The French movie Faces, Places (‘Visages, villages’ – 2017) by Agnes Varda, well known for her films co-setting the trend for the Nouvelle Vague, and by JR, a young and enigmatic photographer and street artist, is a many layered documentary that makes you wake up with a smile in the morning. Continue reading ‘A place gets a face’ – Agnes Varda’s attentive compassion with the social
‘When you lose your self-respect, you’re done’
I, Daniel Blake is a British-French drama film about a 59-year-old skilled craftsman, widowed, living in Newcastle.
Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), is recovering from a severe heart attack. For the first time in his life, he needs help from the State. Continue reading Humiliating benefit systems undermine self-respect
The Swedish movie The Square (2017) is a satirical and confronting perspective on modern, western culture. The director’s intention is not to offer moral critique, but rather to highlight the existence of compassion in daily practises. Continue reading The Square: Compassion for show
Under Pressure is a short, realistic, not-idealized documentary about de-radicalization of ISIS fighters returning from Syria. In the juvenile prison of Wiesbaden (Germany) there are over 300 inmates. The majority of them are Muslims, whose parents and/or grandparents migrated to Germany. Continue reading De-radicalization of inmates by artist and imam
‘You decide who you are’, Juan tells the young Chiron in one scene. But I wonder, what will appear if I look closer? The film Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016) won three Oscars – including the one for Best Film, a first for a film with a cast consisting entirely of people of color. On top of that fact, the film also deals with overt Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) themes, a controversial subject in conservative and predominantly white Hollywood. Moonlight tells the story of a young, homosexual Afro-American man who grows up in a poor neighbourhood of Miami, USA. Moreover it shows the complexity of finding one’s position in a masculine environment while having to hide your nature from the light of day. Continue reading Moonlight – Who decides who you are?
In August 2016, the Dutch TV programme Nieuwsuur aired a report by Roozbeh Kaboly (TV journalist and producer for Dutch National Television) about a 26-year-old dancer. While millions of Syrians had fled their war-torn country, Ahmad Joudeh was one of those who had to stay behind because he was, as he explained, too poor to escape the war.
Continue reading Dancing for peace
