Film: Ghost Fleet, dir. Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 24th, 2019|Country: Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, USA|

Activists from a Thai NGO risk their lives to liberate modern-day slaves from forced labor on fishing boats: the true price of affordable shrimp at Walmart, Whole Foods and elsewhere

Film: The Rib, dir. Zhang Wei, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 23rd, 2019|Country: China|

A transgender woman looks for acceptance, while her devout Christian father has to reconcile his faith and love for his child in China's first film centered around the transgender experience

Book: Kamel Daoud, The Meursault Investigation, 2013

By Katya Kazbek|September 16th, 2019|Country: Algeria|

The brother of the unnamed Arab killed by Camus' Meursault is given the stage in this Goncourt-winning novel: a brilliant post-colonial revision of the existential questions posed in "The Stranger"

Film: G Affairs, dir. Lee Cheuk-pan, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 15th, 2019|Country: Hong Kong|

A wild, gritty ride through contemporary Hong Kong from a debut filmmaker that delights with stellar performances from accomplished actors and rookies alike

Film: 15, dir. Royston Tan, 2003

By Katya Kazbek|September 13th, 2019|Country: Singapore|

An honest, dark and sweet portrayal of 15-year old inner city kids in Singapore City that is a visual and audial feast, and one of the most honest films about Millenials ever made

Film: The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, dir. Muayad Alayan, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 12th, 2019|Country: Palestine|

An affair between two married people, an Israeli and a Palestinian, attracts the attention of security services of both countries: a fascinating study of power, class and politics in a relationship

Film: Long Day’s Journey Into Night, dir. Bi Gan, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 10th, 2019|Country: China|

Visionary second feature from China's most exciting young filmmaker that merges feverish noir storytelling with 3D technology: a revolution in immersive cinema that seeks to reinvent the industry

Film: Pepper, dir. Jayil Pak, 2018

By Katya Kazbek|September 7th, 2019|Country: South Korea, USA|

Mythology, social commentary and drama blend together in a highly stylized short film to create a fascinating exploration of the intersections of South Korean and queer identities

Music: Mitra Sumara, Tahdig, 2018 

By Katya Kazbek|September 6th, 2019|Country: Iran, USA|

An NYC-based avant-garde band fronted by a singer who found her Persian roots reimagines the music of pre-Islamic Revolution Iran: a delectable adventure into Tehran's sexy disco past

Film: Born in Evin, dir. Maryam Zaree, 2019

By Katya Kazbek|September 5th, 2019|Country: Austria, Germany, Iran|

A German filmmaker of Iranian descent learns that she was born in Tehran's notorious Evin prison where her mother was a detainee—and embarks on a quest to find out more about her birth