★★★★ Directed by #TayarishaPoe Written by #TayarishaPoe Starring #LovieSimone #JharrelJerome Film Review by Brandon Thomas High school has always been ripe for depiction on the silver screen. The drama, comedy, absurdness and horror of social structures and adolescence has gifted us classics like Carrie, The Breakfast Club and Heathers. While Selah and the Spades might not exist in the upper echelon of high school cinema, it is a strong newcomer in its own right. At Haldwell School, five factions run the elicit world of parties, alcohol and drugs. The most powerful of them, The Spades, is led by Queen Bee, Selah (Lovie Simone). Selah and her second in command, Maxxie (Jharrel Jerome of Moonlight), rule Haldwell’s underground with an iron first. Selah’s facade of cool, calm and collected begins to wane as she tests a potential replacement (Celeste O’Connor), and as she hears rumblings of a potential snitch. Writer-director Tayarisha Poe jams a lot of style into her debut feature. The camera work is methodical and at times dreamy. The soundtrack, like any good high school mix, is wonderfully eclectic: jazz band cuts to modern pop sounds with a dash of Bing Crosby. Tonally, the film is reminiscent of Rian Johnson’s Brick. While that film did deal with life or death through a delightfully hip noir tale, Selah is content to revel in the cool without being bothered by plot. Dangling story threads of “What if…” pepper throughout Selah and the Spades. Most interesting being the almost brushed aside story of Selah’s former protege, and the incident she vehemently refuses to discuss. The brief glimpse of vulnerability in Selah’s character comes in a singular scene where we see her home life, and the pressure from her mother that has undoubtedly molded her into the emotional grifter she is now. When the main character’s name is in the title, you better make sure that character delivers, and Simone commands the screen with a kaleidoscope of emotions. Selah’s power comes from the ability to adapt her behavior for each situation. She can be cunning, trustworthy or vulnerable - depending on her need at that particular moment. The complexities of the character threaten to overshadow her humanity at times, but Poe’s terrific script and Simone’s complicated performance help maintain a line of empathy for Selah. Through an ambitious and original sense of style and character, Selah and the Spades positions itself as a high school movie for more than just a high school audience. #BrandonThomas

★★★ Directed by #MistiDawnGarritano #MackenzieBarmen Starring: #MistiDawnGarritano #TimothyJCox Film review by Nathanial Eker A ‘slice of life’ story is the perfect vehicle for a succinct short film with a clear thematic message. Denial takes a whistle-stop look at the fear of having a child through a sharp narrative structure and an absurdly dense supporting character, in just three minutes. While its acting may be bathetic and its score underwhelming, this simple story of an everyday problem is both relatable and effective. John and his unnamed wife are going about their day when disaster strikes: the toilet won’t flush. Using his tools to fix it, John makes a far more startling discovery that most would consider plain to see. The narration employed in Denial thoughtfully uses cinematography to mislead the audience into focusing on the mundane. The choice to shield the wife’s pregnant belly using a mixture of a cut off camera and everyday objects is a clever one. Ditto for the reveal of the pregnancy testing kit that John scrambles with, as both keep the viewer at an objective distance that makes the ending reveal more impactful. Less impactful is the acting of Timothy J Cox, which is regrettably hammy and unbelievable. Less is often more and unfortunately, Cox chooses to act with the red-faced intensity of a man defusing a bomb rather than one checking a pregnancy testing kit. Director-writer-actor Misti Dawn Garritano fares better as our eye rolling protagonist, though the two fail to capture any genuine chemistry. Yes, they’re clearly having problems, but there’s no sense of any discernible romantic history whatsoever. Equally ineffective is the ‘comedic’ score, which is unappealingly feeble with its one wind instrument (what is that? A bassoon? A clarinet?). While it supports the tone of the film nicely by exemplifying our protagonist’s eye rolling opinions of her buffoonish husband, it lacks the ‘oomph’ to be properly engaging. At just under three minutes, the film creates a surprising amount of implied depth. While the metaphysical chemistry is lacking, actions speak louder than words. John’s reaction to the news takes a realistic look at pregnancy that surpasses the clichés of choosing pure ecstasy or abject despair; shockingly, many couples fall somewhere in the middle. The film is, in this sense enjoyably subversive when considering how stereotypically ‘Hollywood’ this comedy plays both its mise-en-scène and narrative beats in every other regard. To conclude, Denial is a charismatic examination of that ‘big step’ that many go through. Though it’s hindered by a cartoonish lead and a poor soundtrack, there is still much to like about this tight, charming short film. Don’t deny it two minutes and forty-five seconds of your time; you might find yourself enjoying it. #NathanialEker

