Summary: VIFF Week One

Week one of the Vancouver International Film Festival has begun strongly, with red carpet events, award-winning films and great movies. In terms of admissions and the number of films screened, VIFF is one of the five largest film festivals in North America, screening movies from more than 70 countries – including the pick of the world's top film festivals and many undiscovered gems.

Right Now, Wrong Then

Over the past two decades, Hong Sang-soo, South Korea’s most well-known indie filmmaker, has established himself as a world-class auteur by combining formal and structural experimentation with naturalistic scenarios and low-key narratives. His latest film, titled Right Now, Wrong Then, won the Golden Leopard prize at the Locarno Film Festival earlier this year. It is, if not his most audacious films, surely one of his most effective.

One Floor Below

Ostensibly banal scenes become layered with the constant threat of violence. The film’s visual approach favors static shots and shallow focus which only heightens the effect. Because the film’s primary interests seem to lie elsewhere, those expecting a uniformly taut thriller may be disappointed.

Arabian Nights

On its most basic level, Arabian Nights is about telling stories in order to survive. The boldness of Gomes’ trilogy is that, by disguising its socio-political stories within the structure of Scheherezade’s One Thousand and One Nights, it makes a stand on which stories deserve a chance to be told. It might be the most daring and potentially rewarding bait-and-switch in contemporary world cinema. 

Hyena Road

The film is a dynamic war picture set in present day Afghanistan that fulfills every generic expectation. Its use of shaky cam, realistic GoPro images and graphic violence provide as much production value as any Hollywood feature — in other words, each frame looks incredible. 

Meru

The movie plays less like a documentary and more of a thriller inside the skin of a documentary. Its many terrifying twists and fearsome feats feeling more suitable for a drama or a thriller. 

The Forbidden Room

“Dreams! Visions! Madness!” declares a character part way through The Forbidden Room, Guy Maddin’s latest post-modern ode to silent film (co-directed by Evan Johnson)which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival early this year. Since the film so resolutely defies easy categorization, this turns out to be the most convenient way to describe it. 

Remember

As a film, Remember does its part not only stimulating our sympathies, but also putting us in Zev's shoes. Camera angles and settings constantly provide a sense of situational discomfort. We are either in tight claustrophobic angles or vast areas that lack substantial context apart from the obvious.

Mustang

Mustang is cinematic poetry and is as intimate and touching in its visuals as it is in its themes. Director Deniz Gamze Erguven masterfully brings viewers into a world where emotions are palpable.

The Assassin

In its entirety, The Assassin proves to be more philosophical than anything else. “Your skill is matchless, but your mind is hostage to human sentiments,” says Jiaxin to Yinniang at one point in the film. At its core, The Assassin is concerned with struggle for transcendence – a theme encapsulated by a stunning durational shot of fog slowly rolling up a mountain that obscures everything but the clifftop.

Nina Forever

Although the film plays on horror genre tropes, its undercurrent is serious and reflective. Like a Brother’s Grimm fairytale, Nina Forever is effective because it is both a grisly fantasy and a study on human nature in light of love and death.

It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong

In the day and age of fast talk and technology, It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong brings in these modern elements of daily life into a story about timing and wandering. This movie serves not only as a story about two people finding what they want, but also highlights the beautiful landscapes of Hong Kong, and it’s architecture, the night life, consumerism and language.

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