Sarah has her life sorted out. She’s about to quit her Ivy League PhD program to follow her married boyfriend cross country. When her mother unexpectedly dies, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the Bronx with a small Christian bookshop she can’t wait to sell. But after a few days in the neighbourhood, Sarah realises what the bookshop means for the local community and how much her mother meant to them too. Nana Mensah’s directorial debut, Queen of Glory, is a funny and moving portrait of immigrant identity, grief and cultural expectations.
Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s Bloody Oranges is a pitch-black – at times savage – comedy that pokes at class, privilege, politicians and sexism. Following a minister suspected of tax evasion, a retired couple trying to win a dance competition as a last attempt to get out of debt, and a teenager’s unfortunate encounter with a pervert, Bloody Oranges takes a big swerve mid-way through, morphing from one genre to another and the pay-off is worth it. With graphic images and characters who say the unspeakable, Bloody Oranges won’t be for everyone but for those it is for, it is unmissable.
Columbus director Kogonada returns with the incredibly thoughtful After Yang starring Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith. In a not-so-distant future where most households rely on AI companions, a family’s balance is disrupted when their android helper, Yang, unexpectedly breaks down. Attempting all they can to try and get Yang repaired, the family is forced to re-examine their dynamic and what it truly means to be a family. After Yang is a beautiful meditative drama about the power and meaning of connections, relationships, loss, love and memories, that will stay with you way past the end credits.
In a future where humans are having to adapt to an increasingly synthetic world, performance artist Saul Tenser uses the changes within his own body as art. But his ill-informed work plays perfectly into the hands of a mysterious group who are attempting to bring awareness to the next phase of human evolution. David Cronenberg’s return to the big screen shocked audiences in Cannes – Crimes of the Future is a slow-burn body horror sci-fi that paints a dark picture of the future of humanity.
Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö work at a smoothie stand after school where they share their romantic and sexual experiences and expectations. When Emma walks into their lives, Mimmi is swept away by the thrill of a new romance. Meanwhile, Rönkkö attempts to figure out who she is and what she truly desires. Alli Haapasalo’s Girls Girls Girls is a refreshing coming-of-age portrait of three young women exploring their sexuality and identity that feels rooted in lived experiences, and excels at painting a picture of modern girlhood.
Hope to see you there,
Meli
