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Posted BIPOC

SXSW: Raquel 1:1

After Raquel’s mother died at the hands of an abusive ex, Raquel (Valentina Herszage) and her father move back to his hometown. There he starts a small community grocery store and Raquel develops a friendship with teens at the local evangelical church. Raquel is deeply religious and receives a calling to explore her spirituality through her own church and study of the bible. This upsets the local religious leader and her daughter who encourage the community to retaliate against Raquel and her father.

Directed by Mariana Bastos, Raquel 1:1 is a bold exploration of female agency and spirituality. Raquel is not portrayed as a victim of religious repression rather a victim of righteous entitlement. The thematic elements are subtle but still hold power.

Raquel’s past trauma is presented through sound as the particulars of her mother’s death are detailed through her thought process. The story is part coming-of-age story and part religious horror.

Given the political and social climate of Brazil the filmmakers are waiting for a good opportunity to screen Raquel 1:1 in their home country.  I hope this film gets wide distribution because it’s a unique and compelling film about religion, trauma and the fight to be true to oneself.

Raquel 1:1 had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival.

Posted Film Festivals

SXSW: The Cow (Gone in the Night)

Note to add: Gone in the Night premiered at SXSW as The Cow.

Directed by Eli Horowitz, The Cow stars Winona Ryder as Kath, a 40-something plant enthusiast, who travels deep into the Redwoods with her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr.) for a quiet getaway. When Kath and Max arrive at the cabin they discover that another couple, Al (Owen Teague) and Greta (Brianne Tju) are already staying there. Reluctantly they all stay the night and in the morning both Max and Greta are gone. Kath, who is ambivalent at best about her relationship, becomes increasingly bothered with Max’s disappearance. She reaches out to the cabin owner Barlow (Dermot Mulroney) who helps her search for both Max and Greta. However, not everything as it seems as she discovers that the parties involved have some nefarious intentions.

The Cow is a bit of a mess. It can’t overcome its flimsy premise despite its stellar leads (Ryder and Mulroney) and the intriguing twists and turns. There is a giant plot hole (that I can’t reveal because it’s a major spoiler) that, for me, really ruins the movie. I wanted to like this more than I did. It’s an interesting concept but just poorly executed.

The Cow had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival.

The now titled Gone in the Night hits theatres July 15th.

Posted Female Filmmakers

SXSW: Pretty Problems

“Money doesn’t solve your problems, it just makes them prettier.”

Lindsay (Britt Rentschler) and Jack (Michael Tennant) are in a rut. Lindsay’s dreams of becoming a fashion designer have been put hold while she works a menial boutique job to pay back her student loan debt. Jack’s on probation and disbarred from being a working attorney putting him in a career limbo. As life continues to drag them down, Lindsay and Jack go through the  motions of their everyday lives, losing their romantic spark and any desire for intimacy.

Everything changes when one day Cat (J.J. Nolan) waltzes into Lindsay’s work. Cat is instantly taken with Lindsay and wants to boost her self-esteem and help her manifest her dreams. But Cat and Lindsay are from completely different worlds. Cat has more money than she knows what to do with and Lindsay can’t afford to do anything other than what she’s doing. Cat invites Lindsay and Jack for a weekend away in Sonoma County and the couple are thrust into a world of outrageous privilege. $300 bottles of wine, privately distributed tequila, a 1920s murder mystery game and a drug fueled disco party has the couple torn between their plebeian existence and the lifestyles of the rich and jaded. Fun is there to be had but not everything is as it seems.

Directed by Kestrin Pantera, Pretty Problems is a gratifying comedy with a decidedly poignant message. Its endlessly fascinating to watch how different social classes come together and ultimately clash because of their vastly different lifestyles and personal priorities. The rich people here are bored and emotionally numb. Lindsay and Jack are there for their own amusement and manipulation. Rentschler and Nolan play beautifully off each other and the surrounding cast of characters spotlight just how ridiculous the ultra-privileged lifestyle can be. 

Pretty Problems had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival.

Posted Documentaries

SXSW: Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets

During the pandemic, many of us took an interest in the stock market out of sheer boredom and a desire to turn stretch our stimulus checks. Then in 2021, Reddit users who followed r/WallStreetBets took it a step further by buying GameStop (GME) and AMC stock changing the valuation of both companies and throwing the market for a loop. Directed by Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari, Diamond Hands (a term for those who hold onto a stock for longer than normal to let it grow) follows the story of Reddit users who overtook the market and the ripple effects it had in the financial world. The film is frenetic and difficult to follow unless you’re well versed in stock market lingo and spend a lot of time consuming short video content. Some of the subjects are a bit annoying but I’m glad they balanced out the tech bros with two women investors. Unless your super interested in the topic, this documentary is a pass.

Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival

Posted Documentaries

SXSW: Clean

Sandra Pankhurst was an incredible woman. She lived through so much trauma in her early years, more than anyone should bear. Sandra knew how trauma could effect people and was inspired to start her business: Specialized Trauma Cleaning Services in Melbourne, Australia. Her team specializes in all kinds of cleaning, in particular hoarding cases and trauma clean-ups after suicides, murders and other sudden deaths. Having to deal with the death of a loved one is already such a burden, Sandra felt that she could help people by taking on the responsibility of cleaning up the aftermath. When she began her business in the 1990s, trauma cleaning was not an available service and she saw a crucial need that she could fill. Sandra and her team never judge or meddle. They’re just there to provide a valuable service.

Directed by Lachlan McLeod, Clean takes a two-prong approach telling the story of Sandra Pankhurst’s difficult life journey as well as that of her business. The subject of trauma cleaners is a fascinating one and anyone intrigued by the subject will find the documentary very rewarding. Sandra herself was charismatic and endlessly interesting. So many aspects of her life are explored including her traumatic adoption story, the search for her birth mother, her journey as a transgender woman, her health struggles and her triumphs as a business owner and public speaker.

The documentary feels disjointed, depends a bit too much on reveals and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Sandra was fiercely private in regards to some aspects of her life so there are some things that the filmmakers just couldn’t show. With that said, the filmmakers show a lot of respect for their main subject Sandra as well as her cleaning team and their clients. While the film might leave viewers wanting more, it’s still well worth a watch.

Clean had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival.

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