★★★★ Direct by: #YewWengHo Written by: #YewWengHo, #SamHoare, #GordonLewis Starring: #FionaGascott, #AustinTaylor, #AaronMcCusker Film Review by: Lisa Ogunmayin Based on real events and the book by Gordon Lewis, Secret Child opens the story of a single mother and her son who have taken refuge in a sanctuary for unmarried women. Being the official selection at the New Renaissance Film Festival, London, 2018, the film is a brilliant opening into the troubled life of single mother Cathleen. While the film doesn’t tell us the whole story, the actors are compelling enough to make the audience appeal for more; we are left guessing and trying to form our own version of events. Austin Taylor is wholly believable and delightful as Gordon (who hates to be called Francis), a feisty young boy who knows how to stand up for himself but doesn’t seem to know how to stay out of trouble. He seems to have an awareness that his mother has a past but doesn’t ask too many questions. His mother Cathleen, trying to do her best for a better life, finds herself strolling down memory lane opening letters and doors that, maybe, should have remained closed. Fiona Glascott is captivating as Cathleen, especially during afternoon tea where viewers must decide whether her looks of terror are elicited by disturbing memories or Gordon’s table manners. The penny might drop for some viewers when Bill (Aaron McCusker), Cathleen’s charming love interest, orders a beer for afternoon tea and Cathleen questions his beverage choice; but then again what is so strange about being nervous around someone you’ve avoided for roughly the same number of years as the age of your son? Unless you’ve read the book, the film doesn’t give away any answers. The running theme undeniably concerns the stigma and hardship of not only being a single mother but one who has had a child out of wedlock in 1950s Ireland. From the cause of Gordon’s fight at the start, working day and night shifts and trying to get Gordon to like Bill, we’re forced to try and understand Cathleen’s point of view and her outlook on life; for those reasons only, it might seem like an easy choice to return to the past, but returning to the past may cost her the future. The closing score gives off a vibe that there is a happy ending, so we’re led to believe, but even without having read the book, the audience will discern that there is a more sinister tone to this story than its lovely introduction. #LisaOgunmayin

Star Rating: ★★★ Directed by: #ChrisO’Neill Written by: #ChrisO’Neill Starring: #NikaKhitrova, #AnaLopes, #ChrisO’Neill, #ChristinaDeLaOssa, #ThomasOhrstrom, #GrahamSelden, #NoelleWheeler, #OliviaCastanho Film Reviewed by: Thomas Jay Headshots is a 2018 film that follows a number of aspiring actors in California who, while struggling with the usual hurdles of their industry, suddenly have a serial killer in their midst. Chris O’Neill takes a number of roles in whats his second career feature following the adaptation of one of his old shorts - Absolute Debauchery. Here I can say he’s not yet outgrown his ‘indie‘ roots (not that that is a criticism) but infused this film with incredible ambition and solid visual realisation. The films narrative is a relatively linear piece but does commit to experiment where possible by having a number of protagonists which I found kept the film rather fresh and was a necessity given how difficult the story itself was to frame to the audience. Anyway, the plot concerns Jamie (Nika Khitrova), a classically trained British actor who moves to LA in order to kickstart her A List career, only to fall victim to the murderous photographer. Oh it robs and by extension, her character Jamie is by far the films shining light. Though she has no more than 35-40 minutes of total screen time, she easily handled being the audiences viewfinder to quite a good standard and really helped me get fully immersed into the world. The rest of the cast, though not doing too badly just failed to capture the heights of her outing. Jamie’s housemate Laura (Dani Savka) struck a real chemistry with the lead and has her own compelling side arc which was sadly overlooked in the bigger picture sense. Just to briefly return to the narrative for a second, the reveal in my opinion came a bit too soon. I did enjoy that almost cold opening and I felt it set precedent for what came after, though it does slow a bit to let Jamie and fellow characters be introduced, but the almost vignette/loose anthology approach was really engaging and the merging of perspectives was certainly something which one, I didnt really expect but two felt like it really added something to what could’ve been a detrimentally generic outing. I did enjoy the revenge aspect also if I were to be completely honest - I had no real expectations for the final half of the film but was entertained by