★★★★★ Directed by: #DavidLawson Written by: #DavidLawson Starring: #AiyshaJebali, #GaryDean, #VincentSpangenberg, #HarrisonGraffin, #CatherineO'Donnell Film Review by: Darren Tilby In his short film debut, Writer/Director David Lawson takes us back to the roots of filmmaking; to the era of silent cinema; to the visualisation of the written narrative, in this, his superbly realised and utterly brilliant modern fairy tale, A Clockwork Heart. Led by Catherine O’Donnell’s wonderfully melodic narration, Lawson’s steampunk-coated fable tells the tale of inventor Geoffrey Copperhead (Gary Dean) and his greatest creation, his “daughter”, Abigail (Aiysha Jebali). A girl of “no particular age” (I suppose because she doesn’t age) whose favourite pastimes are listening to her father’s fairy tales, reading and contemplating her existence during early-morning strolls through the forest. What is usually solitary walks through undisturbed environs, in places she once used to play, take an odd turn when, one morning, she befriends a man she finds enjoying the peace of the forest. If all that sounds familiar, that’s because the film itself is an amalgamation of classic fairy tale tropes - the ageing man and his stories, the ancient forest and the young girl finding her place in the world - all have been commonplace for hundreds of years. It’s the same story with the characters. Simplicity is the key here, and, like many fairy tales, the characters are relatively basic in their construction; you shouldn’t expect any sweeping developmental character arcs or backstories here. But it suits the movie’s unique setting and aesthetic, and the performances, most of which have no dialogue, are a display of the splendour to be found with silent-era minimalism: a real masterclass in physical acting. And this minimalistic nature, found in many of the film’s parts, allows the movie’s thematics to shine through. An exploration of humanity provides the fundamental bedrock upon which A Clockwork Heart is affixed, and Lawson’s examination of this is conducted with conviction and finesse. But it’s how this film; this story; this fable is crafted which impressed me most. There’s incredibly rich visual storytelling here, achieved, in part, by Lawson’s ability to write a simple yet impactful story and bring it to screen to near perfection, all without diminishing the impact of O’Donnell’s astounding descriptive narration. Lawson’s fantastic cinematography work should make redundant the words being read to the viewer, so vividly put to screen, is it. But it doesn’t; instead, it adds depth to an already profuse offering, one of whimsy, cinematic nostalgia and unabashed joy. Must watch short filmmaking.

★★★★ Directed by #MatteoBorgardt Written by #MatteoBorgardt Starring #CharlesBukowski #SilviaBizio Film Review by Hope Madden Who’s the greatest American poet? Maya Angelou? Sherman Alexie? Walt Whitman? I will argue that it’s Charles Bukowski. He really only wrote for about 24 years, but he has nearly 70 books in print: novels, collections of short fiction, and poems. My God, the poems. If you are also a fan, documentarian Matteo Borgardt has a film for you. You Never Had It: An Evening with Bukowski shares a rediscovered interview from 1981. Italian reporter Silvia Bizio visits the writer in his San Pedro home and they talk for about an hour. It’s very low key, and honestly, not a great deal is covered or discovered in terms of the interview itself. But. If you’ve ever just wanted to sit in Bukowski’s living room as wine bottle after wine bottle empties, as ash trays fill, as Max the cat finds a good position on Linda Lee’s lap—friends, this is indispensable viewing. ’81 was a big year for him. Bukowski’s about halfway through his seminal novel Ham on Rye, he’s recently returned from the European trip documented in his nonfiction text Shakespeare Never Did This, and that trip/book’s photographer Michael Montfort makes himself at home on the floor near the ash tray on the end table. It’s all very low key as people drink and smoke and Bukowski talks. He doesn’t wax philosophical, doesn’t argue too much, doesn’t make proclamations or yell or curse. He doesn’t really even tell any stories, but he does read a few poems (good ones!). This is hardly the first documentary on Charles Bukowski. (In fact, Taylor Hackford directed the first, 1973’s Bukowski.) But as a general (and quite lovely) rule, previous docs focused on his raucous readings. If you want to hear Bukowski read, there are at least five full length docs that will let you do that. It’s far rarer to spend some time with the writer at home. Perhaps because she is drinking herself or perhaps because the writer is in a cagey mood, Bizio never really finds a good footing for questions and answers, although humanity and Bukowski’s low opinion of it offers the slightest hint of a theme for the proceedings. The tour of the house goes badly, and back-and-forth about sex in his writing uncovers little. If that sounds negative, it shouldn’t. The whole scene is like a page from one of his books: things not going as well as he’d hoped, the fault likely his own, but at least there’s wine. The more wine, the worse it will go, but there you have it. You Never Had It will not entertain everyone equally, but it will thrill a handful of people and you know who you are. #HopeMadden

