single young man. Sometimes in synch, finishing each others' thoughts or diverging entirely, they represent a stormy internal monologue as this guy decides to skip work, wander through central London and then head by train to the coastline in Eastbourne. He speaks to his boss, dodges calls from his mum and runs into both friends and strangers along the way. This is how he has decided to spend his very last day.

What's most remarkable is that we never lose the thread, even as dialog spins between the actors and characters with a rapid-fire delivery of comedy and emotional resonance. This man is determined to walk forward, "neck straight ahead", and not let anyone disrupt him. But each encounter eats away at him, as do tiny things that happen along the way. All of this is written and staged in an intentional way that sometimes feels rather over-thought. But we feel every emotion, light and dark, and the cumulative effect is powerfully gripping.

The staging is very clever, using terrific props, little tricks and witty signage to propel things forward through a number of astutely hilarious set pieces. A section touching on tube etiquette includes a romantic daydream and a crazed moment of toxic masculinity. A scene in a public toilet is riotously funny. A white rubbish bin produces and collects props, becoming a symbol for self-criticism. And there are amusing running jokes about things like journalling and children's literature. Through all of this, Hyde and Maynard totally inhabit the two sides of this guy's mind, as well as a number of vivid side characters.

Both actors have such an openly emotive presence on stage that it's impossible for us to resist them. We feel each pang of their glee, anger and deeper pain. So even if we understand that this man's despair is rooted in his youthful point of view, we can see that it's very, very real for him. Still, there's something inside that keeps delaying him from his final destination. And by the time he wipes off the mask and gets real with himself, the play hits home with real force. It might be a bit gimmicky, but this show is urgent and essential.

For details, SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE >

photos by Tanya Pabaru • 21.Mar.25