the Donovan Siblings though again, if it were to have maximum impact shouldn’t have been lessened by the early reveal of the the killers identity. Speaking of that reveal, for as much as there were some clear identifying aspects, in particular the photography setup/back drop, the red herrings that were thrown around really had me questioning the role of certain characters. Looking back the reveals would’ve been terrible but there were some genuinely unsettling and suspicious ‘cameos’ from the supporting cast. To just put the gushing on the plot aside for a second, I really enjoyed the score and films music. It channelled Candyman’s ‘Music Box’ theme and overall, it continued to be a similar standard and really horror-like. Other than that, however, I found the film didn’t really provide much entertainment. Aside from our pseudo-lead, the supporting cast don’t really turn in any performances of note and sort of let the side down, for as much as it was an interesting take having two killers who were in a relationship, their personalities and character were incredibly shallow and seemed as if they were created after a game of ‘crutch bingo’ just selecting tropes that would make them come off as unhinged. The cinematography was largely poor, especially when it opted to Don a haze effect round the edges of the picture. In the best ways possible, Headshots is a ‘B Movie’ and sort of knows it, I don’t mean it unfairly but it was a bit shoddy in quality. I wanted more but just felt it failed to deliver. A fairly well-made piece, I’d recommend a watch if you were interested in this type of ‘revenge movie’ but it’s not essential viewing. Reviewed by: #TomJay

★★★★ Directed by: #Tathagata Ghosh Written by: #Tathagata Ghosh Starring: #Guatam Siddharta Ghosh, #Bimal Giri, #Soumya Majumdar, #Payel Rakshit Film Review by: Joshua Calladine There is a danger in making a film topical that (in a few years) the film will be obsolete. Tathagata Ghosh's Mangsho takes place strictly in the topical, in the relevant, in what is commonly described as the current global moment. Coronavirus. Migrant workers. Video-chat. Facebook. Islamophobia. The director-writer does not flinch at any of these contemporary subjects. The film is told almost entirely through the medium of video-calls and concerns four characters living in an Indian town some distance from Delhi, their lives more closely linked than they know. Gradually, their identities are revealed. Ghosh is in no hurry to expose his character's backgrounds, one of the strongest features of the film. A young man called Rizwan (Bimal Giri) talks to his wife Fatima (Payel Rakshit) via the video-call interface, the screen divided between his image and the smaller image of the young woman. It is revealed that he is a migrant worker, who has hitched back to the city, and also a Muslim. Now he is hiding out, harboured by a local man. Fatima is working as a maid, unhappy but stoic. During these scenes, the viewer is confronted with this direct communication, in the familiar situation of a Skype-call. In a subtle move, Ghosh locates the viewer at a distance: in the smaller splitscreen, alongside the young woman at the other end of the call, powerless to intervene. Cut to a man of similar or slightly older age, preparing food in his kitchen. This is Sahadev (Guatam Siddhartha Ghosh), located in the large screen, his correspondent in the smaller. Both of these men are of a higher social class than the young lovers, and notably, both are Hindu, while the lovers are not. It is revealed that Sahadev is a politician, hoping to use the migrant worker he is harbouring as kudos for his campaign. Now the points are drawing together, starting to converge. And the backdrop begins to unfold: the current discrimination against the Muslim population in India becomes a question of dramatic significance, with Rizwan's safety at risk. The film's powerful realism is in this live quality of the video-call, and some of the intervening montages are effective, such as the usage of news-archive to open the film, but some of them are less so. Editor Rajdeep Mukherjee's Soviet-style montage of predator and prey, cut with the sound and image of a slaughtered pig, feels outdated in a film that is otherwise contemporary. But the skill and craft involved in telling a story in which no two characters share the same mise-en-scène at the same time, while sometimes on the same screen, and sometimes in the neighbouring space, should not be underrated. When Rizwan weeps, overcome with unexpected gratitude and faith, the suspense is threefold as he kneels down to pray, in a cinematic move that is hard to define, involving this clever distribution of character, threat, and space. This alone makes up for some jarring narrative and editorial features, setting the film aside safely from the merely topical.

