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Meera Syal - “I think in the casting, things really are changing and that’s fantastic for all of us but I’m worried that it’s window dressing when things aren’t changing fundamentally in the power structures.” The annual Edinburgh TV Festival is a vibrant hub in the television industry, where creativity and innovation thrive. Bringing together over 2,000 industry professionals from around the world, it's a fantastic chance to dive into the dynamic world of television. As a recent master's graduate and an aspiring independent filmmaker, I'm thrilled to have embarked on an exciting internship with Mor Media and the Cornwall Film Festival. Eager to immerse myself in all aspects of the screen industries, I couldn't resist the opportunity to be part of the Edinburgh TV Festival. In this article, I delve into the highlights of the 2023 Edinburgh TV Festival. I discuss thought-provoking panels, eye-opening masterclasses, and the industry's ongoing quest for authenticity and diversity. As a newcomer to this world, my approach was marked by candour and a desire to dive right in, eager to absorb all that the Edinburgh TV Festival had to offer. Starting with the panel that explored the concept of "Not So Guilty Pleasures: Does TV Have A Snobbery Problem?". This session attempted to delve into the world of TV guilty pleasures, examining the impact of labels like "guilty pleasure" and "trash TV" on commissioning and their potential connection to wider issues of classism in television. It celebrated shows often stigmatised, emphasising the skill behind their creation and the joy they bring to viewers. What stood out to me was the composition of the panel itself – primarily composed of middle-class commissioners. These individuals had every reason to be proud of their successful programs, which had achieved notable acclaim and success. Yet, it struck me that their discussions were predominantly centred around the creative aspects of their shows, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship that went into creating top-tier content. This raised a thought-provoking question: how could these meticulously crafted programs, objectively of high quality, be relegated to the category of "trash TV"? Intrigued by this paradox, I seized the opportunity during the Q&A session to pose a question that had been brewing in my mind: "Is it possible that when we label certain TV as 'trash,' we are not actually critiquing the quality of the content itself, but rather passing judgement on the viewers who are associated with it? Could it be a subtle way of stigmatising and degrading the working class?" To my surprise, the presenter and host of the panel, Rick Edwards, responded with a resounding "YES." His candid agreement with my query hinted at a deeper layer of social commentary within the industry. However, it quickly became apparent that this was a sensitive and potentially divisive topic. The other panellists, skilled in navigating such discussions, adeptly redirected the conversation, avoiding a more in-depth exploration of the issue. This moment served as a stark reminder of the complex interplay between television, societal perceptions, and the ever-present issue of classism. It left me pondering the broader implications of such judgments in the realm of entertainment and the role of television in reinforcing or challenging existing biases. Hosted by Executive Producer Leon Campbell, C4 Commissioner Ian Dunkley, and featuring the lively cast members Baasit & Sid Siddiqui and Pete & Sophie Sandiford, “Gogglebox: The First Ten Years” provided a captivating behind-the-scenes look at the enduring success of Gogglebox. The session exhibited the show's casting, filming, and editing intricacies. This session stood out as a personal favourite, illustrating what television can achieve when it's crafted with unwavering passion and dedication. Ian Dunkley, Channel 4's commissioning editor, and Leon Campbell, executive producer at Studio Lambert, celebrated the show's authenticity. They allowed Gogglebox's stars to share their experiences and perspectives without interference. This dedication ensures that Gogglebox remains a show that authentically allows individuals from diverse backgrounds to represent themselves. Notably, the Siddiqui family's pride in representing their South Asian community with sincerity was palpable. Their genuine enthusiasm for being themselves and their community's unwavering support underscored the show's profound impact. Gogglebox serves as a refreshing departure from the norm, emphasising the importance of diverse representation in reshaping how television influences our perceptions. Instead of portraying people as mere objects of morbid entertainment, the show presents them as genuine reflections of reality, offering viewers comfort and joy. This masterclass emphasised that television, when infused with passion and authenticity, has the power to foster empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging, uniting us in celebration of our shared humanity. Finally, in the realm of television, there are moments that stand out as truly transformative, and one such moment unfolded at the annual Alternative MacTaggart session. Launched in 1997, this session