ONE of the glories of international cinema is that it can convey the heart of other cultures linguistically, visually and musically as the creators ask you to engage with their stories intellectually and emotionally in ways that take you to the core of milieu and concerns.
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Once again the Travelling Film Festival is at Forum (March 31 to April 2) to take the good burghers of Wagga on a journey through a number of cultures to play its tiny role in spreading international understanding.
Opening night’s The Eagle Huntress is a beautifully structured and exhilarating documentary that tells of a young woman’s determination to break into a world that has been traditionally dominated by men.
A feminist in Mongolia; a film that soars.
From Japan comes the animated feature Your Name that tells a story of two high school students: girl, Mitsuha who is tired of living in the country and boy, Taki who lives in Tokyo and has a part time job as waiter.
Surprising dreams bring insight to their predicament and launch the film into the memorable.
Aquarius brings Brazil to life in its modern phase of renewal and development.
An old building complex is to be destroyed but the last resident, Clara, is determined not to move – a bit like The Rocks story really.
This multi international award winner also won The Sydney Film Prize for 2016.
The Salesman is directed by Iran’s fearless cinema genius Asghar Farhadi.
Forced out of their residence, a young couple find themselves in a new apartment with the ghosts and problems of the last tenant.
At the same time the couple are performing as Willy and Linda Loman in a production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.
This is a gripping but warm insight into the political and cultural complexities of life in contemporary Tehran.
Moonlight takes us to the US, to Florida and deep into black culture as a young man evolves in a subculture world that raises issues with identity and love.
At times raw but always moving this film sheds light on what it might be like to live in a milieu that is often misunderstood and despised by many Americans.
Moonlight won Best Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes 2017.
The Commune, as its title suggests, takes a look into that style of community as its disparate group of hopefuls try to find the meaning of life in togetherness.
This is a serious quest but also a vehicle for the delicious wit of Danish director Thomas Vinterberg who was one of the original members of Lars von Trier’s Dogme 95 movement.
Romania is the site for Toni Erdmann.
It is a father, daughter film located largely in Bucharest and focused partly on industrial relations in that Eastern European country.
More than that though it is outrageously funny, as director Maren Ade plays his wicked style across the screen in a film that never lies down.
Paterson is again in the US and telling of a young bus-driving poet who finds inspiration in his daily routine. It’s hard to think that master story-teller Jim Jarmusch was not inspired by Paterson’s suburban GP, William Carlos Williams who was also one of America’s most important poets.
And then there’s Australia with the extraordinary Suzy and the Simpleman as well as David Stratton who needs no introduction.
