BFI Flare: Be a team player

Passing the halfway point, the 36th BFI Flare is getting into serious party mode, with late-night events most evenings, building up to the closing party on Saturday. This makes it tricky to find time to write up reviews of the films I'm watching, but I keep up as best as I can, knowing that I'll have to wait until next week to tackle the backlog. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the socialising, of course! The quality of the films this year is unusually strong, with complex dramas that depict a range of social situations with subtlety and insight. And the variety of dramas, documentaries, comedies and thrillers is very strong as well. Here are some more highlights...

The Novice
dir-scr Lauren Hadaway; with Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth 21/US ****
With her debut feature, writer-director Lauren Hadaway skilfully creates a seriously intense drama harking back to her experiences on a university rowing team. While she adeptly captures the pressure on students who are trying to achieve sporting prowess, she zeroes in on a young woman who is so obsessive that every aspect of her life is about competition. And she's played with wrenching honesty by the terrific Isabelle Fuhrman.

A Distant Place
dir-scr Park Kun Young; with Kang Gil-woo, Hong Kyung 20/Kor ****
Set in rural Korea, this understated drama explores lingering unspoken homophobia in a progressive country. Writer-director Park Kun Young takes an observant approach, carefully staging scenes that reveal connections between the characters and their environments. This creates a striking and often unnerving depiction of more subtle forms of prejudice like side glances, passive-aggressive silences and exclusion. But the film is also infused with hope for a more compassionate future.

Jimmy in Saigon
dir-scr Peter McDowell; with Peter McDowell, Ellen McDowell 22/US ****
Confronting a veil of sadness that he's always felt in his family, filmmaker Peter McDowell documents his impressive investigation to discover the facts about the big brother he barely knew. This is a beautiful collection of interviews with a variety of people, illustrated with extensive home movies and snapshots. And while making this film over more than a decade, Peter uses the truth to rewrite his family's history.

This Is Not Me
dir Saeed Gholipour; with Saman Ghazian, Shervin Ramezan 22/Irn ****
From Iran, this documentary follows two young trans men who are navigating the complex situation in their country, going to court for the right to live as the person they are inside. By resisting both preachy moralising and flashy filmmaking, director Saeed Gholipour shows remarkable sensitivity, letting the cameras follow them through day-to-day situations over the course of several years. This approach gives them a powerful voice.

BEST OF YEAR
Flee
dir-scr Jonas Poher Rasmussen; voices Rashid Aitouganov, Daniel Karimyar 21/Den ****.
Bracingly cinematic, this documentary traces an Afghan refugee's staggeringly involving story. Because much of his journey wasn't captured on film, and since he prefers to remain anonymous, his story is gorgeously animated by director Jonas Poher Rasmussen in a range of hand-drawn styles. But it's so detailed and skilfully put together that it's hugely involving on a range of levels, both in the bigger themes and the darker emotions.... REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 

For tickets and information, visit BFI FLARE