has consistently served as a platform for industry leaders to provoke insightful debates from diverse viewpoints. This year, the spotlight shone on Meera Syal CBE, a powerhouse in the world of entertainment – an actress, writer, and comedian whose career has traversed multifaceted landscapes. Meera Syal's recent recognition with the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Television Awards speaks volumes about her profound impact on the industry. In her conversation with Festival Executive Chair Fatima Salaria, she embarked on a journey through the highs and lows of being a trailblazing British Asian woman in film and television. However, her discussion transcended personal anecdotes; it delved into the very essence of representation and the amplification of voices that often go unheard. For many, including myself, this session emerged as an unequivocal favourite. Meera Syal possesses a storytelling prowess that lingers long after the session concluded. As an Asian woman, it was an honour to witness two remarkable women, Syal and Salaria, who mirror my own experiences, dominating the industry. Meera Syal approached the discourse on television with unwavering dedication, confronting the changes that the industry so desperately needs. She passionately emphasised that genuine representation on screen necessitates creators who deeply resonate with, and authentically represent, the stories they seek to share. She says, “I think in the casting, things really are changing and that’s fantastic for all of us but I’m worried that it’s window dressing when things aren’t changing fundamentally in the power structures.” The progress towards increased diversity and inclusion within the industry is undeniable, with marginalised voices finding more acceptance than ever before. However, the aspiration is not to only secure positions as diversity hires in entry-level roles. Instead, the goal is to ascend the ranks, ensuring that our stories are not just heard but also elevated. Meera Syal's presence and advocacy inherently challenge the status quo. Meera's pioneering work has rewritten the narrative of South Asian representation on television. South Asians have emerged as fully fleshed-out characters, capable of humour without being reduced to stereotypes, capable of engaging in serious dramatic roles without falling into tokenism, and capable of challenging societal norms by blending their British and Asian identities into narratives uniquely their own. This paradigm shift is equally essential for individuals of all ethnic backgrounds. Figures like Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairperson at Universal Studios, echo this sentiment by challenging the conventions of black representation in the shows she commissions, moving beyond narratives rooted solely in trauma to encompass stories infused with warmth. The impact and influence of individuals like Meera Syal, Fatima Salaria, and Pearlena Igbokwe cannot be overstated. They understand the transformative power of television, a medium that enters people's living rooms and moulds their perceptions of the world. Although much change remains to be seen, these women recognize their unique ability to drive the change they wish to see, making strides toward a more inclusive and representative future in the world of television.

Horror films from the very earliest days of cinema tended to be adaptations of Gothic novels, and as such, shared many of their ideas regarding gender and sexuality. One of the first feature length horror films, 1922’s serves as a loose German adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (predating the official one by over a decade), that amplifies what the original novel has to say about sexual transgression. During the climax of the film, it’s discovered that the vampiric Count Orlok can only be defeated if distracted by a pure-hearted woman’s beauty, with the added caveat of her allowing him to feed off of her of her own volition. Combined with the notion of bloodsucking as a metaphor for sexual deviancy, and the subtext surrounding race and the Other in interwar Germany – Count Orlok is considered by many to be a antisemitic stereotype with his hooked nose and clawlike fingers – we see a woman who is both a victim and willing participant to nefarious forces outside the realm of societal acceptability in Ellen, the woman this duty falls upon, and who tragically dies in the process. This figure of the ‘woman seduced’ appears in some capacity in other notable horrors of the era. Phantom of the Opera (1925), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), King Kong (1933), Mad Love (1935), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) all feature a woman pursued, or perceived as being pursued, by a hideous, inhuman, or immoral figure, in some cases completely rejecting their advances, in others seeming to accept them to some extent. Due to the fact that a lot of horror films from the 30s to 70s tended to be remakes or sequels to the classic monster movies, or else work off their blueprint, slasher films from the 70s to the early 90s are the next important development when it comes to the history of horror films, with their unprecedented ramp up in shock value, and gorier, grimier aesthetics. However, they