Locarno Film Festival | Little White Lies

Locarno Film Festival

Man in hooded jacket playing acoustic guitar on crowded bus.
Festivals

Out of Place at the Locarno Film Festival

by Esmé Holden

Esmé Hold­en offers a heart­felt reflec­tion on the highs and lows of her first time attend­ing the Locarno Film Festival.
Curly-haired person looking pensive in a crowded urban setting.
Festivals

Baan – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

In Leonor Teles’s enig­mat­ic sec­ond fea­ture, spa­tial exper­i­men­ta­tion becomes geo­graph­ic gap-bridg­ing material.
A woman in a white coat stands in a dimly lit room, with others behind her wearing similar clothing.
Festivals

Sweet Dreams – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

Ena Sendi­jare­vić hits the sweet spot with this off­beat, sur­re­al peri­od piece set on a remote Indone­sian island.
Two women dancing in a nightclub, illuminated by colourful strobe lights.
Festivals

Animal – first-look review

by Marina Ashioti

Dim­i­tra Vlagopoulou gives a knock­out per­for­mance in Sofia Exar­chou’s resort-set sec­ond fea­ture about a group of sea­son­al performers.
Group of people standing on a wooden boat in the middle of the ocean, wearing casual summer clothing.
Festivals

Human Flowers of Flesh – first-look review

by David Jenkins

Hele­na Wittman’s extra­or­di­nary sea­far­ing anti-epic is a prime con­tender for the big prize at the 2022 Locarno Film Festival.
Three people, two women and a child, walking along a riverfront path. The women are wearing colourful clothing, and the child is seated in a shopping trolley.
Festivals

Little Ones – first-look review

by David Jenkins

Debut direc­tor Julie Ler­at-Ger­sant offers up a vivid char­ac­ter study of a preg­nant teen who’s adamant to give up her baby.
Dimly lit underground cavern with ornate brick arches and glowing reddish-orange light emanating from the depth.
Festivals

Fairytale – first-look review

by David Jenkins

Alexan­der Sokurov offers a col­le­gial walk­ing tour through lim­bo with Hitler, Mus­soli­ni, Stal­in and Churchill. It’s com­plete­ly mad.
Two young women, one with curly hair and the other with straight hair, smiling and embracing in front of a colourful graffiti wall.
Festivals

Five of the best films from the 74th Locarno Film Festival

by Josh Slater-Williams

The glob­al pan­dem­ic seeped into this year’s pro­gramme in some unusu­al and sur­pris­ing ways.
Dark, brooding figure seated in dim lighting.
Festivals

Vitalina Varela – first look review

by Sophie Monks Kaufman

Pedro Cos­ta returns with anoth­er gen­tly mov­ing study of life on the fringes of Por­tuguese society.
A group of people dancing and embracing in an autumnal forest setting, with a mix of vibrant colours and warm natural lighting.
Festivals

The 10 best films from the 2018 Locarno Film Festival

by Josh Slater-Williams

A smörgås­bord of inter­na­tion­al cin­e­mat­ic trea­sures was on offer at this year’s festival.
Illuminated city skyline at night, with person silhouetted on a dark alleyway in the foreground.
Festivals

Exploring Brazilian cinema’s experimental side at the 70th Locarno Film Festival

by Matt Turner

Good Man­ners and Once it Was Brasil­ia were among the high­lights of this year’s festival.
Black and white image of a man and woman in conversation, both wearing formal attire.
Festivals

Why Jacques Tourneur is a filmmaker for our troubled modern times

by Justine Smith

The French master’s work mir­rors today’s cli­mate of social anx­i­ety, as revealed in a recent retrospective.