★★★ Directed by: #AshleiHardenburg Starring: #LarenaDanielle, #RainDoveDubilewski, #CoryHindorff, #ElysseWinn, #SteveWolf Film Review by: Alexandra James Amber is an upcoming actress who has just been offered an Oscar nomination for her recent work. As she celebrates her successes with girlfriend Liz and a surprise brunch, an unexpected guest arrives. However, all is not as it seems as this surprise entry forces Amber to battle her past demons…and for her life. This short firm by Ashlei Hardenburg is filled with excitement with an extremely detailed storyline and well developed characters. Each person within this short had a story, a history to them which made for a very pleasing viewing experience. The audience can become emotionally invested within each character, the action becomes real. This is very much the case for the character Jade, she became the climactic twist we all needed. Her menacing demeanour and villain like presence really became the driving force for the scene. It was interesting watching the story unfold between the two characters, Amber and her sister Jade. It was clear that there was a strong sibling rivalry between the two. This was represented well and gave a huge insight into their relationship; fraught, jealous and competitive. For a short film, it had a very detailed storyline. There was a lot of information for the audience to take on and it can be difficult to digest everything in such a small space of time. However, this seemed to not be the case in ‘Role of a Lifetime.’ It was effortlessly achieved and in fact made the piece watchable because of the different characters and full storyline. There were a few focusing issues here and there but this was miniscule in comparison to the entirety of the production, the majority of the camera work was solid. It would have been great to see the inclusion of more diverse camera angles. A scene in particular would be between the two characters, Jade and Amber having a conversation at the dining table catching up after being apart for such a significant amount of time. It was difficult to stay focused on what the characters were actually discussing because the audience eventually become indifferent to their conversion. Mainly because of the same shots being used throughout. When dealing with quite serious or emotional moments, close ups and zooming into the characters expressions are really key. This allows the audience to not only remain invested in the dialogue but also witness the emotions of the characters themselves. This is an exciting film to try, a well thought out storyline and an interesting twist. It was great to see characters that had a lot of depth to them, it led the audience to either fear them or love them but either way Ashlei Hardenburg has created an atmosphere in which the audience are invested in one form or another.

★★★ Directed by #DavidDobkin Written by #WillFerrell, #Andrew Steele Starring #WillFerrell, #RachelMcAdams, #DanStevens Film Review by Lawrence Bennie 6th April, 1974. The 19th Eurovision Song Contest is won by ABBA. 2,000 miles away, in subarctic Iceland, the bouncy fun of Waterloo inspires a motherless young boy to one day win Eurovision. The rest, in this case, isn’t history but the premise of David Dobkin's amusing Will Ferrell comedy. Ferrell himself admits to becoming “smitten” with the competition since the Frat Pack actor had his first Eurovision experience back in 1999. Originally scheduled for a theatrical release, irony has intervened and Ferrell’s love letter to Eurovision has ended up virtually filling in for the real thing on Netflix. Lars Erickssong (Ferrell) is one of half of the Icelandic band, Fire Saga. The other is his lifelong best friend Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) who also has unrequited feelings for Lars. Despite the scorn of his disapproving father (Pierce Brosnan), and ridicule of the Húsavík townsfolk, Lars has his sights set on winning Eurovision. When the hapless pair are randomly chosen to take part in the Icelandic pre-selection contest, Lars suddenly finds his dream edging closer to reality. In the hands of Ferrell and McAdams, Lars and Sigrit become the Eurovision equivalent of Ed Wood. The music is bad, they’re disastrously accident-prone and hopelessly bumble through one mishap to another. Yet, no matter how bad things get on and off stage, or how much they’re derided by their fellow Icelanders, Lars always keeps his dream alive, Sigrit keeps her faith and love in him and the ditzy duo just keep on going. Ferrell and McAdams are great together; they are, pretty literally, the heart of the movie and share an on-screen chemistry that makes them believable as friends, co-performers and, eventually, a couple. Ferrell and Andrew Steele’s script lightheartedly pokes fun at narrative conventions; à la Rocky, Fire Saga are selected by chance to merely make up the numbers at Söngvakeppnin with little belief from the cynical Icelandic consortium that they'll actually get anywhere. Later, the writers laugh in the face of narrative logic by having all of the band's competition wiped out in an unexplained boat party explosion and Lars being given a helping hand by blonde superstar ghost Demi Lovato and Sigrit’s beloved elf friends. Less amusing is Dan Stevens’ flamboyant Russian star whose superfluous screen time notably sags the movie. Elsewhere, a well-cast Pierce Brosnan and real-life Eurovision commentator Graham Norton manage to hit the right notes more successfully. Eurovision is, of course, a must for fans of the world’s most famous and most endearingly ridiculous Song Contest. As producer, writer and actor, Ferrell is on form for sure though top plaudits, this time, go to the delightful McAdams who shines as the lovable, loyal Sigrit. Just like the show itself, Dobkin's comedy is a shameless slice of Saturday night entertainment, wrapped up with a surprisingly heart-warming, feel-good finale. Eurovision itself would be proud. #LawrenceBennie