are very limited with regards to conversations about female desire due to their overwhelmingly masculine focus. Much has been written and rewritten about how slashers punished their sexually active female characters with suggestive deaths, whilst rewarding the virginal with ‘Final Girl’ status in order to appease the gaze and sensibilities of their adolescent male audience. We might look towards the fact that the vast majority of these films include a female protagonist ultimately defeating the villain as proof that they’re progressive. However, I think of this as slashers wanting to have their cake and eat it too: they follow a female protagonist as fear is only acceptable if experienced by a woman, but only allow her to take on the hero role once she has renounced her sexuality and becomes more identifiable for male audience members – reinforcing patriarchal ideals about gender on both counts. This is not to say that women can’t get any enjoyment out of slasher films, but I think that 70s horror offered us a much more valuable glimpse into female desire in the classic (1976). Carrie is another film that’s been written extensively about when it comes to its portrayal of female sexuality, the power it holds against dominant structures, and how its feared and rendered monstrous, so I won’t beat a dead horse. The reason I mention it is because of its influence on how women, and their desires, are presented in horror, spurring on the idea of the ‘Monstrous-Feminine’ – as coined by Barbara Creed in her 1992 book of the same name. This is not to say that there were no female monsters in horror before Carrie, films like Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Cat People (1942), and The Wasp Woman (1959), would prove that wrong. But Carrie was one of the very first times that a horror film centred that ‘monster’, showcasing her as a victim and villain in equal parts, much akin to how early horror explored the duality of woman as a compliant victim. Whilst the films that can truly be considered Carrie’s daughters took a long while to materialise, once they did they created a trend of monstrous, complex women in horror that still lives on today. Some are moreso about the horrors of puberty and ‘becoming a woman’ – like Ginger Snaps (2000). Some utilise their female monsters to craft a revenge fantasy in response to the violence against women that’s so abundant in real life – Teeth (2007), Jennifer’s Body (2007), and Under the Skin (2013). And then there are some which, most relevant to the topic of this essay, hone in on the perversities of female desire – including but not limited to May (2002), Excision (2012), Raw (2016), The Love Witch (2016), Saint Maud (2019), Titane (2021), and Pearl (2022). At this point the question is long overdue: why is horror such a fertile ground for exploring female desire? The obvious, and readily accepted answer, is that the purpose of horror is to differentiate what’s acceptable from what isn’t, and punish that which is not. This is especially true for the pre-Carrie era, where women are punished for engaging with their sexuality. Cast your mind back to the beginning of this essay, and Ellen’s death in Nosferatu. If bloodsucking is a metaphor for sexual activity, then Ellen’s death as a result of it might as well be her dying due to having sex. We can see this basic idea traced to slashers decades later, where the trope of the sexually active woman being one of the first to die in any given film (and often having the most brutal, drawn-out death scene) has been observed, mocked, and commentated on to the high heavens. We could consider the backlash to the sexual revolution and steady rise of hardline conservatism during the 70s as the reason why this was such a staple of horror films at the time. However, although we have an answer for why horror films are so concerned with female sexuality, we still don’t have an answer for why so many women derive empowerment and enjoyment out of the genre. In the case of the ‘modern-era’ of female-driven horror it’s clear: they showcase complicated and nuanced female protagonists that wield some level of power. They’re compelling and relatable because, not in spite, of their monstrosity. But what about the classic-era of horror films? Why might women be in some way drawn to seeing someone who looks like them being victimised on-screen instead of empowered? And how does this relate to female desire? As Linda Williams writes in her essay ‘When Women Look: A Sequel’, horror films tended to be analysed from the ‘masculine sadistic point of view’. After all, who would want to identify with the ‘terrified, suffering woman’? Well, as Williams goes onto write, there exists the ‘masochistic and feminine thrill of “opening up”’ to these images, and the pleasure of experiencing such highly charged emotions as fear and terror alongside the woman in question, within the safe space of a cinema (or living room, or bedroom). So then, horror films become an outlet for women to express the fear that their subject position in the real world affords them, also reflecting the experience of female desire which, much like horror, has always been mired as a terrain of fear, uncertainty, denial, and punishment – not just to outsiders, but themselves as well.