★★★ Directed by #RyanGraff Written by #DanielShafer Starring #FabienneTournet, #JamieMTimmons, #BrettDelBuono Film Review by Amber Jackson Black Moon is a chilling snapshot of a woman (Fabienne Tournet) being lured into an underpass tunnel and experiencing unimaginable horrors. This short film is every woman’s worst nightmare – with the added supernatural elements of her not being able to escape and having no phone battery. It is easy to imagine this film as a full-length feature, but it is fantastic in its own right. In just eight minutes it manages to contain equal measures of shock and suspense in just one location. A black moon is the second new moon to occur in one month, which is a very unusual event. Screenwriter Daniel Shafer takes this phenomenon and reimagines it to be something that should be feared in an everyday setting. This is the pinnacle of the horror genre, as it invites audiences to experience real life fear. The superstition becomes reality for the protagonist, as she who has no knowledge about what is happening is taken by complete surprise by a young girl (Jamie M. Timmons) crying in the dim underpass. Thinking that something is amiss and being a young mother herself, she goes to see if she can help, but a grim reality soon takes a hold of her. Ryan Graff’s direction creates an atmosphere in a public space that feel private. Having a small cast enables the film to feel intimate and consequently, even more terrifying. Use of sound exemplifies this further, as the focus is on Tournet’s breathing a lot of the time. The increased volume and rapidity of it invites the audience to become increasingly more frightened along with her. The layering of supernatural vocals almost encircles Tournet with the camera creating chilling atmospheric conditions. Considering the resources that this short worked with, Graff and the other filmmakers have created a terrifying environment that feels realistic, despite its supernatural element. The camera, too, follows Tournet’s face and moves with her and often circles her too. This contrasts with the beginning moments where the camera lingers on shots of the tunnel. This really highlights her vulnerability and you cannot help but empathise with her, as she did in wanting to help the young girl in the tunnel. This applies also to Brett DelBuono’s character later in the film, as he too wants to help and the camera lingers with the chilling knowledge of what it to come. In terms of the horror/thriller genre, the film does not offer that much difference in the way of variation or narrative, but it successfully hooks its audience with its ability to inspire terror. Black Moon is a well-made short film and was listed for The London Independent Film Festival. It will be exciting to see how it is further received. #AmberJackson Watch the Movie Trailer

★★★ Directed and Written by: #AnthonyZJames Starring: #AnthonyMarkStreeter #NathanHamilton #RussellBarnett #EmmyHappisburgh #SeverijaBielskyte Indie Film Review by: #ChrisBuick After a decade of incarceration, former mob thug Tony (Streeter) has finally emerged a free man. But with nowhere to go and nothing to his name, he finds himself tasked not only with trying to reconnect with his estranged wife Val (Happisburgh) and now adult son Conor (Hamilton), but also with trying to keep his nose clean or face an even longer stretch back inside. And despite his well-intentioned efforts to make up for lost time and get his life back on track, the demons of his past are hot on his heels and gaining ground. First and foremost, what must be stated is that Ghost is a film helmed by a #filmmaker with a clear and uncompromising vision. However, it is also a vision that also requires extreme nerves of steel and amazing self-belief. Because for a London based crime drama, Ghost is an incredibly reserved piece of work. This is a genre that normally saturates itself with hard-man clichés and graphic violence, but not here. No words are spoken until over nine minutes into the piece, and even for a good time after that they are few and far between, but what this achieves is an authentic sense of distance between its characters that only decade apart would provoke, as well as giving us a few moments to enjoy some accomplished camera-work. It’s minimalist charm doesn’t always shine though; there are moments of silence between the characters which do at times hang uncomfortably. Originally a short film before being stretched into a full length feature, this stretching is somewhat evident, mainly in the first half and it is not until around the midway