★★ Directed by: #Daan van 't Einde Written by: #Daan van 't Einde Starring: #Florence Belle, #Kevin Tuhipua, #Ulrica de la Mar, #Dahlia Shukri, #Floris Boone, #Ruth Slotman Film Review by: Joshua Calladine If a film is technically adept, it does not make it easier to like. Daan van ‘t Einde’s latest release, Love, Mom is without a doubt adept in the technical department. With art direction by Lisa Berkhuysen lit in a contemporary fashion, the soft blue-purple lighting of the bedroom is marked-out strikingly from the night-scenes of the exterior world, whether in the clean space of a metro car, a dim train station, or a strangely depopulated street. This is a film that is competent in its aesthetic. That being said, there is something slightly off in the make-up department’s otherwise clean look, the eyes of the eponymous Mom (played by Florence Belle) a little too post-tearful. Admittedly, she is weeping at her catch-22 position: a mysterious man (played by Kevin Tuhipua) is coercing her into terrorist bombings at the threat of her infant daughter’s life. More on this later. The unconvincing eye-make-up seems a minor criticism, but given the film’s obvious melodramatics, the glaring mascara makes it clear that from now on subtlety will be hard to find. With a plot like this, Love, Mom should be a straightforward in-out routine in existential morality, like any good hostage film. On paper it has all the potential to explore the nature of parental ethics, or the motivations that lead to terror attacks, which, if held together and squinted at for long enough, begin to look like the same thing. Both require undying belief. Both (depending on one’s outlook on parenting) lead to countless ruined lives. But to do this with any degree of sensitivity takes huge skill, not to mention thorough understanding of the concept. Flatly predictable performances from both leads make this impossible to realise. Moreover, the actors themselves cannot be held entirely to blame. In van ‘t Einde’s directorial vision something is lacking. The stock narrative of bad terrorist bomber blackmails good mother is cut-and-paste material, and this is exactly what the director-writer commits, with little exploration of motive for either character. The mother does what she does through some unwritten natural law. The terrorist does what he does because he is a terrorist, suavely dressed, armed like an assassin, but with no real dramatic depth. It is sad to think of the opportunities missed in reprising this well-known concept. To return to the technicals, Arjan van Tricht’s score is unsurprising but effective, and the exposition in the film is handled with adroitness. Through a diegetic news-reader (Floris Boone) paired with the newspaper headline on the mother’s lap, the viewer is able to connect the vastly disparate elements of what has happened with only a fistful of shots within one-and-a-half minutes. This simple staging paired with linear montage creates every element of possible suspense needed for the viewer to begin asking questions. But the answers never go beyond the cul-de-sac of the tabloid-paper or the sentimental TV drama. With technical ability clearly shown, it is a shame that Love, Mom is not easier to like. #JoshuaCalladine

★★★★ Directed by: #JosephMorel Written by: #CallumMills and #JosephMorel Starring: #StephenSchreiber, #MurielCarnegie, #SuzieFrancesGarton Short Film Review by: Shrubaboti Bose The film starts with the sound of a kettle whistling. We see an old man making his morning tea and while he is preparing it, the director takes us on a journey, focusing randomly on a pair of shoes, a pair of chairs, a piano and curiously these slow deliberate shots help us to build the identity of the character. The camera pauses at each scene, patiently giving us time for the emotion to sink in. There is something very picturesque about this film, almost resembling the aesthetic of an old photo-frame preserving the memories of a certain time. There is a scene where Frank is sitting with his back at the audience, the solitary man in a deserted beach. The whole panorama stretches on both sides of him evoking a strange sense of emptiness that haunts him after his wife’s death. They were a couple but now he is left alone. Sounds of a child’s laughter interrupts his thoughts, he slowly lifts his face to look at a family. Perhaps, it reminds him of his own family, of his life before, maybe it makes him nostalgic, we can only speculate. As the music filters in, a red kite floats in the sky, momentarily dancing with the wind. A year passes by and we know he is dying, but there is a newcomer in the family, a child is going to be born, his own grandchild. The cycle of life continues. Frank decides to not waste his last days in fear of the inevitable and instead becomes invested in composing his final piece, a winter waltz. He describes it as “something for us to dance to” when he visits his wife’s grave. He admits he was never good with words, but music is the equivalent of language to him. He tries to ask his daughter to accompany him in playing the piano because it is the only way he knows to connect with those around him. Music fills the gaps and spaces in his communication that words cannot seem to plug. In the end, therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise when he chooses to capture the essence of his life and his lived experiences in a winter waltz. He wants to preserve his own memories in music. Throughout the film, music flows in pace with the tone of the narrative, sometimes creeping in closer, resonating loudly while at other times fading into the distance, allowing the character to reminisce in peace. The muted colour palette used in the movie significantly helps to emphasise the tender aspect of the overall story. Cinematography has been done sensitively, allowing the film to grow beyond the face value of its scenes. Despite being a short film, it is well-scripted and the narrative plays out eloquently, much like a waltz in time itself.

