Contributions from Marina Ashioti | Little White Lies

Contributor Marina Ashioti

A close-up portrait of a young man with short brown hair, a thoughtful expression, and piercing blue eyes.
Review

Sebastian review – bland character study

by Marina Ashioti

A young, Lon­don-based writer begins a dou­ble life as a sex work­er in Mikko Mäkelä’s queer psy­cho­log­i­cal drama.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two people sitting on the floor surrounded by scattered papers and documents.
Review

Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other review – a portrait of love and resilience

by Marina Ashioti

The beau­ti­ful, com­plex bond between acclaimed pho­tog­ra­ph­er Joel Meyerowitz and writer/​artist Mag­gie Bar­rett is the sub­ject of this art­ful doc.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two individuals, a man and a woman, in a close, intimate embrace.
Review

To A Land Unknown review – a brilliantly acted tale of moral complexity

by Marina Ashioti

Two Pales­tin­ian refugees nav­i­gate the seedy under­bel­ly of Athens in Mah­di Fleifel’s com­pelling fic­tion fea­ture debut.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman with curly, dark hair adorned with crescent moon accessories, wearing a black feathered garment and staring intently at the viewer against a starry night background.
In Heaven Everything Is Fine

Light in the darkness: David Lynch’s Dune

by Marina Ashioti

David Lynch’s one-time adven­ture in Hol­ly­wood block­buster film­mak­ing would for­ev­er change him – but not his heart.
Two people, a man in glasses and a jumper, and a woman with blonde hair, standing in a room.
Review

Love Hurts review – no love, much hurts

by Marina Ashioti

Ke Huy Quan and Ari­ana Debose star in stunt per­former Jonathan Eusebio’s Valentine’s Day-themed direc­to­r­i­al debut.

2
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
Two men seated outdoors, one with a beard, wearing coats and jumpers.
Review

Merchant Ivory review – an affectionate yet shallow biodoc

by Marina Ashioti

Stephen Soucy delves into the cre­ative and per­son­al part­ner­ship of Ismail Mer­chant and James Ivory which pro­duced some of Britain’s great­est lit­er­ary adaptations.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Large green creature jumping over a black limousine in a cityscape with people standing around.
Review

Grand Theft Hamlet review – all the world’s a stage

by Marina Ashioti

A pro­duc­tion of Shakespeare’s Ham­let in online world of Grand Theft Auto became these two actors’ answer to the pandemic’s enforced lockdowns.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Young woman in pink dress posing between metallic curtains.
Review

Layla review – Bilal Hasna shines

by Marina Ashioti

This occa­sion­al­ly-vibrant odd cou­ple gay rela­tion­ship dra­ma is too super­fi­cial and sil­ly to leave a last­ing mark.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Figures stand on snowy peak, dressed in grey and white clothing.
Review

A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things review – effusive ode to Willie Barns-Graham

by Marina Ashioti

Mark Cousins’ lyri­cal explo­ration into the life and work of a lit­tle-known mod­ernist painter from Scotland.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Group of people wearing colourful cowboy hats, shirts, and dresses in a celebratory scene.
Review

Milisuthando review – an intimate, nuanced cine-essay

by Marina Ashioti

This doc­u­men­tary art­ful­ly explores famil­ial love, race and belong­ing through the com­plex frame­work of South African history.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Large crowd of people in an auditorium or venue, black and white image.
Festivals

The Creative Nonfiction Film Weekend highlights the infinite possibilities of documentary

by Marina Ashioti

Fea­tur­ing films by Joan­na Arnow and Miryam Charles, the inau­gur­al Cre­ative Non­fic­tion Film Week­end at Lon­don’s Gen­e­sis Cin­e­ma cel­e­brates all the strange and cre­ative forms that doc­u­men­tary films can take.
Three photographs of people, possibly from a film, displayed in a filmstrip format. The images show close-up portraits of individuals with dark, edgy hairstyles and clothing. The photographs are overlaid with colourful markings, creating a visually striking and edgy composition.
Festivals

Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

Car­la J Eas­t­on and Blair Young’s infor­ma­tive doc­u­men­tary about Scot­land’s unsung musi­cal pio­neers strikes an impact­ful chord.