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On this page: NO PARADISE IF YOU ARE KILLED BY A WOMAN | A PLACE TO HEAL | TIJUANA, TODAVIA

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 15.Sep.26

No Paradise if You Are Killed by a Woman
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Halkawt Mustafa
prd Halkawt Mustafa, Janne Hjeltnes, John M Jacobsen
with Avan Jamal, Thorbjorn Harr, Kanar Sarchl, Kader Jalal, Mryam Barznji, Dina Rawand, Hesjan Mustafa, Khalida Alaa Mahmud, Leila Noori Hamasur, Bakhtiar Abda Amin, Lare Awat Qazaz, Kirsti Lovas
release WP Sep.26 vff
26/Iraq 1h50

Now streaming...

From Iraq, this is an unusually focussed war thriller, centring around a Kurdish female sniper who is helping to liberate her country from Islamist extremists. She's also on a personal mission. With exceptional camerawork, writer-director Halkawt Mustafa skilfully follows this resilient warrior as she bravely approaches each battle with both military precision and kindness. The brisk story unfolds through seriously intense set-pieces, balanced with engaging quieter moments.

In 2016, sniper Vian (Jamal) prowls through Mosul looking for Daesh fighters. Her all-female Peshmerga (death-facing) unit ripples with camaraderie, and Vian is especially daring. After being injured, she recovers in her adoptive home Norway, which doesn't allow its citizens to fight for another army. But she stubbornly returns to find her sister Helin, knowing what it might cost. In Iraq, she tenaciously watches from the rooftops, tracking down the terrorists who are holding her sister. Her audacious plan could help the city's civilians escape and rescue Helin from her life as a sex slave.

Soulful emotions give the story a visceral resonance. Helin was 14 when Daesh took her, and Vian meets other traumatised girls like her along the way, including 11-year-old Nancy (Mahmud). We also see Vian's astonishing back-story in flashbacks, from her parents' murder to her own kidnapping. These sequences are seriously harrowing, as captured women are bought, sold and terrorised by the extremists. But Vian doesn't go quietly and, because her sister is all she has left, she'll do whatever it takes.

Jamal superbly navigates the dramatic contrast between battlefield intensity and Vian's quiet life in Oslo, where her handler Anders (Harr) urges her to change her identity, because Daesh has a bounty on her head. But she knows what she has to do, and the steeliness in her eyes is powerful. All of the supporting actors are equally grounded and realistic, finding intriguing layers of nuance in their connections with Vian

This is a darkly involving film that grabs hold right from the start and propels us through a number of expertly staged action sequences that remain earthy and real. The tension is sometimes overwhelming, because we know what this means. This approach allows us to feel the swirl of emotions that drive Vian to take action. As she (and the film's title) notes, the enemy is deeply afraid of women, life and freedom. And she uses this to her advantage, motivated by love rather than fear.

themes, violence 11.Sep.26

A Place to Heal 15/18
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir Cedric Kahn
prd Alexandra Henochsberg
scr Cedric Kahn, Kahina Le Querrec
with Zoe Monpart, Malou Khebizi, Kenji Peyran, Antoine De Foucauld, Cedric Kahn, Jennifer Decker, Patience Munchenbach, Raphael Besson, Jade Philip, Ambre Belaidi, Laeti Vabre, Daoud Gary
release WP Sep.26 vff,
UK Oct.26 lff
26/France 1h45

Now streaming...

With naturalistic acting and intimate camera style, this film feels like a documentary until plot points creep in. Actor-director Cedric Khan cleverly puts us right into the action in a home for teens struggling with mental health issues, so we experience the issues and emotions swirling around the kids and carers. It's lively, edgy, funny and also darkly moving as it exposes the pain some young people must endure.

At 17, the tearaway Lucia (Khebizi) returns to a psychiatric unit for children between 15 and 18, reuniting with Eloise (Monpart) and Charline (Munchenbach), plus staff members Etienne (Khan), Paola (Decker) and new intern Jules (De Foucauld). Other teens have little choice but to orbit around the fiery Lucia, who declares ownership of Enzo (Peyran), the hot new kid who arrives one night. But Enzo is attracted to Eloise, setting up a rough conflict. And since he's only weeks from turning 18, he asks Eloise to escape with him so he isn't sent to prison.