★★★★★ Directed by: #SiddharthChauhan Written by: #SiddharthChauhan Starring: #ArushThakur, #ZunchiDevi,#DivyaTegta Film Review by Lucy Clarke From one of the most remote places in the world, director Siddharth Chauhan has created a masterpiece. Set in Kawar, a rural village in the Himalayas, The Flying Trunk follows a young boy desperate to discover the truth to his grandmother’s stories, however bizarre they may seem to his mother. His grandmother (Zunchi Devi) tells her grandson (Arush Thakur) that their local deity had gifted his father and grandfather a mystical flying trunk. Transfixed by the story, the boy sets about trying to find the flying trunk. Everyone in the village remains convinced that the grandmother is just a mad old woman. His mother (Divya Tegta) is dubious that her son will find the answers he’s looking for. Although the grandmother’s story is full of gods and magic, it is also a way to cope with the grief of losing her loved ones. Kawar is high up in the mountains, enveloped in a soft rolling fog. The cinematography executed by Yashwant Kumar Sharma and Siddharth Chauhan is beautiful and straightforward. Wooden houses dot along the misty, verdant rolling hills, reminiscent of Andrei Tarkovsky’s photography in Mirror. The pacing in The Flying Trunk is slow and intentional. We watch as the grandmother gradually sits in her own trunk on her veranda. She sinks into the chest, and we admire the indigo night. In some films, this shot may have been boring, but in The Flying Trunk, the simple action of sitting is contemplative. Colour is carefully considered throughout this film. The outside is a haze of warm browns, cool dark greys and lush greens. Inside, the light changes and yellow and orange tones flood the room. Not only is The Flying Trunk beautiful, but it isn’t without substance. As the grandmother tells her grandson the story of the flying trunk, there’s something else going on underneath the surface. This isn’t a just simple rural myth, but instead, the grandmother is grieving her loved ones. She tells the flying trunk story to her grandson to soften the blow of death. As her community distances from her, and her daughter-in-law keeps her inside, the grandmother feels an emotional connection with the wooden trunk. The viewer empathises with the grandmother, but the audience also understands the young boy’s curiosity about the mystical trunk. This short film comments on death and grief, but its commentary is gentle, understated and emotive. From one of the remotest locations in the world, Chauhan has created a remarkable film. Quiet, and seemingly unassuming, The Flying Trunk is a fascinating exploration of grief, and the myths and stories we tell ourselves to help keep ourselves sane.