point that film finally decides to get the ball rolling, by which point some attention spans might be wearing a bit thin, but those who persevere will be rewarded in the end when the film reaches its well-earned finale. As mentioned, Ghost initially came into being as a short film, but after witnessing a captivating performance by Streeter, James felt compelled to explore more about this character and decided to expand to feature length and it’s clear that James has a keen eye for talent. Streeter manages to tells us just about everything we need to know about Tony through a single saddened smile and fully embodies the role of a man with infinite regret desperate for a second chance. “I still want to be his hero.” There are other good performances too. Hamilton’s Conor gives us a complicated blend of a young man with the world at his feet, but also signs of youthful immaturity and the toxic masculinity that has seeped into him after bearing witness to his fathers various misdeeds, and Barnett’s head-honcho Dom does fantastically well not to resort to caricature, instead favouring a more measured but equally unnerving performance. The supporting cast however seem less able to keep the pace performance-wise, especially the real bit players who lack any punch in their line delivery, and are perhaps even guilty of looking straight down the barrel a couple of times. Ghost is a film that keeps its cards flat against its chest for the longest while, occasionally throwing out the odd scrap for us to feed on, and James is happy to let the film float along at the start like a leaf on a river, before allowing the current to pick up so inconceivably that we never see the resulting waterfall coming. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★★★ Directed by #BrettStory Written by #BrettStory Film Review by Hope Madden It’s August, 2016 – the hottest August in history – and Brett Story (The Prison in Twelve Landscapes) is taking the temperature of New York City. Armed with open-ended questions, she travels borough to borough gauging different New Yorkers’ sensibilities concerning climate, race, capitalism, robotics, gentrification, unions. As the world sweats and readies itself for a total solar eclipse, Story gets people talking. Her subjects are not tongue tied, and their soliloquies are loosely linked one to the other by their in-the-moment nature. You can’t talk about this moment, it seems, without waxing nostalgic about the past and worrying about the future. How do they feel about the future? Some are compelled to take action, to exert some control over their present to claim their own future. Others prepare. Some take note of what’s going on around them and that’s enough. Some don’t even do that. The film is equally fascinating whether it's digging into grand ideas or sitting in a sidewalk lawn chair chit chatting about the nastier, day-to-day consequences of gentrification. It’s best, though, when it walks alongside Afronaut - New York artist or man from the future who’s come back to make notes on the present and offer sage advice? Multiply the probability of a harm by the magnitude of the harm. All directors manipulate the message, especially documentarians, and Story is no different. Story’s unshowy curiosity proves an amicable though not passive guide. She doesn’t judge, neither does she excuse. Story talks with big thinkers in their spacious, impressive apartments. She follows activists to the streets as they practice to effect change. She sits on a barstool with Yankee fans who’d like to reframe racism as “resentment.“ Is the future controllable, inevitable, or both? Are we preparing for it, or will it eat us whole like the moon ate the sun that August? The answer is ultimately surreal – just ask Afronaut. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Written and directed by #MarcusMcMahon Starring #MarcusMcMahon, #SannaKelly, #KeithChanter, #RobAkin Short Film Review by Jack Bottomley It continues to impress me how independent filmmakers over the decades keep raising bars and keep producing works of such ambition. Be they clearly of a low budget background or of a higher (but still small in the grand scheme of things) one; the resilience, talent and care put to many films - long or short - is continually inspiring and impressive and the quality continues to increase. So it is that I sat down to watch A Helical, a new sci-fi short from writer/director (and also star) #MarcusMcMahon which, as the title connotes, takes a spiral-like form in the mind as you are processing it. And as the film swirls round and round your cerebral corridors, you are awestruck, intrigued and maybe even a little confused or taken aback. The plot centres on a man (played by McMahon) that travels to a mysterious planet, the strange inhabitants of which reveal more about his own subconscious than theirs. What follows is a rather abstract unblinkered piece of art, saturated with ideas of esotericism and