By Dáša Raimanová The biggest documentary film festival in the UK happens each year in Sheffield. This year kaleidoscopic selection presented 122 films from 52 countries. Below are some of the titles at this year’s festival. The Grand Jury Award for the International Competition went to In the Rearview by Polish Director Maciek Hamela. When the brutal invasion from Russia on Ukraine started, Maciek as many others travelled to the Polish border wanting to help. Only a couple of days later, he bought a minibus and started to. evacuate people from Ukraine into safety. After three weeks of this tireless theres and backs, he invited a friend - DOP to join him. This resulted in a harrowing and raw portrait of passengers sitting on the back seats of the minibus, fleeing their homeland with almost nothing. Among many of the passengers is a 5-year-old girl showing a paper to the camera stating her full name, address, and name of her parents. She carefully folds the paper, puts it in her pocket - just in case…Or a father clenching to his small daughter who stopped speaking since the shelling started…or an injured Congolese woman who urgently needs hospital care. Maciek, the driver and director, navigates this devastation with kindness and thus his film returns humanity to his passengers amidst the unbearable destruction surrounding them. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Estonian director, Anna Hints A Sundance winner, this visceral documentary takes us to a smoke sauna tradition passed on over generations in Estonia. This is the place where women heal. From giving birth to revealing their secrets - they find peace. Apart from sisterhood, the viewer is taken on a deeply intimate and in a way questioning journey of womanhood. Harrowing confessions depicting difficult mother/daughter relations, periods, abortion, and sexual abuse are all part of the collective story happening in the smoke sauna. Making of this documentary was a challenging process taking seven years. Since it was filmed in the original temperature - the camera had to be cooled with ice packs and operated in gloves. A long time was also dedicated to developing an aesthetic of how to film women’s naked bodies without portraying them as sexual objects depicted by the male gaze. Valerija, a short by Chroat director Sara Juricic This amazingly cinematic and experimental short documentary takes us on a journey into a world. without men. Animation, projection and reality mix in this playful piece without any dialogue. The Croate filmmaker questions how it feels to have a family tree consisting only of women. Can I hug you? A short by Iranian director Elahe Esmailir In the religious Iranian city of Qom, there are many restrictions imposed on women in the name of ‘sexual safety’ – from the mandatory hijab to forced gender separation. Hossein grew up in this patriarchal context, but as a boy, he experienced sexual abuse by another man. With the help of his wife and director, he starts the conversation with his parents that he was waiting for many years. In the hope of helping others, this film opens the deeply taboo topic in Iranian society - the widespread sexual abuse by boys. This theme also remained for so long untouched since by presenting a man’s vulnerability, the imposed societal role of a strong man starts to crumble. Dáša Raimanová is a UK-based documentary filmmaker originally from Slovakia whose work explores socio-political topics, primarily focusing on women and minorities. Apart from working for the international broadcaster DW, she directed and co-produced, Gypsy Gadji (2023), a short documentary, developed by EsoDoc; DocLab Poland and obtained the Dok Leipzig Co-Pro Market award. Across the Road - Worlds Apart (2019), a TV short documentary she directed, was broadcast in 9 European countries and has online views of 700K. POLYLAND (2018), a LUSH Film Fund-supported feature doc was selected for the Guardian pitch at Sheffield Doc Festival, screened at international film festivals and became part of Amnesty International's campaign against hate crimes in Poland.