★★★★ Directed by: Christopher Orr Written by: Steven Briggs Starring: Lenny Schmidt, Steven Briggs Film Review by: Jason Knight Heart of Gold is a short film directed by Christopher Orr and written by Steven Briggs, who also stars in it alongside Lenny Schmidt. The story is truly interesting. An assassin (Schmidt) is in an isolated place in the countryside during night-time, digging a hole in order to bury the body of a man he just killed. He is then joined by another assassin (Briggs), who is younger and appears to be more cheerful and brags about the people he has killed. As they give, they find a large chest that is full of gold coins. They decide to take the chest to the young assassin's house. Once there they discover that inside the chest, apparently written in blood, is the message: ''Repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve''. Then all of a sudden the older assassin is attacked by the man he supposedly had just killed. He kills him and then individuals who he had killed before appear and attack him, including former United States President John Fitzgerald Kennedy! Between the attacks, the young himan admits that he had never killed anyone, revealing why he is never attacked. After fighting them all off, he is overpowered by one. The younger hitman grabs a gun and prepares to shoot the intruder, only to realise that he is (or was) his brother, meaning that the older killer had murdered him as well. In retaliation he shoots the older killer instead. The film could be described as a supernatural action black comedy. The evidence of supernatural is clear, because people who have died reappear alive, apparently because the chest has a curse as the message inside suggests. There is plenty of action too, with shooting and fight scenes that are effectively choreographed. The narrative contains plenty of jokes and there are elements of black comedy, due to the fact that although there are scenes of violence and danger, they are presented humorously. For instance, when the older assassin fights with his attacker, the other assassins watches and laughs and even takes a picture on his phone. Another comic moment occurs when President Kennedy appears. As he enters the house, the ''Hail to the Chief'' song is heard, which is stronly associated with the President of the United States, and he also quotes his famous words: ''Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for you country'', leaving no doubt that he is the former President and implying that the assassin was the one who killed him. It is a rather funny moment, that adds great quality to the film. Another dark humor moment worth mentioning takes place in the final scene, when the young hitman points a gun at his brother and realises that he actually is his brother. The film cuts to a short montage of scenes that appear to have been filmed by a home video camera, which show two male children and then the young one and his brother opening Christmas presents and watching television, revealing that they are brothers, while a sweet, gentle music is heard throughout the sequence. This revelation causes him to shoot his associate instead, who is not happy about it, ending the film with a bang (so to speak) and the audience will most likely find that amusing. The film gains from entertaining performances. Specific credit though needs to go to Steven Briggs's comedic performance. He portrays a happy character, who smiles a lot and tells jokes and seems to be oblivious to the seriousness of the situations he encounters, that is until the end when he admits he never killed anyone and turn into a little wimp. It is clear that Briggs is having a lot of fun with his character. Hear of Gold is not a film that takes itself seriouly. It a roller-coaster ride that benefits from an entertaining plot, clever dialogue and interesting characters. It is well-worth pursuing. #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Directed by: #EliseMartin Starring: #BettyDenville, #AshtonSpear, #HarryClarke, #LamissahLaShontae, #WilliamPaul, #OliviaWarren and #SeanKilty Film review by: Brian Penn Many images flash thorough the mind as this inventive piece opens with a single camera meandering up the hallway of a non-descript house. We find Vera (Betty Denville) working her magic in the kitchen. She seems to be a glorious hybrid of Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins. Vera shares the house with a gang of spirits who jealously guard their relationship with the lady of the house. However, a storm is brewing as estate agent Fred (Ashton Spear) begins dating and inevitably falls in love with Vera. How will the spirits cope with this interloper who might end their cosy arrangement? To stage a musical with original songs and a self-contained storyline seems far too big for the confines of a short film. But director Elise Martin pulls it off brilliantly with songs that are bright, tuneful and quirky. Dark humour occasionally creeps in to give it some much needed tongue-in-cheek value. The five leading characters have a fair share of screen time and their own solo spots; which is a remarkable feat within the available time frame. There are teasing clues as to the spirits’ history and their connection with Vera as the story delivers a smart sting in the tail. Dearly Departed borrows heavily from other genres with a particularly strong nod to classic Walt Disney. But in many ways this is the film’s greatest strength as it presents the viewer with easily understood scenarios. If Elise Martin has a full stage musical in mind then I would very much like to see it. With the right casting, design and promotion this could be a massive hit. But with the performing arts hamstrung by Coronavirus this is one we can only imagine; like virtually everything else at the moment we are just waiting.

