Arabian Nights: An ambitious film trilogy

Loosely inspired by the stories featured in One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folktales from the Middle Eastern and South Asia first published in the eighteenth century, director Miguel Gomes has crafted an ambitious trilogy of films exploring the economic crisis affecting contemporary Portugal and Western Europe. Told through the structure of the…

Filipino Indie during APT8

Anne Démy-Geroe provides an insight into our APT8 Cinema program ‘Filipino Indie’, co-curated by Yason Banal, and our special presentation of 13 works by Lav Diaz. In the early days of digital filmmaking, the portability and cost of equipment and technologies allowed filmmakers to work outside the studio system, perhaps making films that would not have previously been permissible.…

Blade Runner: The future is here

On 8 January 2016 it was replicant Roy Batty’s birthday… the future, according to Blade Runner 1982, is here. One of Blade Runner’s central characters Roy Batty is an android illegally on earth who has made his way to the dystopian, rain-soaked Los Angeles attempting to extend his limited life span of only four years…

Pop Islam cinema project at APT8

The post-9/11 rise of Islamophobia and subsequent polarisation of many Muslim filmmakers requires a sophisticated examination of the multiplicity of Muslim voices and viewpoints. This is just what the rich and diverse ‘The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT8) cinema project ‘Pop Islam’ strives to do, writes Anne Démy-Geroe. Spirituality, rather than religion, has been cited by artists…

The Western

From its enduring classics to its modern-day interpretations, the continuing social relevance and popularity of the Western film genre is evident, writes Jason Jacob. The Australian Cinématheque presents ‘The Western’ screening until November, a curated program of selected works by filmmakers such as John Ford, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Takashi Miike, Quentin Tarantino and more.…

The Wild West

The popularity of the Western film is the focus of a new program showing at GOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque this spring. Saddling up on 11 September and riding through until mid November, ‘The Western’ looks back at the genre’s early roots in silent cinema and modern day interpretations, and features works by celebrated directors including John…