Deborah Young - The Film Verdict

Prison 77

Posted by Deborah Young | Sep 17, 2022 | Festivals, San Sebastian, SAN SEBASTIAN 2022, Spotlight |

Director Alberto Rodriguez grippingly reconstructs the post-Franco years, using historical riots and prisoners demanding human rights as a microcosm of Spain as it made a screeching transition from fascism to democracy.

No Bears

Posted by Deborah Young | Sep 9, 2022 | Festivals, Spotlight, VENICE 2022 |

The world premiere of Jafar Panahi’s simple but militantly engrossing ‘No Bears’, which comes to grips with the thin line between art and reality, took place in Venice competition while the director remained in prison in Tehran after his second arrest on July 11.

Beyond the Wall

Posted by Deborah Young | Sep 8, 2022 | Featured, Festivals, VENICE 2022 |

A shattering drama that courageously portrays Iran as a violent Big Brother police state, Vahid Jalilvand’s third film is a shrill, breath-taking mind-trip driven by between two exceptional actors, Navid Mohammadzadeh and Diana Habibi.

Vera

Posted by Deborah Young | Sep 6, 2022 | Festivals, Spotlight, VENICE 2022 |

Award-winning documentary team Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel plunge deep into the heart of the adult daughter of spaghetti western star Giuliano Gemma in a wonderfully touching film portrait that tips its Stetson at the illusory side of documentaries.

Lord of the Ants

Posted by Deborah Young | Sep 6, 2022 | Featured, Festivals, VENICE 2022 |

Director Gianni Amelio recreates a dismaying but true story from 1960’s Italy, when a brilliant writer who does little to hide his love for young men is persecuted and put on trial by a laughably outmoded justice system.

Author: Deborah Young

Prison 77

No Bears

Beyond the Wall

Vera

Lord of the Ants