Film review
Union Street captures Vancouver’s vibrant Black community through history
October 17, 2023By: Balqees Jama, SFU Student Content warning: mentions of systemic racism and displacement. Union Street is a documentary film highlighting Vancouver’s historic Black neighbourhood located in Strathcona. Known colloquially as Hogan’s Alley, it was systemically disrupted and displaced by the City of Vancouver’s construction of the Georgia Viaduct in the 1970s. Union Street features archival visuals and local Black community members’ current efforts in building Black community spaces. The film was directed by Jamila Pomeroy, a “Kenyan-Canadian writer, director, actor, and producer.” It debuted at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) in September and sold out all three showings weeks…
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Bottoms is unabashedly gay, unhinged, and bloody
September 28, 2023By: Emilio Gutierrez, SFU Student When I first read the synopsis of Emma Seligman’s Bottoms — two girls start a fight club at their high school to meet girls and lose their virginity — I thought I knew what I…
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Klondike is an introspective look into the Ukrainian war’s beginning
July 5, 2023By: Emilio Gutierrez Content warning: mentions of war. On February 22, 2014, the Ukrainian parliament voted to remove then-president, Viktor Yanukovych, from office in response to months of Euromaidan protests over government corruption. Not soon after, armed insurgency at the…
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Standout films released this fall
December 7, 2022By: Kiara Co, SFU Student Tar directed by Todd Field [caption id="attachment_124114" align="alignnone" width="243"] PHOTO: IMDb[/caption] This film is about the world-famous classical music composer and conductor Lydia Tar. She’s known to be the first ever woman to chief conduct…
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Everything Everywhere All At Once shows us the weird and wonderful
May 18, 2022By: Makena Leyh, SFU Student From the company that created witty comedies like Spring Breakers, heart-wrenching dramas like Moonlight, and terrifying horror films like Hereditary, A24’s most recent cinematic release is truly one to remember. Currently screening in theatres since its…
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Kalinga is a heartfelt tribute to Filipino caregivers
April 1, 2022By: Charlene Aviles, Staff Writer When I first watched Kent Donguines’ Kalinga (Care) at Sliced Mango Collective’s movie screening, it felt like reading a series of long-lost journals. The first-person narration of Filipina caregiver stories beautifully captured the sacrifices, heartbreak,…
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“Blue Bayou” is a beautiful film that confronts a cruel reality
September 19, 2021By: Sara Brinkac, Peak Associate Selected by the Cannes Film Festival and premiering September 17, Blue Bayou is the fourth feature film from director, writer, and star Justin Chon. In a recent interview with Kodak, Chon said, “The experience was…
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No. 7 Cherry Lane paints a captivating portrait of Hong Kong with unconventional cinematic choices
November 8, 2019By: Kim Regala, Peak Associate After a long 10-year hiatus, Hong Kong director Yonfan returns to filmmaking with No. 7 Cherry Lane, his first animated film. Presented in the recent Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), No. 7 Cherry Lane takes…
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The Lighthouse tells a haunting tale of two men and their tragic downfall at sea
October 25, 2019By: Kim Regala, Peak Associate Following his successful directorial debut with atmospheric horror film The Witch (2015), director Robert Eggers returns to the big screen with another haunting tale that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.…
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Out of Tune shines at VIFF with a quirky storyline and eccentric characters
October 22, 2019By: Lubaba Mahmud, Staff Writer For a much-needed break from midterm preparations, I went out to see the North American premiere of Out of Tune on Saturday, October 5. This was my first time attending a Vancouver International Film Festival…
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