jungian analysis. The very engrossing nature of the unconscious mind takes over and as A Helical takes you on its unusual journey, you cannot help but try and decipher it, get to grips with it and question it at every turn. On a technical level, this is a breathtaking masterpiece. Immediately it reminds of films like Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell To Earth and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, in its transportive and alluring aesthetic power, and its contemplative meanings. Feeling like an experimental and ambitious revisitation of a ripe and creative era in science fiction (late ‘60s to early ‘80s), it has a strong ‘70s feel throughout (both visually and ideologically) and the work of names like Bergman, Kubrick, Scott and Tarkovsky ring throughout its passages of long shot wonder and narrative ambiguity. Some will look upon this as a work of immense complexity and deeply rewarding sci-fi beauty, others may become frustrated by its purposeful pace and identity. As industrial England is transformed into an otherworldly road into the mind and the very limits of what our subconscious has to offer, there is no doubt that the film does not give any easy answers and forces you to think about each and every aspect. The characters and dialogue, like the plot itself, are unclear and largely open to and welcoming of interpretation. As such this is a most stirring vision but not always a fully formed one. Whatever you think of its content, there is still much more to think on. However the most impactful mark is left by its audio-visual majesty, which empowers the film’s many depths. The film is immaculately shot, with its lingering scenes capturing every aspect of the excellent imagery with such clarity and there are camera tricks at work here, which only make #MichalWisniowski’s remarkable cinematography (with drone work by #AlistairGillan) all the easier to get lost in. Likewise the magnificent score by #StephenRichardson, which is as much a character itself in the film as an atmosphere conjuring accompaniment, alongside the further roster of stretching landscapes, original structures and perfectly chosen locations. The great editing by #JonDean allows this dream-like procession of the images and sounds to be all the more intoxicating and McMahon’s direction (like his writing and central performance) leave no doubts that this film is very much a labour of love for the small but incredibly talented crew. Hand on heart, I cannot say I fully understood it (few could from just a single viewing). It would be simply a big headed fib to say I did. However, this film leaves resonant waves in the mind and soul, and in time, I wonder what more I could possibly unpick or ascertain from it. This film has stayed with me upon viewing it (and will continue to do so), as has its beauty, atmosphere and power. A real achievement in independently made aesthetically astounding conceptual sci-fi. I can see work like this being the excellent foundation of this Anglo-Irish filmmaking prodigy who, like his entire team, are assuredly set for some great things in the future. #JackBottomley

★★★★ Directed By: #CorryRaymond Written By: #CorryRaymond Starring: #FraserAyres #YasminPaige #BeckyFowler Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Right now, the entire world is going through what is almost certainly the strangest and most uncertain of times that most generations have witnessed since the Second World War. And as a result of the current global situation, people everywhere are doing whatever they can to desperately hold on to some form of normality as well as their connections to the outside world and the people they love, despite the current restrictions. But our basic need for human connection is something that pre-dates the current epidemic by a long way; it is an integral and undeniable part of human nature and this event, as strange as it is, is one that has simply amplified those desires. Short Film Performance Issues from #filmmaker Corry Raymond centres around the very idea of trying to maintain connection and intimacy even in the most unique of circumstances. We meet Dan (Ayres), a man in his thirties, as he walks into a shop to request a refund from staff member Fiona (Paige). His problem? His sex bot Kiki (Fowler) which he purchased to cushion the blow of his recent break-up no longer seems to be attracted to him. And he’s tried everything to make it work, buying it flowers, making it dinner and even learning machine code. “Is it dangerous to family members, pets or genitalia?” This line is just one of the highlights in what is ultimately a smartly written, quick-witted accomplishment and there are gems like this sprinkled throughout. It is through lines like these that despite this high-concept premise, Raymond manages to embolden all the truly grounding aspects at play here, such as the awkwardness most of us have talking about sex or the desperation