A portrait of cultural attitudes present in post-revolutionary Cuba, presented through a fusion of archival footage and narrative film. I really like the conversations between workers about the nature of being a revolutionary, and in general the conversations have an intriguing sense of earnestness. Sara Gomez showed incredible promise here- it’s a real shame that she died so young. RIP.
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Fox and His Friends 1975
There’s very little mystery or, considering the storyline, empathy to be found here. It’s like a slow moving car crash that everyone can see coming and yet nobody cares to stop. It’s hard to tell if we’re supposed to feel bad for Fox or think he’s a doofus. Maybe a bit of both.
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Sambizanga 1972
A classic of revolutionary cinema, even if it’s “too beautiful” for some of the genres proponents. To me it feels like a synthesis of Pather Panchali and The Battle of Algiers (which Maldoror was an assistant on). In Sambizanga, everyone is potentially a part of the movement, including children, people with disabilities and the elderly.
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Morvern Callar 2002
Samantha Morton is remarkable as Morvern, who somehow radiates feelings through her stoicism. She only lets us in through hesitations - her non-action at times feels like trauma revealing itself. Lynne Ramsay has a ton of style and it shines through in everything from the camera shots to the expertly curated soundtrack.
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