Contributor Marina Ashioti

A man photographs two people in a desert setting.
Festivals

Escape to the Silver Globe – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

A Polish documentary explores the history and artistic trauma surrounding Andrzej Żuławski’s fragmented sci-fi magnum opus.
Two young girls seated, one looking pensive and the other engrossed in an activity, with large leafy green plants in the background.
Festivals

A House Made of Splinters – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

Prescient and deeply affecting Ukraine-set doc exploring the lives of children displaced by the country's 2014 invasion.
A woman in a red coat stands with arms crossed in a field, with ruins of a building in the background against a cloudy sky.
In Praise Of

Scene Stealers: Piano practice stand-off in The Power of the Dog

by Marina Ashioti

Our series on the most spell-binding moments from 2022’s Best Picture Nominees continues with Jane Campion’s tense take on the Old West.
Aerial view of a dramatic horseshoe-shaped canyon with vibrant orange and turquoise colours.
Review

River

by Marina Ashioti

Not even Willem Dafoe’s narration can save this meandering documentary with tired colonial overtones.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
A person with closed eyes and raised hand in a forested area.
Review

Europa

by Marina Ashioti

A young Iraqi refugee seeks refuge in Bulgaria in writer/director Haider Rashid’s heart-stopping drama.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Subway carriage interior with passengers seated and standing, including a person wearing sunglasses, vibrant clothing, and dreadlocks.
Review

Rebel Dread

by Marina Ashioti

William E Badgley trains his camera on cult figure Don Letts, chronicling the collision between the UK’s punk and reggae scenes.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people, a man in a grey top and a woman in a yellow top, interacting outdoors in front of a building with columns.
Review

A Journal for Jordan

by Marina Ashioti

Denzel Washington’s fourth directorial effort is a story of love, loss and sacrifice told through the journal of Charles Monroe King.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two men sitting on a sofa, one with darker skin and the other with lighter skin.
Review

Cicada

by Marina Ashioti

A bookstore meet-cute leads to a transformative relationship for two gay men in Matthew Fifer and Kieran Mulcare’s drama.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Cow in dark, muddy barn aisle between wooden beams and metal walls.
Review

Cow

by Marina Ashioti

Andrea Arnold’s long-awaited fifth feature is a remarkable and visceral assault on the senses.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Three women in formal black outfits, one with a patterned jacket, standing in a hallway.
Review

The 355

by Marina Ashioti

Jessica Chastain’s passion project is a questionable espionage thriller that flaunts its international cast of A-Listers.

2
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect

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