— by WILLIAM STERR — “Daughters of the Forest” takes a remarkable look at the life of fungi in the native forests of Oaxaca and Mexico states in southern Mexico. But it is so much more. The film begins with rain falling in the forest. On the forest floor peeking out of the du[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: American Agitators
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is the story of the life and achievements of Fred Ross and his son Fred Ross Jr. – and all the people and organizations they affected. Writer/director Raymond Telles and writer Angella Reginato have created a moving exploration of the career of one of the most[...]
Review: Bernstein’s Wall
— by BEV QUESTAD — Why is this archival documentary called “Bernstein’s Wall”? I suspect those who saw Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” will be the first to see this new film about America’s greatest conductor, Leonard Bernstein, who brought great classics to passionate new life [...]
Review: Spacewoman
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is the story of astronaut Eileen Collins. Born and raised in Elmira, NY, a declining industrial town, she rose from poverty to pilot and command four space shuttle missions, including the first one after the Columbia disaster. She was the first woman to do so. B[...]
Review: Palestine ’36
— by WILLIAM STERR — The Palestinian people have been fighting for their rights even longer than you might think. During WWI, British Lord Balfour, who from his writing and the parliamentary bills he supported had racist and anti-Semitic views, authored the Balfour Declaration, which cal[...]
Review: The Divine Sarah Bernhardt
— by WILLIAM STERR — Nearly a century and a half ago, one of the greatest names in theater, worldwide, was Sarah Bernhardt. She was a French actress, artist, theater manager and play producer. The new film “The Divine Sarah Bernhardt” captures various points in her career. This is no[...]
Review: Hamnet
— by WILLIAM STERR — A film for the decade. Hamnet was nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as one of the 10 best American films of 2025. But it didn’t win. Instead, a film about the insane violence of American people against each other received the Oscar for B[...]
Review: Resistance 101
— by BEV QUESTAD — The best film for Holy Week is “Resistance 101.” Hosted by Reverend Chris Hedges, Ph.D., journalist, author, commentator and Presbyterian minister, this is a free movie (see link at end) that reveals a path of Christ in today’s world. What I’m going to call Chr[...]
Review: Stop Time
— by BEV QUESTAD — Two stories begin separately and then converge. My favorite tells the life of a successful professional, Adrianna Maier (Kelly Deadmon), who is well-known in the lighting business for Broadway productions in New York City. Quizzically, she has received a letter from th[...]
Review: Watch the Skies
— by WILLIAM STERR — An Einstein-Rosen Bridge, known more commonly as a wormhole, is a theoretical, mathematical solution to Albert Einstein’s field equations in general relativity that proposes a shortcut connecting two separate points in space time. It is an element of many science-f[...]
Review: Seeds
— by BEV QUESTAD — Cars moving slowly proceed gently down a long, flat road with farmland on both sides. The procession stops at a country church. People get out of the vehicles and join a service with clapping and lively music. It could be a baptism or wedding, because there are handsha[...]
Review: Group – The Schopenhauer Effect
— by WILLIAM STERR — Have you ever been in group therapy? I have not, and my only experience even tangentially related is the hilarious group featured in the old “Bob Newhart Show” from the 1970s. This is very different. Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where therapists treat[...]
Review: Cutting Through Rocks
— by BEV QUESTAD — Just what kind of patience, strength, supportive gear, and skill would it take to cut through rocks? That’s the metaphor Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki (directors, producers, and editors) use to explain how difficult it is to change what the West calls misogyny in [...]
Review: It Was Just An Accident
— by BEV QUESTAD — Beware, films by Jafar Panahi have multiple levels of meaning, just as they have, in his case, multiple levels of production. All is not as it seems, and Panahi’s genius lies in his extraordinary ability to tell a story on many planes. Eghbal is driving with his fami[...]