LFF: Get some fresh air

The 67th London Film Festival is winding down, heading into its final weekend with a bunch of big titles still left to premiere. I've had a quieter festival than usual, avoiding press screenings to instead attend movies with the public, and often with the filmmakers on hand as well. The line-up is packed with very big films, and there are quite a few important ones that I haven't been able to see here, so I will have some catching up to do. Here are some more highlights...

The Zone of Interest
dir-scr Jonathan Glazer; with Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller 23/Pol ****.
Inventively recounting a devastating narrative, writer-director Jonathan Glazer skilfully puts the audience through a moral and emotional wringer. Unlike other Nazi death camp dramas, this film keeps much of the horror off-screen; what we see in our minds is even more powerful. This is expert filmmaking, shot with precision and accompanied by a ruthless sound mix and flat-out performances from Christian Friedel and Sandra Huller. It's absolutely unmissable.

In Camera
dir-scr Naqqash Khalid; with Nabhaan Rizwan, Amir El-Masry 23/UK ****
With its witty, observational approach, this British drama is a knowing exploration of a struggling actor's life. First-time writer-director Naqqash Khalid adeptly captures the soullessness that infuses the industry, which is especially felt by people of colour. The focussed, internalised tone is powerfully involving, leading the audience into intensely provocative places. This is bracingly ambitious filmmaking, performed with daring audacity by Nabhaan Rizwan. And it's often devastatingly sharp.

Samsara
dir Lois Patino; with Amid Keomany, Toumor Xiong 23/Sp ****
While this experimental film has a challenging story and themes, it's also breathtakingly original, shot gorgeously on grainy, colour-drenched 16mm film and packed with fascinating documentary details. Spanish filmmaker Lois Patino is exploring reincarnation, transitioning from rural Laos to the beaches of Tanzania by way of a 15-minute sound and light odyssey through the bardo. It's such a singularly audacious experience that it's worth seeing on the big screen.

The Delinquents 
[Los Delincuentes]
dir-scr Rodrigo Moreno; with Daniel Elias, Esteban Bigliardi 23/Arg ***.
While this film is far too long, including a myriad of unnecessary details, it's also sharply well-made and infused with a superbly dry sense of humour. Argentine writer-director Rodrigo Moreno beautifully captures the rhythms of everyday life, letting scenes play out and often meander off down a side road before eventually returning to the central narrative. And it's shot with a sunny vibe that nicely contrasts city and countryside.

20,000 Species of Bees [20.000 Especies de Abejas]
dir-scr Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren; with Sofia Otero, Patricia Lopez Arnaiz 23/Sp ***
From the Basque Country, this loose drama circles around an important issue with honesty and emotion. But writer-director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren makes it difficult to engage with the characters. Not only are there too many ill-defined people on-screen, but the meandering structure never offers a way in. That said, the film looks beautiful, skilfully using the setting and culture. And the cast is excellent across the board.

Anselm 
dir Wim Wenders; with Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Kiefer 23/Ger ****
German maestro Wim Wenders composes an artfully lyrical 3D documentary about artist Anselm Kiefer. Instead of the usual biographical approach, this film traces Kiefer's artistic voice from childhood to the present in a swirl of memory, using locations and archival footage to contextualise drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations and performances. Watching it is a fascinating, moving experience, and it makes us feel that the whole world is a gallery.

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