It's a busy busy time at Mor Media! Currently, applications are open for our internships and short film pre-selector roles. Our internship programme is designed to give you real-life experience across a range of industry roles including production; events management; social media; marketing; design; admin and more! We will give you an opportunity to work across all our organisational strands - festival, industry and events, community, education, and charity to gain valuable experience in varied roles within the creative industry. You may work as a production assistant on one of our live events or online masterclasses; a researcher or content creator for our social media; a designer of digital assets for one of our programmes or an event planner for one of our live events. We are looking for adaptable and enthusiastic people who are ready for a challenge and want to try their hand at lots of different roles within the media. ​ Interns will be supported through their time at Mor Media via regular meetings and monitoring via their activity log sheet and development logs. This will also feed into the completion of an OCN Award which will see them complete two units, one will be linked to the creative skills needed to complete work required by the role, and one will be a reflective evaluation on the work they have done during their internship. Learn more about Mor Media Internships today. Our New Wave Jury programme will open for applications later this year. Last year's New Wave Jury viewed Cornwall Film Festival's International film programme. Our short film festival is also open for submissions all through the summer. Submit today via FilmFreeway!

Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines elements of real-world and computer-generated content. We look at the 10 lastest innovations. 1. Microsoft Mesh: This is a new platform for shared, collaborative experiences in mixed reality. It allows people to interact with each other in a virtual environment using AR and VR technology. 2. Facebook Horizon Workrooms: This is a virtual reality platform designed for remote teams to work together. It uses AR technology to overlay digital objects onto real-world objects. 3. Apple ARKit 5: This is a new version of Apple's ARKit platform that includes new features like Object Capture, which allows users to create 3D models of real-world objects using an iPhone. 4. Google ARCore Depth API: This is a new feature of Google's ARCore platform that allows for more accurate depth perception in AR experiences. This enables more realistic and immersive AR experiences. 5. Magic Leap 2: This is a new version of Magic Leap's AR headset that is designed for enterprise use. It features improved hardware and software, as well as a new operating system. 6. Nreal Light 2: This is a new version of Nreal's lightweight AR glasses that are designed for consumer use. It features improved optics and a wider field of view. 7. HoloLens 2: This is the second version of Microsoft's HoloLens AR headset. It features improved hardware and software, as well as a wider field of view and better hand-tracking. 8. Vuzix Blade AR: This is a new version of Vuzix's AR glasses that are designed for enterprise use. It features a more powerful processor and improved battery life. 9. Snap Spectacles: These are AR glasses from Snapchat that allow users to overlay digital content onto the real world. They feature a built-in camera and microphone for capturing and sharing content. 10. Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2: This is the second version of Google's AR glasses that are designed for enterprise use. It features improved hardware and software, as well as a more comfortable design.

With Easter upon us, it's a great time to settle in and enjoy some quality entertainment on Netflix. Here are some recommendations for what to watch this holiday weekend: "The Serpent" - This gripping limited series tells the true story of a serial killer who preyed on travellers along the hippie trail in Southeast Asia in the 1970s. With a fantastic cast and a tense, atmospheric style, "The Serpent" will keep you on the edge of your seat. "The Queen's Gambit" - This critically acclaimed drama follows a young girl who discovers a talent for chess and rises to the top of the competitive world of the game. With stunning visuals, incredible performances, and a captivating story, "The Queen's Gambit" is a must-watch. "The Crown" - If you haven't caught up with this award-winning series yet, now is a perfect time. "The Crown" follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from her early days on the throne to the present day, with an incredible cast and a deep dive into the political and personal dramas of the British royal family. "Shadow and Bone" - Based on the best-selling books by Leigh Bardugo, this fantasy series follows a young woman who discovers she has the power to control the elements and may be the key to saving her world from darkness. With stunning visuals and a great cast, "Shadow and Bone" is a perfect choice for fans of epic fantasy. "The Umbrella Academy" - This superhero series follows a dysfunctional family of adopted siblings who must band together to save the world from an impending apocalypse. With a great cast, quirky humour, and plenty of action, "The Umbrella Academy" is a fun and exciting ride. "Stranger Things" - If you haven't already watched this sci-fi/horror series, now is the perfect time to catch up. Set in the 1980s, "Stranger Things" follows a group of kids who uncover a supernatural mystery in their small town. With a great cast and plenty of nostalgia, it's a perfect choice for a weekend binge-watch. In conclusion, these are just a few of the great shows and series available on Netflix this Easter weekend. Whether you're in the mood for drama, fantasy, or sci-fi, there's something for everyone. So settle in, grab some snacks, and enjoy the show!