★★ Directed by #DavidAyers Written by #DavidAyers Starring #BobbySoto #ShiaLaBeouf Film Review by George Wolf You may have heard Shia LaBeouf recently got his entire chest tattooed for his role as “Creeper” in The Tax Collector. Uncommon intensity from the gifted LaBeouf is nothing new, but why he would be motivated to do this is one of the many questions plaguing the latest from writer/director David Ayers. Creeper is the supporting player here, the nattily clad and tightly wound muscle for organized crime boss David (Bobby Soto). Working for the mysterious Wizard (Jimmy Smits), David and Creeper collect “taxes” from each and every gang in L.A. 43 gangs at 30 percent each means David is living well. That is, until old rival Conejo (veteran rapper Jose Conejo Martin) returns with an aim to take over, and kill anyone who thinks that’s a problem. He does voodoo, too, so there’s a wrinkle. Much of the film’s early going recalls Ayers’s scripts for both Training Day and End of Watch, as we follow David and Creeper on a loosely-connected series of stops, from violent tax collections to family business with David’s wife (Cinthya Carmona) and Uncle (George Lopez). David’s expressed devotion to his home life sets up the chance of a Michael Corleone-type thread exploring the difficulty of balancing two worlds, but Ayers leaves it dangling for some stylish but empty brutality in a gang war. Soto (from 2011’s wonderful A Better Life) and LaBeouf form an impressive duo, but they are continually let down by the script’s generic macho posturing (“We killing anybody today, homie?” “Shit’s getting real”) and over-the-top ambitions to “wash away our sins” by killing a boatload of people. And as you might guess, LaBeouf playing a Latino gangster is troublesome. Though Ayers has pushed back by saying the character is one who has absorbed the world around him (a claim somewhat bolstered by Ayers’s own background), Creeper never gets the development needed to make LaBeouf’s committed performance land as much more than – at best – intense appropriation. By the film’s final showdown, the biggest question here concerns the point of it all. It had to be more than that tattoo, or just standard revenge fare as deeply felt as a video game commercial. But despite the slick camerawork from cinematographer Salvatore Totino, here we are. There are possibilities strewn about The Tax Collector that might have gelled into a robbers bookend for the compelling cops in Ayers’s End of Watch. But like pesky overdue notices, ignore those possibilities too long and there’s a great big mess on your hands. Or on your screen. #GeorgeWolf

★★★ Directed by: Jake Gleason, Neil George Written by: Jake Gleason Starring: Jake Gleason Film Review by: Jason Knight Guy Herbert is on a mission to find something. Is he looking for the love of his life? No. Is he looking for lost keys? No. He is in search of something very important: weed in order to get high. The Search begins with news footage covering the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (also known as Proposition 64), which was a 2016 voter initiative that legalized cannabis in California. The film then cuts to 2003, where Guy (Gleason) is sitting at his kitchen table writing but he is distracted when he sees his water pipe. He abandons writing and proceeds to phone acquaintances, hoping that they can provide him with precious drugs. Herbert is very entertaining in his portrayal of a likeable guy, who would very much like to score. At first he is calm, but as he makes one call after the other, he becomes more and more desperate and agitated, giving the impression that getting high is the only thing that matters in his life. Poor man. The film makes interesting use of the jump cut editing technique. As Guy is on the phone, for a certain period of time, the film shows him speaking to someone, asking if they have drugs and then repeatedly cuts to him asking another person and then another. With this technique, the audience can feel his frustration and how desperate he is to get his hands on some weed. Generally this project is a satire on drug addiction. It humorously depicts how drugs can completely take control of one's life. Guy is having trouble finding any and in the future it will be widely available thanks to the legalization of marijuana. It shows that individuals like Guy are the reason why this drug has been accepted by the public for better or worse. The Search is worth searching for. It offers an amusing perspective regarding how awkward people can be and the entertaining music adds good qualities to the experience. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by #StéphanedeFreitas Starring #Afaq, #PanmelaCastro, #StéphanedeFreitas Film Review by Amber Jackson We Are One (On Est Ensemble) is a documentary that encircles the global human experience of helping others through the power of music. Director Stéphane de Freitas uses the motif of togetherness to make a music video for the song Solidarité. With this creation of music, sandwiched by news footage and personal stories from around the world, a beautiful sense of togetherness is created. The film is contextualised by a world in crisis. It explores different disasters that humans consistently encounter, such as austerity and inequality. Both natural and social challenges ultimately call for global solidarity and de Freitas relies on the power of music in the hope of inspiring this movement. The result is a ninety-minute piece awash with colour and culture, blending languages and experiences to create something enjoyable from social change. What makes this Netflix documentary fascinating is that it is a perspective that the UK has not seen before. This seemingly short ninety-minute documentary takes its audience on a trip around the world to address issues of poverty, violence, feminism and racism to name a few. These issues are explored from the inside-out, rather than the outside-in and it is this introspective look that is inspiring. The audience gets to see real people and the conversations that they are having as though the camera is not even there without being intrusive. First, we are invited to partake in ‘The Big Challenge’ in France, where a community comes together to aid refugees despite their own struggles. Then we travel to Brazil, where we learn about the Maria de Pehna Act and how women are trying to break free from a traditionally toxic culture of domestic abuse. Women are learning more about their rights, alongside women who still fear the consequences of asking for their freedom. It is organisations like these that you hope has managed to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, most-likely needing greater help now more than ever because of it. Discrimination is the documentary’s focal point, with organisations such as AMPA in Mali being able to further raise awareness through this documentary. This organisation draws attention to the fact that people with albinism are still being killed due to old beliefs and parents are still abandoning their albino children. Those within the organisation speak in the film about wanting to create change through a movement and this extends throughout the rest of the documentary. The point is that once a movement gains momentum, those who do not participate are ridiculed and that is such a great concept that is not explored enough properly in film. Activist Afaq too created her own movement when she was told that she did not belong at her university in the US after experiencing racism and Islamophobia. She used her experience to attest to the fact that often, marginalised people are pushed out of these types of institutions because those in charge do not want to hear the truth. Extending from Afaq’s story, Anti-Asian racism in France is discussed too, as if to bring this French-led documentary back home. The photographs and videos shown of these stories serve to state that the truth cannot be denied any longer in an age of contemporary film. This documentary reminds viewers that nowhere is innocent of race discrimination. This is important for UK viewers to remember too. The power of film has not only evolved socially, but also politically. Everyone can inspire a movement just by picking up a phone or a camera and pressing record. The emotive blend of language and culture in We Are One inspires that desiring change is hopeful. It reminds its audience that there is always room to grow and develop individual and collective attitudes, highlighting a shared humanity. Portrayed is a truly human display of unity amongst seemingly differing projects and also stresses the importance of this. The issues that there are fighting for are different, but their goals are the same; to bring communities together and heal those around them. We Are One is able to sustain participants and viewers through shared values, but to also go beyond the music and inspire action. Being aware versus actually acting is crucial to the argument of this documentary. The organisations and groups of people helping others with limited resources and relying on social media is not only incredibly inspiring, but demonstrates how simple it is for the ordinary person to give a helping hand. That is true power. We Are One is available on Netflix now. Featured in this documentary: https://www.leparisien.fr/val-d-oise-95/sarcelles-ils-relevent-le-grand-defi-face-aux-cameras-23-02-2019-8019021.php http://www.ampamali.org https://panmelacastro.com/bio-and-curriculum https://www.instagram.com/darfurdarling/?hl=en https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/world/europe/paris-police-shooting-chinese.html #AmberJackson #WeAreOne