people feel being part of a failing relationship, but he has also allowed it all to be processed through a filter of humour and good nature. What is probably most pleasing to see is that the subject matter is handled in such a way gives a surprising grace and maturity to a film about sex robots. Sure, it might not be a situation most are familiar with, but the way the film presents the struggles Dan is going through draws countless parallels to any relationship and therefore becomes utterly relatable. But a lot of that correct sensibility and tone succeeds thanks to a sincere, funny and at times heart-breaking performance from Ayres. One might question someone’s motives for purchasing such an item and most would simply write it off as perversion. But through Ayres we can see that Dan is simply a man looking for someone, or in this case something, to love and more importantly, just wants them to love him back. So rather than ridicule, we instead want to root for him, and this feeling is greatly personified in Paige’s Fiona, who manages to convey an overwhelming sense of sympathy rather than harsh judgement. The only stumble the film could be accused of is that the singular interaction we see between Dan and Kiki seems rather hammy and schlocky in comparison to the rest of the piece, meaning the film takes a slight dip in momentum but nowhere near enough to take away from the overall success of the film. Cleverly avoiding pitfalls of appearing crass or resorting to overtly graphic visual gags, Performance Issues is instead charmingly funny yet always tinged with an underlying sense of sadness as well as moments filled with varying degrees of pity and awkwardness. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster but when the ride is over, you will have a smile on your face. And who doesn’t want that? #ChrisBuick

★★★★ Directed by: #CameronCurrin Written by: #CameronCurrin Starring: #ChelseaMurphy, #PaulDMorgan, #AlizéLee Film Review by: Darren Tilby The science fiction genre has always served us with fictional reimaginings of scientific or technological advances and major environmental and social changes. And, with Infinitus, writer/director Cameron Currin utilises the genre to its fullest potential. In the form of a 10-minute extended commentary on climate change and mankind’s, frankly baffling, self-destructive nature. We join the film as the earth is in the throes of an environmental disaster. Humanity has, in a kind of twisted incarnation of our harnessing of solar energy, harvested and exhausted the power of our nearest star—the sun. But of course, mankind realised too late that the damage they had done had become irreversible. And eventually, the surface of the earth began to freeze over, causing almost all life to die out and forcing people to seek shelter in underground facilities - searching for a solution to a very man-made crisis. We see the result of this crisis from the perspective of survivor and astronaut, Rachel. A persistently strong performance from Chelsea Murphy, and one that channels Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. In fact, much of this movie takes inspiration from Ridley Scott’s seminal work on Alien: from the retro-fitted aesthetics and atmospheric sound design, right through to the heavy reliance on old-school practical special effects. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, and the film benefits from some fantastic production design, which teases a reality the viewer will be dying to explore. It’s a shame then that, due to the nature of short films, this doesn’t happen. The world is beautifully set up, but that’s as far as we ever get. And it’s the same story with Murphy’s character. Rachel is an intriguing figure, but we need to know more about her and her background with John (Paul D. Morgan) and Aurora (Alizé Lee) – who only ever appears in a photograph – to really empathise with them or their actions. And we simply don’t. This is my only real problem here. It’s that all this excellent work by, very obviously, incredibly talented people ultimately feels like it doesn’t go anywhere. Or at least doesn't go far enough. Infinitus, perhaps more than any other movie I’ve had the pleasure to review, is a film which desperately cries out for a feature-length adaptation. It’s a superbly ambitious short sci-fi film that’s profoundly pertinent to our time. And its finale could be that of hope (if you’re an optimist) or resignation (if you’re a pessimist). But it’s woefully held back by the restrictions of short film-making. Namely its the short running time stripping the film of any meaningful character development or emotional clout. However...Infinitus still works incredibly well thanks, chiefly, to its superb use of practical effects, stellar production design and strong central performances. It’d be great to see this becoming a proof-of-concept piece for a greatly expanded universe. And it’s one I’d be only too happy to explore.

