The Ballonist Review Banner

‘The Balloonists’ Documentary Film Review- An Overly Conventional Telling of an Impressive Achievement

Airplanes are a relatively new technology and type of transportation. Igniting in the 1900s, aviation quickly developed, taking less than 40 years from the first flights to their use as war machinery in World War II. However, at the end of the 1700s, the creation of balloons occurred. Even after …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of Whistle. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Whistle’ Documentary Film Review – An Unbalanced Look at a Fascinating Competition

In the non-fiction medium, there is a fascinating sub-genre. In recent years, filmmakers have been documenting unconventional competitions. In both Girls State & Boys State, we follow a mock representative election by high school students who are aficionados of politics. In Pianoforte, the filmmakers narrate the International Chopin Piano Competition, …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions’ Film Review: A Maximalist Compendium

A week before its original Sundance premiere, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions by Kahlil Joseph had its participation withdrawn from the festival by its investor, Participant Media. The financer alleged the director showed a secret cut of the project to critics at the CAA screening room, justifying their intervention in the …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of the movie Forastera. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Forastera’ Film Review: An Admirable Feature Debut from Lucía Aleñar Iglesias

The prestigious publication, Screen International, publishes a yearly article about buzzy films they would like to see playing in the festival circuit. In this year’s piece, Forastera by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias is one of the films mentioned there. It is an impressive feature to include in the list alongside notable …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo’ Review: An Impressive Debut Film

The young Chilean filmmaker Diego Céspedes has a vigorous relationship with the Cannes Film Festival. His first short, El Verano del Léon Elétrico (The Summer of the Electric Lion), was part of the Cinefondation selection in 2018, which dedicates its program to films produced during the film school period. Four …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of The Blue Trail. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘The Blue Trail’ Film Review: Brazil’s Alternate Elder Reality

One of the central figures of the newest generation of Brazilian cinema, Gabriel Mascaro, is already a well-known name on the international festival circuit. His 2015 film, Neon Bull (Boi Neon), premiered at the Venice Film Festival. His next work, Divine Love (Divino Amor), world premiered at the 2019 Sundance …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of Levers. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Levers’ Film Review: A World Without Sunlight From Rhayne Vermette

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Toronto International Film Festival’s wavelength section is the combination of local talents with internationally prestigious names in experimental and bold efforts. The programming team, led by Andréa Picard, balances the most courageous work with more unconventional efforts that compose the best section …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of the documentary There Are No Words. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘There Are No Words’ Film Review: On Remembering After Trauma

Min Sook Lee is a veteran of the Canadian documentary filmmaking. With a history of producing documentaries since 2003, the South Korean-born and Toronto-raised director has a strong background in non-fiction. Since her debut, Sook Lee has released other films, such as Hogtown: The Politics of Policing, Tiger Spirit, and …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of the documentary While The Green Grass Grows. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘While The Green Grass Grows: A Diary in Seven Parts’ Film Review: An Intense Odyssey from Peter Mettler

The Swiss-Canadian director, Peter Mettler, is a respected documentary filmmaker. Focusing on exploring the miracles of existence, his films observe the environment surrounding human beings. In this sense, he tends to release long films that meditate on the humane reality. His career spans four decades, featuring celebrated films like Picture …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of the movie Wrong Husband, or Uiksaringitara. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Wrong Husband’ Review: A Fascinating Film from Zacharias Kanuk (TIFF)

In 2023, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) released a list of the fifty greatest Canadian films ever. At the top of the list, it was not the name of David Cronenberg, Sarah Polley, Jean-Marc Vallée, or Atom Egoyan. It was Zacharias Kunuk with his historical 2001 film, Atanarjuat: The Fast …

Read more

This is a banner for a review of the film Blue Heron. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Blue Heron’ Film Review: Sophy Romvari’s Excellent Debut Feature

Even before her debut feature, Sophy Romvari has become a highly regarded upcoming director among the online cinephiles. Her shorts Norman Norman, Still Processing, and It’s What Each Person Needs were part of the selections at the Toronto International Film Festival. Criterion Channel acquired some of her other films, such …

Read more

Tata

‘Tata’ Documentary Review – A Highly Emotional Work of Forgiveness (TIFF)

Documentary filmmaking allows authors to connect with audiences through their memories. Docu-essays and diaries transport memories to the screen in a proposition of developing and expanding the feelings of the past. As we watch the first minutes of Tata, the film by Radu Ciornciuc and Lina Vdovîi, we travel back …

Read more