★★★★ Directed by #KrisRey Written by #KrisRey Starring #GillianJacobs #JemaineClement Film Review by George Wolf I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever wandered past their old college apartment and thought about knocking, right? And then you realize how little the kids inside will care about your nostalgia (or worse, how adorable they’ll think your old ass is), and you just keep on wandering. But what if you were invited in? And what if you stayed awhile? With I Used To Go Here, writer/director Kris Rey has a full semester of fun exploring that very idea. 30-something Kate (Community‘s Gillian Jacobs, fantastic) is bumming over a breakup and the cancellation of the promo tour for her very first book. A phone call from her old professor David (Jemaine Clement) perks Kate right up. Would she come back to Illinois U. as a “Distinguished Alumni” and do a reading from her novel? She would. Once on campus, Kate pauses to take a selfie outside her old place, and one of the students inside takes notice. Oh, you’re a writer? We’re writers, too. Hey, we’re having a party tonight, you should come. Yes, some sit-com worthy situations ensue, but the point quickly becomes how well Rey wields them all to unleash a series of hilarious punctures into the illusion of aging while hip. And while the big picture is endlessly charming, the little details aren’t forgotten. From the obligatory Che Guevara poster to Kate donning an orientation t-shirt, from the painful college prose to the serious battle brewing between Kate and her b-n-b host, Rey displays a keen sense for weaving humanity into hijinks. She has a wonderful vessel in Jacobs, who channels many of Rey’s usual sensibilities with an endearing and warmly funny performance. Kate’s life may be an intermittent mess, but she’s always easy to root for, and Jacobs – with help from a stellar ensemble – confidently navigates the uneven ground between Kate’s ambition, her reality, and her attempt to find out if one of her new young college friend’s girlfriend is cheating on him! Even at its nuttiest, I Used To Go Here is a deceptively smart look at the complexities of accepting adulthood. It’s Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young with a lighter touch, a film that might make the “your future starts now” message on the back on Kate’s t-shirt ring true for both filmmaker and star. #GeorgeWolf

Film Festival Feature by Charlotte Little A worldwide pandemic has forced many festival organisers to create innovative online experiences for their audiences, but are we witnessing a perpetual shift in the festival landscape? Festival Directors are adapting to their new realities, determined to create a new kind of cinema experience - an experience you can log onto. We Are One was a global online film festival that brought together prominent festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, and Venice, and the BFI London Film Festival recently announced their plans for a 2020 edition, which will be the first-ever edition to be online and widely accessible across the UK for audiences to enjoy at home. Accessibility of Online Film Festivals What can virtual film festivals bring to the table? A word that springs to mind is accessibility. Many film festivals forget their disabled and D/deaf audiences, excluding these demographics from the buzz and cinematic excitement that every cinephile hopes to experience at a festival. It can often be a time of stress and anxiety for disabled individuals to navigate these events, with many opting to stay at home and endure FOMO instead. The format of an online film festival brings abundant opportunities for festival organisers to provide a stress-free and accessible space for disabled and D/deaf viewers to enjoy. This style of cinema-going means that potentially every screening could have captions and audio description, with audiences selecting their preference through their own devices in the comfort of their home. That’s the theory anyway, as some festivals have failed to take advantage of this opportunity, once again leaving disabled and D/deaf audiences as an afterthought rather than a priority by only having a small handful of their programme available with captions and audio description - or none at all. Affordability of Online Film Festivals Along with the luxury and hype that many in-person film festivals offer, comes a barrier to those who can't afford to spend vast sums on travel, accommodation, and the festival itself. Affordability is an essential factor to consider when discussing the pros and cons of online festivals. For some festivals, it is possible for viewers from around the world to join at the press of a button. Keeping this in mind, not everyone has access to the internet and some households might not even have the bandwidth to stream these online screenings and events. The main component of an online film festival is access to broadband, but this doesn’t come without its own problems. The vastness of the internet comes with issues but also resolutions and substitutes to the conventional atmosphere of a festival. Engagement at Online Film Festivals It could be argued that online film festivals have the potential to be more engaging, enabling people to access film screenings and events they might not be able to attend during their daily routine. The use of social media and live streams captures a moment that can be shared for as long as possible. People may be able to better participate virtually than in person, being able to gather their thoughts and articulate it as a comment on a post, rather than in person which can be intimidating for some. Everyone is on an