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On this page: CROSSING | THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN | TOLL

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 20.Mar.24

Crossing  
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5  
Crossing
dir-scr Levan Akin
prd Mathilde Dedye
with Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanli, Ziya Sudancikmaz, Levan Bochorishvili, Bunyamin Deger, Sema Sultan Elekci, Soner Yalcin
release UK Mar.24 flare
24/Georgia 1h46

BERLIN FILM FEST
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arabuli
After his moving drama And Then We Danced, Swedish-Georgian filmmaker Levan Akin continues to explore society's margins with this involving story set in the persecuted trans subcultures of Georgia and Turkey. Bracingly observant, this humane film tackles big issues with unusual sensitivity, refusing to focus on harsher aspects of life for people simply trying to exist in a place that rejects them. So the film is engaging, uplifting and important.
In Batumi, retired schoolteacher Lia (Arabuli) is looking for her trans niece Tekla when she meets Achi (Kankava), a sparky teen who knew Tekla. Since he speaks some English and Turkish, Achi accompanies Lia to find her in Istanbul. Anything to escape his brutish big brother (Bochorishvili). But Lia is dismissive of the restless, chatty Achi, even though she needs him. Meanwhile, activist Evrim (Dumanli) is advocating for Istanbul's trans hooker community, because she used to be part of it. And cheeky street urchin Izzet (Deger) makes a connection between her, Lia and Achi.
Beautifully shot by Lisabi Fridell to capture authentic rhythms in the locations, the film ripples with earthy storylines that meander meaningfully forward, although they're so realistic that we doubt a tidy ending is on the cards. But Akin has something more powerful in mind, drawing an array of plot threads together to offer both dark honesty and a glimmer of hope, most notably in Evrim's tentative romance with the smiley driver Omer (Sudancikmaz). Each of the connections made throughout this film resonates with real emotion.

With a wonderful deadpan charm, Arabuli delivers a beautifully nuanced performance as a middle-aged woman who begins to remember her earlier, more open-minded youth. Lia's prickly approach to Achi is balanced by her emotive internal journey, which continually catches the viewer off-guard. Newcomer Kankava has a wonderfully loose-limbed honesty as a young man who can't quite understand why trans people have been banished from his homeland. His earthy charm is magnetic. Dumanli and the young Deger also have strongly engaging screen presence, demanding attention from society's fringe.

While the themes that ripple through this film are pungent and vital, the story remains riveting as Akin continually focusses on the characters' internal journeys. These don't always take the expected trajectories, surprising us with insight and reality, plus a final sequence that's darkly wrenching in what it has to say about families, and indeed entire societies, that allow bigoted public perception to destroy compassion for loved ones. It's a pointed message, but it's said with truthfulness and urgency.

cert 15 themes, language, sexuality 6.Mar.24


The Summer With Carmen  
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5
The Summer With Carmen
dir Zacharias Mavroeidis
prd Ioanna Bolomyti
scr Xenofon Chalatsis, Zacharias Mavroeidis with Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Andreas Labropoulos, Nikolaos Mihas, Roubini Vasilakopoulou, Vasilis Tsigristaris, Nandia Margariti, Clio Chavgie, Jacques Simha, Christos Stathousis, Antonis Karnavas, Nikos Georgakakos, Stavros Karabatsos
release UK Mar.24 flare
23/Greece 1h46

VENICE FILM FEST
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Tsiantoulas and Labropoulos
An astutely written and directed meta comedy about the nature of filmmaking, this Greek film playfully pokes fun at both itself and low-budget queer movies. Multiple layers of narrative feed together inventively to explore family relationships, friendships, romance, lust and even pet ownership for a group of 30-something guys. And as it knowingly grapples with issues of loyalty and masculinity, the film is warm, funny and very sexy.
On a naturist beach in Athens, Demosthenes (Tsiantoulas) and his fellow ex-actor friend Nikitas (Labropoulos) are people-watching when they are reminded of the dog Carmen they were taking care of two summers ago and a series of events that might be a good story for the movie Nikitas wants to make. Back then, Demos had just broken up with his boyfriend Panos (Mihas) after four years together, but they kept seeing each other for various family-related reasons. As they work on their script, Demos and Nikitas begin to see their friendship from a new perspective.
While brainstorming, Demos and Nikitas discuss balancing serious themes with fun eroticism, and they're determined to keep sex scenes from looking cheesy or porny. This echoes amusingly through the flashbacks, as Demos hooks up with Thymios (Tsigristaris) while dealing with parental issues, reaching out to Panos for help. He also bonds with Panos' new dog Carmen, who seems to be suffering an identity crisis. Nikitas works to transform this into a screenplay structure, and the film's key messages get a listing in the closing credits.

In the central role, Tsiantoulas has a terrific understated presence, deploying superb comical timing and a burly physicality in a variety of witty scenarios. His gentle demeanour makes him hugely likeable, so we root for Demos to sort out the threads of his life, even if he spends his time worrying about everyone else around him. Labropoulos offers a remarkably sympathetic performance as the queeny Nikitas. He may be a bit spiky, but we can see his warm heart.

Amusing stories emerge within stories, as Dimos and Nikitas were working on a script two summers earlier as well, trying to adapt a stage play. Scenes hilariously riff on the rules of indie cinema, including a musical variation (to Bizet's Carmen, of course). In these various narratives, deeper thoughts and feelings emerge from gay men who have been treated as outsiders in society and in their families. This is a lovely exploration of a friendship and the roles we play with each other, often without knowing it.

cert 15 themes, language, sexuality 9.Mar.24


Toll   Pedágio
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5
Toll
dir-scr Carolina Markowicz
prd Karen Castanho, Luis Urbano, Bianca Villar, Fernando Fraiha, Sandro Aguilar
with Maeve Jinkings, Kauan Alvarenga, Thomas Aquino, Aline Marta Maia, Caio Macedo,Isac Graca, Fabricio Araujo, Rosana Maris, Clarissa Pinheiro, Marcia Isabel de Almeida, Fabio Marcoff, Alexandre Roit
release Br 30.Nov.23,
UK Mar.24 flare,
US Mar.24 sxsw
23/Brazil 1h42

TORONTO FILM FEST
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alvarenga and jinkings
Snappy characters and colourful visual touches add spark to this gritty Brazilian drama about a mother and son who find themselves at odds with each other. Writer-director Carolina Markowicz balances earthy authenticity with a deadpan sense of humour and remarkably complex characters who are just getting on with the challenges of life. Infused with irony, the plot unfolds with twists and turns that are funny and darkly harrowing.

Working in a toll booth, Suellen (Jinkings) is worried about the effeminate videos her 17-year-old son Tiquinho (Alvarenga) is posting online from his increasingly pink-hued bedroom. When she finds out her boyfriend Arauto (Aquino) has been stashing stolen goods in her home, she throws him out. Then her colleague Telma (Maia) tells her about a gay conversion programme, and to pay for it Suellen turns to Arauto to make some illicit cash. Meanwhile, Tiquinho is still trying to understand who he is, both at school and working in fast food and as a kids' performer.
Suellen thinks this is her last chance to rescue Tiquinho, and trusts Pastor Isaac (Graca), even though Arauto notes that the pastor's only real goal seems to be to get rich. But she forces Tiquinho to attend the workshop with its absurd methodology. Of course he meets Ricky (Macedo) there and arranges a date. Even the plot's most ridiculous moments play out with an offhanded straight face, adding humour and tension along the way. And when events turn serious, there's a real sense that justice is out of reach.

Jinkings gives a strong, thoughtful performance as a woman simply trying to do what's best for her son. This allows her to ignore her own criminal activity, even though she clearly knows better. Opposite her, Alvarenga proves to be a force of nature, effortlessly stealing his scenes with sheer charisma. Tiquinho is bright and observant, with his own sense of purpose in life. It's a superbly honest performance that bristles with likeable attitude and inner strength.

Infused with the classic American ballads Tiquinho loves to lipsynch, the film has a warm, hugely involving tone that's engaging without ever going for the obvious story beats or simplistic conclusion. Essentially this film is a cry for education in the face of bigoted religious leaders who feed lies to their followers in order to further fleece them. Indeed, everyone in this story has their own slippery morality, all of which is far more transgressive than Tiquinho's sexuality.

cert 15 themes, language, violence, sexuality 18.Mar.24


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