A Vulnerable Portrait of Girlhood Between Two Cultures Is a Searing Indictment of the Commercialization of Budding Sexuality— ‘Cuties,’ dir. Maïmouna Doucouré, 2020Country: France, Senegal|In a much-discussed coming-of-age comedy-drama, French filmmaker of Senegalese origin does not pull any punches while shedding light on the way cultural excesses harm those caught between them
Reggae Legend Toots Lives On in the Maytals’ Pioneering, Timeless Album—‘Funky Kingston’, Toots & the Maytals, 1975Country: Jamaica|Seemingly simple, yet breathtakingly complex, this album is one of the greatest in the genre, showing raw, earthy reggae at its finest: half a century later, it shines powerfully
A Searing, Claustrophobic Portrait of Family Homelessness in Ireland—’Rosie’, dir. Paddy Breathnach, 2018Country: Ireland|Based on a screenplay by Roddy Doyle, this film is as relevant as ever in the times of COVID economy and focuses on the hidden homelessness where families with kids are left without shelter
Cy Gavin’s Incendiary Paintings Shed the Neon Light on the Dark Spots of Bermudian and American HistoriesCountry: Bermuda, USA|Excavating the past and applying creative scrutiny, this exciting young artist creates electric landscapes that give power to those hidden in the colonial reading of history
Homes, Memories, Perceptions: Ethnic Minorities and the Scars of War in Vietnam— ’The Tree House,’ dir. Trương Minh Quý, 2019Country: Cor People, Jarai People, Ruc People, Vietnam|A poetic yet informative journey across the unconventional homes of Vietnamese ethnic minorities becomes a rumination on belonging, displacement, and weaponized alienation
One of the Greatest Queer Love Stories of the 21st Century Hiding In the Gritty Alleys of Genoa— ’The Mouth of the Wolf,’ dir. Pietro Marcello, 2009Country: France, Italy|Pietro Marcello’s documentary about a career criminal and a transsexual sex-worker who fell in love in prison is the director’s lesser-known film, but it deserves all the accolades
In Amos Ferguson’s Artworks, the Bahamas Is A Paradise Untouched By Colonization, Industry and Financial SchemesCountry: Bahamas|After a religious revelation, he became an art sensation in his middle age. Today, Amos Ferguson’s legacy is a testament to why it’s vital to see countries for their marvels and talents, not profits
The Reggae Heart of Anguilla Pulsating In the Dunes—Bankie Banx & The Roots and Herbs, ’Roots and Herbs’, 1977Country: Anguilla|Listen to the man who brought reggae to the Eastern Caribbean and then built an extensive heritage in educating the youth, protecting nature, and sharing good vibes with listeners everywhere
One of the Country’s Most Exciting Filmmakers Experiments with a Collective Portrait of Iceland at Christmas Time—’Echo’, dir. Rúnar Rúnarsson, 2019Country: France, Iceland, Switzerland|56 short scenes allow an unprecedented pleasure to peek into the different households and community gatherings in Iceland during the holiday season
An Ethnographic Documentary on the Harsh But Satisfying Realities of Living in Siberia That Beguiled Werner Herzog—’Happy People: A Year in Taiga’, dir. Dmitry Vasyukov, 2007Country: Ket People, Russia|Come for Werner Herzog, Tarkovsky’s nephew, and charismatic dogs, stay because it’s an incomparable opportunity to hang out in Taiga for a whole year
The Voices of Women Reclaim Algerian History Through Colonization, Wars, and Personal Infractions—Assia Djebar, ’Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade,’ 1985, trans. Dorothy S. BlairCountry: Algeria|A linguistically ornate exercise exploring postcolonial history and identity, Assia Djebar’s account of her homeland is a monument to the country’s women and their heroic lives
The Transformations of Albania and Its Femininity in the Works of Hasan NallbaniCountry: Albania|Whether he’s depicting socialist worker heroines, women alienated by their fragility, or experiments with the Byzantine heritage, Hasan Nallbani is Albania’s foremost master of the female portrait