I find it hard to recommend Banshee to anyone, despite it being one of my favourite TV shows of all time. It's a serious guilty pleasure thing for me. If someone walks in the room during one of the awkwardly choreographed shaky-cam fight scenes, or any of the multitudinous overlong sex scenes, I almost feel a need to explain myself. The show is shot in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the production featuring plenty of high production value set pieces and somewhat impressive special effects for a TV show of the time. The cinematography is often quite standard-feeling, though little flares of creativity and fun come through often enough to keep you visually engaged. The show's visual sins only reveal themselves, in my opinion, in the numerous torture/flashback/breakdown scenes. In all of which we are treated to a horrid mix of shallow DOF shaky footage of Anthony Starr covered in blood, and horribly colour corrected flashbacks of earlier scenes. My favourite character is Job, whose hacking antics bring him to a near anime-level standoff against the US government's best hacker. Job hacks the guy so hard that the computers all think the government hacker IS Job, he is then instantly hunted down by every government on earth in recompense of Job's cybercrimes. The scene ends as Job leaves the room and the government hacker screams in a chair. Its the best thing I've ever seen and it makes the whole show worth it. Perhaps carrying me through the show was it's engrossing but frustrating loop of cliff-hanger endings. I can't think of another show which stuck with me so effectively between episodes, or one which has stuck around in my mind so long after finishing it. Please help me. I can't stop thinking about it. Thanks for listening to me talk about this, it makes it easier to say it out loud yaknow? Ever since watching this show I've felt an intense urge to tell someone else, similar to how a cordyceps-infested ant feels an urge to climb to a high spot and release spores into the wind. I think the point I wanted to make with this blog post, but never bothered to begin to express was; I miss TV shows from before, back when they were kind of crap, before Breaking Bad ruined everything. This piece was written by Mor Media intern Joe, who specialises in the tech side of film and media. Banshee is available to watch on NOW TV.

It's officially Oscars week and we're filled with the familiar cocktail of emotions: excitement, dread, hope lined with trepidation... Lucky you, we've compiled a list of the need to know info about the 2023 Oscars! The 95th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 12th March at the Dolby Theatres in LA. The Oscars ceremony will air on ABC in the US on Sunday, March 12, at 8pm Eastern Time (ET) and 5pm Pacific Time (PT), while here in the UK the awards ceremony will air live at 1am on the Sky Cinema Oscars channel on Sky or on NOW TV. Everything Everywhere All At Once is in the lead with 11 nominations, while All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin follow with a joint 9 noms. Notable snubs this year are Jordan Peele's Nope and Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave. Trying to catch up on the Best Picture nominees? Alternative Press have put together a fantastic resource on how to view each nominee. How to watch the Oscars ceremony live in UK Sky TV The Oscars are available to watch for Sky customers with a Sky Cinema package. If you don't have the package, you can add it on with the Sky, Netflix and Cinema package for £37 a month. NOW TV If you're looking for a cheaper option, NOW TV might be the one as the alternative service will also be airing the Oscars this year. Those wishing to subscribe can choose from Sky Cinema packages for £9.99 or £12.99 a month and then cancel at any time. Who are your predictions for the 2023 Academy Award winners?