★★★ Directed by #MarcMeyers Written by #AlanTrezza Starring #AlexandraDaddario #JohnnyKnoxville #MaddieHasson Film Review by Hope Madden The year was 1988, and as far as you know, metal bands shouted “hail Satan” and evangelicals took to the airwaves warning their flocks about cults driven to spill virtuous blood. Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer) jumps in the way back machine to road trip with three besties headed to a rock show. Alexis (Alexandra Daddario), Val (Maddie Hasson) and Bev (Amy Forsyth) are rockin’ like Dokken with those bare midriff black tees and upside down cross dangles, but something’s amiss. For one thing, their hair is not nearly obnoxious enough. No way they’re en route to a rock concert in ’88. No one’s hair even grazes the car ceiling. Also, that trio of dudes they’re flirting with (at least one of them is mulleted, so there is a whiff of authenticity) is clearly beneath them. Plus, with this nationwide ritualistic Satanic killing spree going on… Here’s the thing, though. I was actually alive in rural Ohio in the late Eighties, and there honestly were people—like, people in authority—who believed our corn fields were lousy with covens. They believed metal music transmitted the words of the dark lord to the eager ears of teens. It wasn’t true. It’s just that all rock bands in 1988 sucked. Nonetheless, Meyers creates a nearly believable atmosphere for his spare, occasionally comical dive into Ozzy-inspires Satanism. Hasson charms as the hot friend with a weak bladder. While the banter never feels quite fresh enough to be improvisational, the dialog among the three girls is random, comfortable fun. Daddario and Hasson share a silly chemistry that keeps scenes bright and engaging, even when the slight plot begins to wear through. In its best moments, We Summon the Darkness conjures Kevin Smith’s Red State (an underseen and under-appreciated horror gem). Johnny Knoxville plays intriguingly against type as the Midwestern pastor warning youngsters about the lures of the devil, and Daddario has enough screen presence to anchor the movie. There’s just not a lot to see here. Pretty girls. Terrible music. Worse clothes. Religious zealots. Backwards thinking. Friends who drive you crazy on a road trip because they have to stop every ten minutes to pee. Yes, that does sound like 1988 to me, actually. It’s just too bad Meyers couldn’t deliver the kind of inspired, memorable scares born of high school relationships, weirdos and misfits he shared in My Friend Dahmer. Instead the camaraderie and atmosphere become entertaining distractions from a forgettable story. #HopeMadden

Press Releases > Movie News Can You Keep A Secret?, will be released in the UK across all major digital download platforms from 4 May. Based on Sophie Kinsella's best selling novel of the same name, the film boasts an incredible leading duo of Alexandra Daddario (Baywatch, Percy Jackson Series) & Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf, Arrow), with The Hollywood News calling them "romantic comedy gems". The film also has an exciting supporting cast featuring Orange Is the New Black alumni Kimiko Glenn (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) & Laverne Cox (Charlies Angles). Can You Keep A Secret? follows New York City marketing manager Emma (Alexandra Daddario) who on a return flight from a botched client meeting, reveals all of her deepest secrets to a handsome stranger when her plane hits turbulence and she believes she is going to die. Emma thinks she will never see the guy again. But when she comes to work Monday morning, Emma's office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO and founder... and the stranger from the plane. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Over the course of the coming weeks, Emma must navigate her developing relationship with Jack, what he knows of her secrets, and a life she discovers is in need of transformation. Can You Keep A Secret? will be available on Digital Download from 4th May and available to Pre-Order here. Watch the Movie Trailer

★★★★ Directed by: #SebCox Written by: #SebCox and #JohnBlack Starring: #JohnBlack and #BenjaminDavidTaylor Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas Tide of Ghosts is Seb Cox’s latest film and it was co-written with John Black. With an incredible sensitivity the short tells the story between Andrew (John Black) and George (Benjamin David Taylor), two friends who together must face disturbing facts. Andrew keeps getting visits from his late mate, George, who drowned at the beach and cannot leave the Earth and move to the spiritual world since his body hasn’t been found yet. Andrew struggles trying to find ways to cope with George’s inevitable and permanent departure. On the other hand, George seems anxious to leave. Tide of Ghosts plays effectively with our expectations and throws twists our way just when we start getting comfortable with the narrative. It is possible to see some clear filmic references from the late 1990s, but I will refrain from naming specific references since it would give away the last twist of the film. In Cox’s short, however, some questions remain unanswered when the final credits roll. Ironically, in tying the narrative at the end of the film, some questions about the first half of the film arise. Nevertheless, these questions didn’t disturb my enjoyment of the film. The short film was made with a budget of £300, which is an astonishing accomplishment given the difficulty of some scenes and the competence of the cinematography and editing. Some sequences really struck me as how sophisticated they were not only in technological expertise, but also in conveying meaning for the narrative. Cox not only directed and co-wrote the short, he was also the cinematographer, colourist, editor and was in charge of the visual FX. He has been making films since 2002, and Tide of Ghosts is the last of a vast repertoire and his films that mainly focus on the emotions both on screen as lived by the characters, on in front of the screen as lived by the spectators. As it is a bit rarer to see delicate stories about male friendship, the relationship between the two main characters was presented in such a way that it heightened my sense of enjoyment of the film. The actors John Black and Benjamin David Taylor, thus, deserve due praise since not once did their performances seemed contrived or unnatural. It really felt as if Andrew and George had been friends for a long time – with the banter and even the arguments – but it also showed their uncertainty with the future and reluctance to accept the truth.