★★★★ Directed by: Rafael Flores Written by: Rafael Flores Starring: Netta Brooks, Trestin George, Evan Joelle, Angel Manzo, Deborah Pan Film Review by: Jason Knight E.14 Movie Review E.14 is an indie film written and directed by Rafael Flores and starring Netta Brooks, Trestin George, Evan Joelle, Allison Ewing, Deborah Pan, Angel Manzo and John Tam. The plot focuses on a number of non-Caucasian individuals who are struggling to move on with their lives in the tough streets of Oakland. The script consists of several interrelated stories involving a variety of people. Liberty (Brooks) is a young African American prostitute who has just discovered that she is pregnant and is making efforts to find new accommodation as she is being evicted and is also being threatened by her pimp King (George) for money. Augustin (Manzo) is a young Mexican immigrant who is homeless and attending lessons. Terrell (Joelle) is a young African American man who is also homeless and a troublemaker. Wei-Ling (Pan) is an elderly Eastern Asian woman who is trying to raise money in order to get health treatment for her husband. The well-structured screenplay effectively explores the characters' lives and situations and does a good job moving the narrative forward with each scene. And the scenes are supported by the very convincing performances of the cast, who successfully bring the emotions that the characters are feeling to life. The filmmakers utilise interesting techniques throughout the film. There are sequences where a character looks into the camera, addressing the audience, and tells stories of struggle and pain. Other sequences include the use of voice-over, where an unseen narrator, sometimes male, sometimes female, recites lyrics from poems. These techniques add depth to the story, helping the viewer understand the characters. Credit also goes to the use of montage during the opening credits and in the scene where multiple cars are performing stunts. The editing is truly effective in both sequences. And with the opening credits montage, the film contains shots of African American people and the camera pans through run-down neighbourhoods filled with graffiti, while a rap song is heard throughout. With these contents the viewer becomes aware that they are about to enter an African American low life world. The film appears to address many issues. Throughout the narrative, the audience becomes aware of the situations and challenges that the protagonists face. There is racism, which is suffered by Augustin when he is being picked on during lessons. Homelessness, as Augustin and Terrell are homeless. Prostitution, as Liberty is a prostitute. Police corruption is indicated when a policeman attempts to get Liberty to do favours for him, explaining that in exchange he will not arrest her. Poverty is also a subject and the issue of gun violence is pointed out towards the end Terrell fires a gun at King and his friend. E.14 is a hard-hitting look in today's society in the United States. It depicts a society where non-Caucasian individuals are unprivileged and live rough lives. Generally the film is well worthy of recognition. It is a piece of work that has a great deal to say. Well directed, well acted and well written, it provides the viewer with a thoughtful and interesting experience. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: #HesamRahmani Written by: #SaeedAminabadi Starring: Saeed Aminabadi, #GolzarTorkamanha, #HasanRahmani Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch “I dedicate this movie to my father and all the people struggling with dementia.” Right from the start, it is clear that Faces without Visage is tackling deeply personal material for the filmmakers, focusing on childhood memories and building this imagery from family photographs. Hesam Rahmani guides us through this journey with gripping editing and animation, depicting his father and himself in the struggles against dementia. The visual language Rahmani commits to elevates his story as Saeed Aminabadi’s script and narration gives context beyond blanket statements, his words flow like poetry as they contemplate the helpless feelings against memories slipping away. Rahmani and Aminabadi don’t layout this family history clinically, the strain of dementia against its subjects and families are felt through the framing of a photograph, a clue hidden within the narration. Aminabadi chronicles this journey in a neutral tone neither giving in to anger or grief, we are presented this story as a memory, resigned and out of our control. Rahmani presents the memory and the story as out of control, both for himself and the audience as the use of animation specifically the scribbled lines which cover faces is very effective. Treasured memories in the form of the most mundane photos are twisted and manipulated capturing that chilling thought of how vulnerable one is against this disease. The imagery bore similarities to “Time’s Arrow” an episode of Bojack Horseman which also explored the effects of dementia against memory. Eventually, almost every face vanishes, the features and the feelings of every person gone as Rahmani has the audience stare into the empty voids replaced by skylines or fire. It’s disturbing but tranquil as Faces without Visage sets out to empathise rather than terrify but it's still not without its haunting moments. Aminabadi’s narration has the audience piece together the history to Rahmani and his father, with allusions to a dark past as a visage is replaced with a bullet or a photo is streaked with blood. His relationship with Golzar Torkamanha, the mother and how the father only remembered her with implications that her death has left him deeply depressed, now awaiting his own death unable to recognise anything around him. Faces without Visage is not a happy story but it still has a reaffirming power through its visuals, the audience learns more on every rewatch discovering new pieces within the narration and composition. Finishing with a gripping and heartbreaking final scene, Hesam Rahmani doesn’t let the artistry to his film be a cover to the reality to its inspirations. It’s a moving and fascinating piece that delves into understanding dementia’s effect on the mind so when we finally look into Hasan Rahmani’s eyes perhaps we can finally understand what he sees instead of what we see. #CoreyBulloch #shortfilm