— by BEV QUESTAD — It is hard enough for a woman to make the decision to leave a marriage. But what if she doesn’t have a skill or an education? What if she has a young child? What if that child is being mistreated? What if she’s Muslim? It is important to note[...]
Author Archive
Under Review: ‘Tibet in Song’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “They will arrest you as easily as taking a hair from butter.” Our director, Ngawang Choephel, is thinking there should be no problems. After all, it is 1995 and he is just going to be taking footage of Tibetans singing folk songs.[...]
Trailer Talk: ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Ticking clock, dragon on her back, violence, screaming, bandaged … Nov. 25. That’s all we need to know. By this time, these filmmakers know that all the promo they need is some hardcore music and the date. No fiction book, except for those in the Harry Potter serie[...]
Under Review: ‘Stealing the Light’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “This film is dedicated to the children of Afghanistan who have not had an education. Those who cannot read or write are blind,” states Mohammed Khan Kharoti. “Learning is light. It shows you the way to go.” This is the triumphant story of Kharoti, born in 1943[...]
Under Review: ‘Rock Hudson – Dark and Handsome Stranger’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Perhaps intended as a tribute, a love poem, or an attempt to chronicle an icon, this begging cup is rattling empty. It’s as if those close to Rock Hudson scurried like bugs under an overturned rock, denying access to these filmmakers. No interviews with Doris Day[...]
Under Review: ‘Waking Sleeping Beauty’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Don’t be thinking that this doc even mentions “Sleeping Beauty” – ever. But do believe in the metaphorical illusion. This is a documentary on saving an institution that helped shape us in our youth, developing our nascent sense of hope, virtue and courage. This[...]
Under Review: ‘The University of Nuclear Bombs’
— by BEV QUESTAD — It is commonly assumed that public universities are solely financed through student tuition and state taxpayer support. Sure, there are grants from foundations, overhead payments from research contracts, and so on, but many have envisioned our universities as pure bast[...]
Film-maker Ken Moore Discusses ‘Spaceless in Seattle’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Doesn’t everybody love an elephant? This is a four-minute, concise, well-done short on how the elephants are doing at the Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) in Seattle. Intelligently written, cleverly titled and efficiently presented, this short is a must-see. Remember when you[...]
Under Review: ‘A Small Act’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Preparing homework by candlelight, living without electricity, and intermittently missing school to harvest coffee beans, Kimani has still been the top student at a rural elementary school in Kenya where a little bell is rung by hand to begin classes each day. Then the[...]
Short Film Theater: ‘Last Stop’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Ooooooooh … beautiful Monica Pena, 2005 Bachelorette for D Magazine, is transformed into a woman almost (but not enough!) destroyed. The humiliation of being the subject of abuse has stripped her of her happiness, her hopes and the fabric of her beauty – but not he[...]
Under Review: ‘Departures’ (aka ‘Okuribito’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — Bring out your Kleenex, not for sadness or maudlin nostalgia, but for poignant acknowledgment. It’s not loss that will bring tears, but what the significance of death can teach us. “Departures” recognizes the essential power inherent in witnessing the passing to [...]
Trailer Talk: ‘The Special Relationship’
— by BEV QUESTAD — The trailer looks snazzy — Bill Clinton talks to Tony Blair about running the world. There is an important sounding soundtrack, views of the White House, a lovely Hilary and a seemingly normal Blair family at the breakfast table. Yes, there is mention of Monica a[...]
An Exclusive Interview with Producer-Director Bess O’Brien
— by BEV QUESTAD — Bess O’Brien has been a leader in collaborative, authentic movie making, telling true-life stories personal struggles and challenges through film. This July she and her cast were awarded the 2010 SuAnne Big Crow Human and Civil Rights Award from the National Educatio[...]
Film Festivals Serve a Necessary Purpose
— by BEV QUESTAD — Film festivals are like a one-weekend love affair with the dark mystery man of your dreams in a far-off city. Festivals make available something you’re not likely to experience ever again. And there’s a reason for this plot against pleasure, this worldwide conspira[...]