Category Archives: Cinema

review by Cynthia Webb ( December, 2020) The first feature film for the director, Mahnaz Mohammadi of Iran is a work of great emtional power and realism and it is also educational for those who live outside Iran. “Son-Mother” (2019) … Continue reading →

REVIEW by Cynthia Webb Infused with respect and an under-current of regret to the people of Indonesia from a Dutch woman film-maker, this documentary by Sandra Beerends is a very valuable work, a gift. Ms Beerends’ own mother had a … Continue reading →

“THE BEACH”(2020) produced and directed by Warwick Thornton (Australia) “The Beach” (the TV SERIES) produced and directed by Warwick Thornton, has just concluded its premiere screening on SBS and NITV tonight…29 May 2020. This was the chance to see the … Continue reading →

Asia Pacific Screen Awards, 2019. Brisbane, QLD, Australia By Cynthia Webb, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Photos by Cynthia Webb: The group – Kazahkstan and Yakutia (Federation of Russian Republics)film-makers. The other picture is Jang Young-Hwan, the Producer of “Parasite”. The Asia … Continue reading →

Korean Filmmaker, Bong Joon-Ho wins Best Feature Film at 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Photo: Jang Young Hwan – producer of “Parasite” Bong Joon-ho’s international hit Parasite has claimed Best Feature Film at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). … Continue reading →

“Birds of Passage” (“Pajaros de Verano”) reviewed by Cynthia Webb In 1968 the modern world caught up with an Indian tribal group called the Wayuu living in a remote part of northern Columbia. The powerful film “Birds of Passage” by … Continue reading →

“Pain and Glory” (“Ddolor y Gloria”) 2019. Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar – Comments by Cynthia Webb There has always been a magical ingredient in the films of Pedro Almodovar and as time went on from his first film, … Continue reading →

“WAR AND PEACE” (Russia) 1965 by Sergei Bondarchuk) by Cynthia Webb Monday 8th Oct. 2019: I went to the “marathon” screening at the Cinematheque at the Gallery of Modern Art, (GoMA), screening as part of the Brisbane International Film Festival. … Continue reading →

“Time Regained”/”Le Temps Retrouve” 1999, directed by Raul Ruiz Review by Cynthia Webb I am still drifting and dreaming inside the corridors of the mind, the chambers of memory of Marcel Proust, after seeing the exquisite film of his “Le … Continue reading →

    “The White Crow” (2019, director Ralph Fiennes) By Cynthia Webb The White Crow (belaya vorona) is a Russian expression for a misfit, a non-conformist, one who stands out from the crowd. This was certainly Rudolph Nureyev. His character … Continue reading →

EVERYBODY KNOWS (Spain, 2018) directed by Asghar Farhadi review by Cynthia Webb In November, 2014 I was speaking with Asghar Farhadi while he was in Brisbane, acting as Jury President for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. He told me that … Continue reading →

Overview of industry change, and APSA’s potential as the cinematic focus shifts to Asia By Cynthia Webb, Brisbane, Australia This awards event is similar in form to the Academy Awards, of Hollywood. The first “APSA” year was 2007, and this … Continue reading →

REVIEW by Cynthia Webb, 19th May 2018 “Israfil “ (2017, Iran) directed by Ida Panahandeh (pictured above) Review by Cynthia Webb While in Iran recently, I watched this very moving second feature film of the young female director, Ida Panahandeh. … Continue reading →

Press Conference 25th April 2018 at the Fajr International Film Festival, (FIFF),Tehran, Iran. (Festival Director, respected Iranian film maker Reza Mirkarimi.) Report by Cynthia Webb (Tehran, Iran) Media from Iran, from nearby countries, and even from Agence France Presse,and even … Continue reading →

“The 15/17 to PARIS” (2018) Directed by Clint Eastwood By Cynthia Webb Perhaps Clint Eastwood’s days as a great director are over, going by his latest offering. Or perhaps this screenplay just didn’t have enough interest in it to sustain … Continue reading →

“ELLIPSIS” directed by David Wenham. (Australia) Cynthia Webb, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Australian actor David Wenham has been on many a film set starring in some of this country’s finest films, – also television. He began to ponder the matter … Continue reading →

“Darkest Hour” – by Joe Wright (UK, 2018) comments by Cynthia Webb Pretty soon, this film will be collecting major awards on both sides of the Atlantic! “Darkest Hour” is the best film of a recent burst of Winston Churchill … Continue reading →

The island of Bali in Indonesia has become a tourist magnet of powerful attraction, but probably the majority of tourists just enjoy their holiday, and don’t know very much at all about the unique culture and religious lives of the … Continue reading →

APSA entered its second decade this year, with a line-up of breathtaking films in the nominations for the awards presented on 23rd November 2017. Even before the awards night and after watching quite a large number of the nominated films … Continue reading →

Kamila Andini gains a nomination at Asia Pacific Screen Awards Cynthia Webb, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia It has been five years since an Indonesian film has made it through the process of elimination, to be nominated for an APSA. Kamila … Continue reading →

“LOVING VINCENT” (2017) Co-Production, Poland/UK directed by Dorota kobiela and Hugh Welchman review and comments by Cynthia Webb, Gold Coast, Australia This beautiful work has made history in the field of Animation cinema. For people with a particular interest in … Continue reading →

“24 FRAMES” by Abbas Kiarostami (2017) Comments by Cynthia Webb Screening in Brisbane International Film Festival, QLD, Australia,29th August, 6.00pm at Palace Barracks Cinema, and finally, on 3rd September, 12.30pm at Palace Barracks Cinema Cinephiles have long loved and respected … Continue reading →

GRADUATION (or “Bacalaureat”) Cristian Mungiu (Romania, 2017) comments by Cynthia Webb (Screening at Brisbane International Film Festival,(BIFF) QLD, Australia, 27th August, 8.00pm Palace Barracks Cinema) Another fine work by this leading Romanian director, who won Best Director Award at Cannes … Continue reading →

“The Square” directed by Ruben Ostlund (Sweden) (Winner of the Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival, 2017) Review by Cynthia Webb “The Square” was the opening night film for the newly revived Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF). It’s an utterly contemporary … Continue reading →

THE PROMISE (2016) directed by Terry George (Dialogue in English) – review and comments by Cynthia Webb Here is a film well worth seeing, which I viewed today, 15 June 2017. Yes, it’s a political hot-potato between Turkey and the … Continue reading →

Here is an anti-war film with a difference. “Frantz” (directed by Francois Ozon) is a French/German co-production, and made in both languages. The setting is a year after the end of World War One, 1919. We are in a small … Continue reading →

ETERNITE (2016) directed by Tran Anh Hung From a novel by Alice Ferney, this story of a woman and her descendants in France during the early 1900s, this cannot be called “a movie”. It has great stillness, and the feeling … Continue reading →

This film “GOLD” (2016, directed by Steven Gaghan) is currently doing the rounds of multi-plexes in Australia and might turn up in Indonesia too, (a note for my friends there.) This is because it’s loosely ( very loosely) based on … Continue reading →

LANDSCAPE IN THE MIST (1988) Directed by Theo Angelopoulos Today (January 2017) I watched this 1988 masterpiece from the late Theo Angelopoulos. It won the Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival, and many other awards too. It’s an exquisite allegorical … Continue reading →