equal grounding during an online festival, as there’s no such thing as “opportune seating” during Q&As and panels, and there are no queues before a screening. The film industry has suffered drastically in recent months, but film festivals have continued to come through with inventive and imaginative ways to connect audiences with their love of cinema through these bleak times. We have rediscovered the adaptive nature of humanity, and it is hoped that certain practices and accommodations utilised by virtual festivals will continue to shape the landscape of the media industry. Film festival organisers shouldn’t forget the year 2020, but instead use the same tools and resources to tackle accessibility, affordability, and engagement for future film festivals. #CharlotteLittle

★★★★ Directed by #GabePolsky Written by #GabePolsky Film Review by Brandon Thomas It’s been 35 years since Ivan Drago tried to break Rocky Balboa. While the fictional Italian Stallion may have prevailed against his Russian foe, the Americans at the heart of Red Penguins weren’t so lucky in their experience with our former Cold War nemesis. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the famous Red Army hockey team found itself struggling to find funding. Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Howard Baldwin thought it would be interesting to invest in the team as a way to funnel great Russian players to his own NHL club. With marketing guru Steve Warsaw acting as the man on the ground in Russia, the new American investors sought to navigate their way through an unfamiliar culture that was tasting the free market for the first time. Director Gabe Polsky dives right into the absurdity of these Americans thinking they could immediately saunter into the former USSR. Baldwin and Warsaw’s eccentricities certainly caught their Russian partners off-guard, but also led the two to be unequivocally naive about many things Russian. The film’s early playfulness is fun and entertaining but also feels like a warning to the audience: a warning that the American investors never fully saw. At times, Red Penguins feels like a documentary version of a Coen Brothers film. It’s hard not to laugh at the darkly comic situations Warsaw finds himself dealing with. Whether it be a beer- guzzling bear biting off the finger of a drunk employee, or a spy for the Russian mob that took up residence in Warsaw’s office. Anton Chigurh would feel right at home. More than anything, Red Penguins is a cautionary tale about American overreach. Howard Baldwin wasn’t the first American businessman to foolishly believe that he could march into Russia and woo the former communists with his business savvy. Even the backing of the Disney empire couldn’t solidify a positive outcome. While not coming together as a definitive hockey documentary, Red Penguins offers a unique look at a transitional time in the former Soviet Union. The beer-guzzling bears are just icing on the cake. #BrandonThomas

★★★★ Directed by #SueKim Starring #MaxPark, #FeliksZemdegs Netflix Film Review by: Lawrence Bennie Ali and Frazier. Borg and McEnroe. Davis and Higgins. Hunt and Lauda. Sport wouldn’t be sport without its famous rivals. Usually, these epic sporting clashes provide juicy material for filmmakers. Enter Sue Kim’s insightful documentary The Speed Cubers, a refreshing look at an unshakable friendship behind a competitive rivalry in a unique sport. Speedcubing. Australian Feliks Zemdegs first won the World Cube Association World Championship in 2013, before going onto setting a number of world records in the world of speedcubing. Felix’s domination of the world stage is challenged by Korean-American Max Park, who is also autistic. Kim’s film follows the two competitors and their families as they prepare for victory in the latest World Championship. At just 40 minutes, Kim keeps her documentary concise and avoids the superfluous. The producer-director’s subject doesn’t entail bouts of blood, sweet and tears, spilled over lengthy rounds; the average puzzle time for top speed cubers is merely around 6 seconds. In its climax, neither Felix or Max emerge as victors, but are left hiding disappointment. Kim’s film essentially charts two journeys. The story of Felix and Max, and their friendship, in their road towards another world championship. Underpinning this, there is the journey of Max through Autism. Home video footage of Max’s mother, Miki, developing a relationship with him is incredibly moving. As a child, Max lack of motor skills hindered him from doing virtually anything with his fingers. His progression to a world speed cubing champion, and compassionate friend and sportsman, is simply astonishing. If Max’s greatest achievement is his inspirational triumph against the challenges of his autism, Felix’s is his acceptance, grace and love for his biggest rival. “He makes sure he’s a good friend, first”, remarks Max’s father, Schwan, about Felix. When Max finishes 4th place, Felix congratulates him with “You still beat me!” and is left shattered that his friend has missed out on the final. Backstage, a sombre Max is equally disheartened that Felix hasn’t reached the top spot. In fact, throughout the competition, all the finalists celebrate for each other. There is no ego. No tantrums. No foul play. No controversy. Despite the disappointments and setbacks, there is only friendship. Kim’s film concludes with a heartfelt tribute from Schwan. “I don’t think Felix knows how big of an impact he has on Max’s life. Without a doubt, Felix is going to be Max’s hero. Forever”. The Speed Cubers is a stirring testament to a special friendship that rises above the egotistical temptations of modern competitive sport and, most remarkably, the barriers of Autism. #LawrenceBennie

