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A potent iconographic vision: Blitz Bazawule’s ‘The Burial of Kojo.’ (Image courtesy of BlackStar Film Festival.)

BlackStar Film Festival presents Blitz Bazawule’s ‘The Burial of Kojo’

Death and transcendence

Blackstar Film Festival presented the Philly premiere of director Blitz Bazawule’s first feature-length film, ‘The Burial of Kojo.’ Aaron Pond reviews.

Aaron Pond

Aug 06, 2019 Articles 3 minute read

Emotions forward: Marshal Tyler’s ‘CAP.’ (Image courtesy of BlackStar.)

BlackStar Film Festival presents a program of international shorts

What we do for love

A shorts program at the annual BlackStar Film Festival included five films exploring family dynamics and the life circumstances that complicate them. Christina Anthony reviews.

Christina Anthony

Aug 04, 2019 Articles 3 minute read

There was more to Mike Wallace than we knew. (Image courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.)

Avi Belkin’s ‘Mike Wallace Is Here’

The star of ‘60 Minutes’

Director Avi Belkin’s new documentary takes a close look at the infamous ‘60 Minutes’ interrogator, in search of what motivated him to redefine 20th-century journalism. Gary Day reviews.

Gary L. Day

Jul 29, 2019 Articles 2 minute read

Who’s really got a seat at the table? Awkwafina and the cast of ‘The Farewell.’ (Image courtesy of A24.)

Lulu Wang’s ‘The Farewell’ and the duality of mainstream success

Saying hello to true racial equity—onscreen and off

What happens when white-dominated spaces control access to films created by and starring nonwhite artists? Can films like ‘The Farewell’ truly advance a more diverse and equitable society? Rob Buscher considers.

Rob Buscher

Jul 22, 2019 Articles 5 minute read

‘Tales of the City’ takes us back to Armistead Maupin’s San Francisco. (Photo by Rich Niewiroski Jr. via Wikimedia Commons.)

How Netflix’s ‘Tales of the City’ speaks to Black queer folks onscreen and in Philly

‘Tales’ of the Gayborhood?

It’s worth noticing what the Netflix series ‘Tales of the City’ says and fails to say to Black queer people—and how familiar this feels in Philly’s LGBTQIA+ community. Jarrett McCreary considers.

Jarrett McCreary

Jul 15, 2019 Articles 5 minute read

It was just a movie, right? Director Spike Lee in 2012. (Photo by José Cruz for Agência Brasil, via Wikimedia Commons.)

Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ turns 30

Lemme hear ya say fight the power

Spike Lee’s early film remains relevant 30 years later, and the question its title raises isn’t the primary question we should be asking ourselves. Kyle V. Hiller considers.

Kyle V. Hiller

Jul 02, 2019 Articles 6 minute read

She’ll have the Martin and Lewis: Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ (Image courtesy of IMDb and the Philadelphia Film Society.)

A Philly screening celebrates 25 years for Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’

Oh, I'm sorry—did I break your concentration?

'Pulp Fiction' is screening this week in 35mm, in honor of its 25th anniversary. Stephen Silver looks back at Quentin Tarantino's landmark 1994 film, which taught him more about the potential of movies than any other release.

Stephen Silver

Jun 18, 2019 Articles 4 minute read

An art-world superstar, for better or worse. (Photo courtesy of Kino Lorbeer.)

Andrey M. Paounov’s ‘Walking on Water’

The miracle of the artist

Andrey M. Paounov’s documentary on Christo examines the artist’s process and explores the sometimes difficult consequences of the artist-as-celebrity—and as prima donna. Gary Day reviews.

Gary L. Day

Jun 17, 2019 Articles 3 minute read

Don’t they have children of their own? A scene from ‘Las Madres de Berks.’ (Image courtesy of Familias Separadas.)

Michelle Angela Ortiz’s ‘Las Madres de Berks’

It’s happening here

A new documentary, ‘Las Madres de Berks,’ confronts the human cost of detaining immigrant families—not just at our country's southern border but right here in Pennsylvania. Anndee Hochman reviews.

Anndee Hochman

Jun 03, 2019 Articles 4 minute read

The author with relatives in Hiroshima, including a survivor of the atomic bomb at top left. (Photo courtesy of Rob Buscher.)

Does a new ‘One Thousand Paper Cranes’ film eclipse people of Japanese heritage?

Who should tell this story?

A newly announced film about the beloved story of Sadako Sasaki and her paper cranes raises questions about who should tell this Japanese story—the white director and actors slated to anchor the movie? Rob Buscher considers.