Plotting sta mostly in the background, as scenes revolve around daily life. The exhausted staff tries to remain strong while witnessing appalling behaviour from parents too busy for their children. Doctors and nurses never blame the teens, and refuse to let anyone refer to them as "mad". Their goal is to guide them out of harm's way, since most have attempted suicide. Along the way, we hear specific harrowing stories that add layers to their interaction.

The young actors are remarkable, remaining raw and real even when the script pushes a moment for the sake of the narrative. Khebizi dominates the film with Lucia's force of will, unpredictably erupting to get her way. And Peyran's Enzo is similarly mercurial, with a violent past and determined mindset. De Foucauld is the other standout, a bright young spark who struggles with the grim emotionality of this job over four months.

As Melissa (Belaidi) says at her leaving do, "15/18 is a hurricane." Some teens find real healing here, as doctors help them control dark urges, and it's warmly moving when they see a flicker of hope for the future. The staff genuinely care, and the children long for a real life. So the big climactic sequence feels out of place, abandoning tight character work for a momentous event that shifts the focus into a specific adventure for two kids. And even with a lovely cathartic moment that is hauntingly powerful, the story feels oddly unfinished.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 24.Aug.26

Tijuana, Todavía aka: Still, Tijuana
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Gabriel Gutierrez Morales
prd Humberto Busto
with Humberto Busto, Petr Filimonov, Miry Rodriguez, Dilan Rivera, Elliot Roy Rensky, Jorge Dominguez Cerda, Karla Gaeta, Victoria Karely Galarza, Cesar Ramirez, Byron Rodriguez, Roman Titaev, Korey Zuleyka Ruiz
release WP Sep.26 vff
26/Mexico 1h34

Is it streaming?

There's a slice-of-life authenticity to this Mexican drama, which is set just across the border from California. This is the engaging story of an odd couple friendship that quietly develops into a deeper connection, maybe even romance. Writer-director Gabriel Gutierrez Morales and his fine cast are telling an important story that embraces humanity across cultures. And it finds lovely textures in its honest depiction of Mexican society.

Scrolling on the apps, 47-year-old Chava (Busto) doesn't have much luck with the local gay men. But he is intrigued while anonymously chatting online to 22-year-old Maksim (Filimonov), whom he spots at a party at the shelter where he volunteers. Maksim is seeking refugee status in the US as a queer person persecuted by the Russian government, and he is tired of living in limbo. Finally, they nervously arrange to meet up, and then over the following days they begin to talk to each other. And Chava shows Maksim that everything here isn't so grim.

Taking a knowing approach, this beautifully shot and edited film is packed with involving scenes. When the US government cancels all immigration appointments, the refugees fall into despair. So shelter manager Irma (Rodriguez) encourages them to learn Spanish to integrate better. But most simply can't see this as home. Maksim is fascinated by Chava's cluttered house, which he is housesitting for his uncle (Dominguez Cerda). Maksim also meets an over-confident American (Rensky) who gives him pause for thought.

Busto and Filimonov use their disparate physicality to emphasise both the differences between Chava and Maksim and also the things that bring them together as friends. Both are shy about various things about themselves, and it's fun to watch them begin to let their guards down. Of course there are still barriers they are dealing with, and we can also see the issues that run right to each of their cores. Even if the story doesn't go where we might expect, it's full of hope.

Chava tells Maksim about his first sexual experience at 18, the first time he felt seen for who he was. But his life as a gay man in Mexico is a challenge that has left him alone, estranged from his family. So Maksim begins to see Chava as even more trapped than he is. Their conversations are provocative and thoughtful, touching on the issues each of them are facing. And in various powerfully moving scenes, the film begins to feel important and urgent.

themes, language, sexuality 31.Aug.26

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL