It was Napoleon who, two hundred years ago, called China a sleeping giant and warned of the consequences when she awoke. Since the fall of communism after the death of Chairman Mao, China has emerged as an economic superpower and its influence and wealth is somehow seen by America as both a challenge and a…
The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe is a moving and life-affirming documentary about courage, the triumph of the human spirit to overcome trauma, and the power of theatre and art to transform lives. Four refugees talk about their horrific experiences in war torn countries in Africa – tales of rape, kidnap and violence. We get…
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and Palace Cinemas are teaming up to present a touring film season dedicated to the oeuvre of controversial Franco-Polish director Roman Polanski. ROMAN: 10 X Polanski will show ten key films drawn from the director’s Polish New Wave debut — Knife in the Water — to his 2010…
The Red Turtle is a dialogue-free animated film from the renowned Studio Ghibli, which has given us Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away. But this is an international co production between France and Japan, and is the first non-Japanese film produced by the revered animation studios. This is a richly emotional and resonant exploration of…
When it comes to families, one size doesn’t fit all and Jake (Asa Butterfield) knows he is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. He just doesn’t seem to fit in. Jake has a wonderful relationship with his grandfather (Terence Stamp), who has told him remarkable stories throughout his young life. Mind…
The Un Certain Regard Best Film Prize winner at Cannes last year, this is a beautifully shot, slow moving story about a pair of estranged brothers and their sheep in small town rural Iceland. This pair is more obstinate than their animals. Siblings Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) have been living side by…
The 11th Nicholas Sparks’ novel to be turned into a film, this yet again chronicles the power and pitfalls of love. It spans a young couple’s rocky first meeting to an extended romance that will be tested as their lives take an unexpected turn. When feisty medical student Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer from Warm Bodies) moves…
Michael Robotham’s latest thriller, Close Your Eyes, is a brilliant nail biter that’s up there with the best in the contemporary field. Robotham has established himself as one of Australia’s top crime writers, and with this new release, he’s not jumping down from that pedestal any time soon. Set in the UK, the story begins when a mother…
Fifty shades of bland? This offbeat film exploring a sadomasochistic relationship between two women in an unnamed community of women situated somewhere in Europe has hit local cinemas in the wake of more sexually explicit films like Blue is the Warmest Colour and Nymphomaniac, as well as a couple of other more risible films exploring…
Caroll Spinney is an octogenarian puppeteer. He is also a talented artist and the man who has been behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since the TV show’s first season. It premiered in the US on November 10, 1969 and is still running today. This documentary captures how the warmth radiating from…