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. The Human Voice (2020), Pedro Almodóvar's first film in English, is a short melodrama loosely adapted from Jean Cocteau’s 1930s play of the same name, starring Tilda Swinton as the leading lady in this enigmatic one-woman act. Typical of Almodóvar, The Human Voice is yet another cautionary tale centred on the complexities of a young woman’s unstable, melancholic mind as she manoeuvres through the pain and despair of a deceitful love interest, reminiscent of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988). Swinton showcases a phenomenal performance, one that is as raw as it is enchanting. Centre stage for the film’s entirety, bar her feline companion, Swinton’s presence and delivery are powerful, demanding our attention and immersion to every last word of this bittersweet, at times humorous, telephone exchange with her ex-lover. Confessing in her monologue that she must invent new habits, replacing all those acquired with him, speaks to the painful and relatable human experience of heartbreak. There is something comforting and therapeutic about the way Almodóvar allows us to voyeuristically observe this woman’s intimate thoughts and confessions. He allows us to not feel as alone in our own failed relationships and instead we unanimously share this sense of catharsis of letting go and moving on with the protagonist when the end credits roll. Centered around this single phone call and, by extension, this final traumatic goodbye, the film is a testament to our digital age in which ghosting and breakups via text are becoming commonplace. It is an ode to the importance of the very basic need for human connection and intimacy as Swinton’s character spends days stagnant in the act of grief, yearning for her ex-lover to return and collect his things. Paramount to the film’s success and authenticity is the breaking of the fourth wall as we see glimpses of the stage doors while Swinton walks outside of the frame, revealing that the apartment is just a set built in a studio. We are sorely reminded then that everything we do is just an act, especially when emotionally charged: an act of passion, of love, of violence or of revenge. It is not until Swinton literally snaps herself out of this act of affliction by setting alight her apartment (the stage) that she is free to act on herself and let go of this desire for closure. Despite its brief thirty-minute run, The Human Voice is a beautiful and beguiling meditation on what it means to love, be loved, to lose and be lost. A departure from his conventional format and native tongue, The Human Voice is still brilliantly Almodóvaresque, dripping in the same aesthetic qualities that make his films so visually striking and unforgettable. For die-hard fans, this masterpiece is not to be missed but dared to be experienced. By Eliza Tollemache

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. The last sensation that a filmmaker wants you to feel is boredom. A film can be uninspiring, lazy, contrived, implausible, but boring may well be the bedrock of descriptions for an artist practicing any given medium -- but with The French Dispatch (2021), I barely blinked. This film is truly captivating. From frame one to the denouement, Wes Anderson’s latest feature is a risk for the director, but it sparkles in the midst of outstanding October releases. This film is a sweet shop for visuals and heartwarming beats, backboned by another enchanting score from Alexandre Desplat. It's stuffed to the brim with well-assembled production design, a career-high achievement in Anderon’s record of detailed cinematic mise-en-scene. Each frame is glimmering with small intricacies, teeming with visual life, demanding another look, another watch. However, I admit that with a plethora of actors whom I sincerely admire, I was disappointed at how brief their scenes lasted. Whilst I still enjoyed their quirky, deadpan performances, I had expected more screen time for some of my favourite performers. Despite this personal note, the film delivers excellently with its vast all-star cast. I just wish that some of them didn’t feel like cameos. Furthermore, Dispatch suffers from the unsatisfying lack of an overarching story or a sense of catharsis to the film by limiting itself to three thematically juxtaposing storylines within a wider storyline about a publication’s decline. But that doesn’t take away from how pleasurable the picture is to experience – it just limits the character arcs, which I value greatly in an Anderson film. The screenplay is still playful and articulate, even if it lacks much development. Clearly, this wasn’t Anderson’s objective with this film though, as you will still get a kick out of the immersive, simmering aesthetics popping throughout the film. If not that, then you’ll enjoy the snappy dialogue, the gifted performances or the wit and culture bubbling within each sequence. Whilst it may not resonate quite like the rest of Anderson’s filmography, this film doesn’t stray too far from the pack and is perhaps one of his most ambitious efforts. It must be admitted that this film lacks poignant emotion. You will either leave this film feeling overwhelmed or immensely charmed. This is an eloquent love letter to journalism depicted stylistically yet respectively, with some profound concepts being explored in the subtext of each beat, even if you aren’t given very long to brood upon them. By Coco Bond