★★★★ Written & Directed by: #SteveYoung Starring: #SteveYoung #SergeDeNardo #ChristopherFarrell #AndrewLorenzo Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Demanding answers after one of their regular shipments goes missing and a number of their guys have inexplicably been taken out, New York mobsters Johnny (Young) and Eddie (Farrell) wait with Don Jimmy Gallo (De Nardo) in an empty church for the arrival of their associate Tommy Bianco (Lorenzo), mob underboss for the Brooklyn borough, to try and figure out exactly what happened and more importantly, who’s to blame. The gangster genre can be an exciting one, with many fine and diverse examples past and present to attest to that fact. But it can equally be a minefield of sorts, egregious amounts of violence, terrible accents and a flurry of other tired and worn stereotypes are all pitfalls filmmakers have fallen into before. Luckily, Hells Kitchen from #filmmaker Steve Young presents a very well-crafted homage to the gangster genre, without ever coming close to falling into ridiculous parody. “Sooner or later, everybody wants a piece of the apple” It’s the atmosphere that Young manages to create right from the off that really starts Hells Kitchen on the right foot. It’s a while until we have any inkling as to the exact details of this meeting, but Young wastes no time making us sweat through the nervous tension in the air, exemplified fully through our interesting cast of characters; their frantic pacing, their amusingly nonsensical chatter, it all adds to the uneasy anticipation of a moment we know is coming, but still hits hard. Aesthetically as well it’s another case of simple yet elegant. The film does a decent enough job to really get across its late '70s setting, the clothes, the hair, the talk; it’s an important aspect that ultimately needs to be established to make its characters feel authentic in their time, and while it could have been a story closer to the present, a more modern setting might make these gentlemen feel outdated. The dimly lit church setting works brilliantly for this intimate character piece, not to mention creating an interesting juxtaposition of feeling; these are bad men in a good place, somewhere you would expect to be sacrosanct yet these are men with their own sense of morality where anything goes so long as it is convenient for them, meaning we never really know what to expect. Such a setting also means there is little if anything to distract us from the captivating performances from a cast of talented individuals, who are clearly relishing the chance to deliver Young’s clever bona fide dialogue that sure is a little uncouth and rough round the edges, but they are gangsters at the end of the day. Ultimately, what might be Young’s biggest achievement here is that you come away wanting to see more of these people and the world they inhabit and it’s a real shame that we only get to spend a short time with them. Managing to create tension, excitement and drama with only a little over ten minutes to do so is no mean feat, but slick #shortfilm Hells Kitchen pulls it off and then some. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★★ Stars Directed by: #VivashwanChaudhary Written by: #VivashwanChaudhary Starring: #NikitaGama, #JasmeetSingh, #VivashwanChaudhary Film Review by: Alicia Moore Hameenasto presents the story of two individuals, who were once in love, as they reunite in the afterlife. When alive, they had planned their wedding but on that day a car accident occurred which resulted in the death of one half of the pair, Meryll (Nikita Gama.) The other half, Dilip (Jasmeet Singh,) continued to live his life and found love once again in another, eventually dying at an old age to then be met with the eyes of Meryll after 56 years. As they clash at the seams, telling each other of the hardships they have endured, they come to a conclusion that changes their vision of life itself and the life after death. The writing, by Vivashwan Chaudhary, is by far the best aspect of this short film. After researching more into what other writings Chaudhary has created, it is obvious that he has a certain talent in this field within filmmaking. The dialogue easily portrays the true emotions of each character, immediately presenting a form of characterisation from the first line of the film. This brilliant dialogue is only made better by the passionate performances given by the cast. I also enjoyed the wonderful sprinkling of humour throughout the film too; a heavy concept is being portrayed so it was quite relieving to let out a laugh at