★★★★ Directed by #MoScarpelli Starring: #JorgeThielenHedderich #JorgeThielenArmand Film review by Nathanial Eker Film, more than any other medium has an interesting way of blending reality and fiction; documentaries even more-so. Though they offer the tantalising opportunity to peek behind the lens, questions are inevitably raised. Where does the filmmaker’s allegiance lie? What did they neglect to include in the all-essential edit? And did she really feed her husband to those tigers? Director Mo Scarpelli’s El Father Plays Himself intensifies this disconnect, as we are forced behind a lens behind another lens. What this film-about-a-film reveals both disturbs and compels, culminating in what is either an unflinching character study, or tiresome video diary of an ill man. Or alternatively, a bit of both. Director Jorge Thielen Armand reconnects with his alcoholic father Hedderich, by taking him back to his roots in the Amazon jungle to shoot a biopic; La Fortaleza. As the picture is based on his past, Hedderich portrays himself in brutally honest detail. What follows is a plagued production that blurs the lines between acting and exploitation. The most striking thing about El Father Plays Himself is its use of cinematic misdirection. Shooting with what I imagine to be a 25mm lens from a variety of filmic angles, the fluid and considered cinematography of this documentary immediately calls its authenticity into question. While Armand’s film is undoubtedly a scripted work of fiction, what about Mo Scarpelli’s? This questioning intent irreparably reframes the viewing process; as a work of fiction, it’s a dark comedy of errors. However, as a portrait of real events, El Father Plays Himself takes on an insidious hue. Hedderich is clearly a deeply affected man. We see it consistently; his repressed anger and pained loss expose themselves even when he’s sober. When asked how his son behaved as a child, he responds with little more than assumptions and one-liners. It’s after a bottle or two of rum, however, that the extent of his ire manifests. Expletives are shouted, punches are thrown, tears are shed; it’s often difficult to watch this man break down so completely. It’s this aspect of the documentary that makes it both challenging and open to be challenged. The premise of a behind the scenes look at a troubled production is nothing new in works of documentary (Peter Jackson’s King Kong production diaries) or mockumentary (Mutant Swinger from Mars et al). However, much like in Shirley Clarke’s deeply problematic Portrait of Jason, the fuelling of addiction for the sake of art (or commercial attention) is a markedly devious and deplorable act. As a study of a problematic film set, El Father Plays Himself is wonderfully crafted. Tableaus of Hedderich’s conflicted expressions characterise a mise-en-scené that focuses so intrinsically on its lead, that it almost eclipses the stunning Amazon backdrop. Scarpelli employs cunning editing and cinematography to craft three realms of existence; that of the past, the present, and the fantasy. The first is achieved through heart-breaking family videos, the second through present events, and the fantasy through the supposed semi-real content of La Fortaleza. Scarpelli cleverly blends footage from the two latter realms, blurring the lines of fact and fiction, and therefore disallowing the audience to fully draw a conclusive opinion of Armand and Hedderich. El Father Plays Himself is a fascinating study of the extent to which filmic truth can be pushed. By blurring reality, Scarpelli crafts a thoughtful piece that ultimately bestows the viewer a sense of solemn judgement; one that forces us to voice our thoughts, yet never so vocally that we might look foolish, should a scene turn out to be one of satirical vice, clever camera work, and simply a very talented actor. Though it might never become clear exactly what percentage of the film is a pre-calculated trick at the audience’s expense, El Father Plays Himself is certain to upset and unsettle as much as it will inspire debate. #NathanialEker