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. Made by Christelle Lheureux, 80,000 Years Old (2020) engages the past and present in conversation, reflecting on personal history, lived experience, ancestry and legend. Céline, an archaeologist who spends her lonely summer in a town full of memories and familiarity, confides joyously in nature, but is mostly looking for human connection. Her desperation towards reconnecting with her past is mirrored in her profession – as she digs up footprints of ancient humans, she makes an attempt to untangle the loose threads of her childhood. Though she is considering starting anew, her proclivity to nostalgia hints at her incapability to let go of the past. Despite an intentional step forward in traditional filmmaking, Lheureux’s visual arts background does not want to be left behind. It’s as if her attempt at creating a narrative short film is inherently coded to be a love poem to experimental cinema. While working within cinematic structures, she playfully critiques the perspectives of dramatic fiction. She presents an exciting way of delivering an engaging narrative through dual-screen displays to utilise the endless possibilities of association. Some of these scenes highlight similarities of feeling, contrast opposing atmospheres, or draw parallels between past and present, whilst some comment on the nature of filmmaking itself. By showing full, unedited bits of dialogue through side-by-side reverse shots, the filmmaker hands the responsibility of editing to her audience by allowing them to decide their visual interpretation of the conversation. The unconventional formal delivery feels incredibly natural when infused with her personal artistic touch, and reflects on her affinity for using installation as a means to exhibit films. For the most part, installations tend to play video art on a loop, and 80,000 Years Old echoes that by creating a desire to rewatch. The film presents a string of new possibilities and ways of interpretation with every rewatch. The narrative becomes fluid, mirroring the plurality of the human experience. In the introduction for her film’s recent release on MUBI, Lheureux explains that “the film does not deliver any tangible truth, but a series of possibilities with which the spectator navigates and constructs his own truth.” Thus, in a way, she empowers her audience to be somewhat of a filmmaker themselves, freeing herself from the burden of clarity by surrendering her dramaturgical control. 80,000 Years Old is a work of art that is impossible to fully understand, one that brings you back to it over and over so you can uncover more of its possibilities. Yet you end up completely and utterly lost in a beautifully meaningful way that perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of time. By Anna Jarai

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. Directed by Catarina Vasconcelos, A Metamorfose dos Pássaros, or The Metamorphosis of Birds (2020) takes a distinctively poetic approach to its format. Not only does it feature layered visuals that induce further complex readings, but it also juxtaposes those same images with moving dialogue. "What about trees? Did they already exist before us? / -There are trees that saw mom and dad being born. There are trees that saw our parents' parents being born. There are trees that saw our parents' parents' parents being born. / - And do we live as long as the trees? / – I don’t think so." A dialogue between two boys laying in bed, wondering about life, while the moon lights up their room. Vasconcelos shares with us the memories and emotions of her family, offering this film to anyone open to receive it. Through the lens of memory and the frames of imagination, A Metamorfose dos Pássaros guides us through an emotional journey of loss that leads to the metamorphosis of the director herself and her father, Jacinto. Even though we can tell that this is a personal project for Vasconcelos, it's amazing that we, as an audience, are still able to relate to it and find a sense of intimacy with its characters. It is a meditative journey where we are invited to search for something within ourselves while gazing at Catarina drowning under the small river waves or gazing at the still rocks high up in the mountain. We stop to look inwards at our existence and the time we have left to gaze at something or someone once again. It is an experience that we don't usually find on screen and we end up thinking about it even after the film ends. This film is full of nuances, not only in its colours and mise en scène, but also within its voice. It is incredible that amidst all such poetry and beauty, Vasconcelos still finds the space and time to remind the viewer that this world, where these people happen to live, is still a world lacking equality and respect. A Metamorfose dos Pássaros is above all a beautiful reminder that time flies by without us noticing, because, in the end, our death is just "something of the ones alive." By the time we are gone, we will be somewhere else migrating alongside the birds. By Tomás Basílio