times. The overall message given within this short is superb. As a person with no religious beliefs and no beliefs of an afterlife, I still found true comfort in its meaning and was still able to take away a valuable piece of knowledge. The fact that I was impacted by the content was a full impact in itself. “…this is not heaven at all. I feel you have already lived it.” The film provides a striking sense of ‘carpe diem’ to its audience as the meaning behind the unravelling story can be interpreted as: nothing can be better than the life you live if you can find happiness in your stride, even if you have suffered in the balance. Seize the day! This short sheds the almighty image that a God has grown to possess by showing him as a normal person; a smile on his face, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket. This character is played by Vivashwan Chaudhary, once again showing another box of adaptable skill that he holds. By blending in such a ‘high profile’ character with the rest of the characters who do not hold the same status, it gives the audience a piece of reality to grasp on to. Although the film is set in the afterlife, this touch of humanity and familiarity entices viewers as well as assists them in fully understanding and captivating the message that is being given from the screen into the hands of those seated. The stitching together of the scenes through editing is really attractive to the eye. With the style of editing used for transitioning between scenes, viewers truly feel like they are being pulled into an otherworldly experience with bright lights and no abrupt changes in set – everything is put together incredibly smoothly. The only downfall to the editing is the sound, regarding musical input. Most pieces used seemed out of place within the scenes, providing a weak consistency to the atmosphere trying to shine through. It can be slightly distracting at times but it is not an element that totally lessens the value of the script that is being carried through; the real star of the film. With a significant message, a dedicated writer, director and cast, as well as very pleasing cinematography by Mandar Parelkar, this short is a delightful watch that will definitely linger on your mind after viewing.

★★★ Directed by #AnneFlatte #Marlon Johnson Film Review by Cat McAlpine Directors Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté explore both struggle and success in their documentary following the River City Drum Corps of Louisville, KY. River City Drumbeat captures how art and culture are both necessary for the survival of a community. The film itself has natural rhythm, moving from raucous drum performances to reflections on the darker side of life as a Black American. In an opening shot, an instructor stands in front of a gymnasium full of young children. Asking them to place their hands on their hearts, he says, “If you get really quiet and get really still and listen very quietly you can feel something beating in your chest…we are born into the world with this sound.” The belief that we are all born with music inside us is a driving principal of RCDC, which creates an artistic outlet and cultural touchstone for children who might not otherwise be exposed to their African roots. Executive Director and Founder of River City Drum Corps Edward “Nardie” White emphasizes how important the program is to his community, especially young black men. When White was young, he was discouraged from participating in the arts and instead pushed to play basketball and football. Now, he can trace the dozens of lives he has changed with art over the last three decades. Johnson and Flatté juxtapose vibrant shots of family and laughter with gray rolling footage of the west end of Louisville’s boarded windows and abandoned homes. White gives a tour of his old neighborhood, reminiscing about how the Black community in Louisville has grown and changed. “Our culture is going to be our savior.” He says. Their greatest challenges? Redlining, poverty, poor education, and violence. A huge inspiration for both White and the RCDC was White’s late wife, Zambia. Many of the Drum Corps students, current and former, reflect on the immense impact she had on them. One young man shows her photo in his bedroom, next to stickers from prospective colleges, reflecting on how good it feels good to have her watching over him. It is in small moments like these that Johnson and Flatté are able to show just how widely and deeply RCDC has impacted the community. Zambia is finally shown in some older footage as she accepts an award. Addressing the crowd, she says, “We must give to our young people something we all wake up with…time.” That’s the central theme of River City Drumbeat, that youth deserve the time, attention, and love their community has to offer, and that it can make a difference. As White says to the Drum Corps before a performance, “Black arts matter.” River City Drumbeat is a hopeful and loving portrait of a community that has found power in coming together and making music. It is joyful, and sometimes sad, but always looking forward. And it may be just what you needed to watch today. #CatMcAlpine