The Critics' Verdicts

Critics Academy

After Blue (Paradis sale)

“An almost dead horse and screaming caterpillars.” Without hesitation, Bertrand Mandico’s long feature for its singular cinematographic experience. A cosmic western-comedy which distinguishes itself by a careful direction. Though a polarizing gaze, it is worth the detour. Cassiane Pfund, 28, Switzerland

The horror genre explored in the film, that is evidently made with few resources, is related to the main themes of the plot: the mechanization and alienation of bodies in the context of contemporary factory work in an underdeveloped country and the greater rigidity and concern of these worker bodies in the face of imminent loss of employment and resources to live on due to factory closures. Thus, working or losing work seems to be equally terrifying and distressing, making the horror genre more interesting to address these issues in a story that has the factory as a humanized protagonist. Mariana Queen Nwabasili, Brazil

A Máquina Infernal

Il mulino del Po

Lattuada’s histrionic drama is an exceptionally refreshing watch for anyone coming from the former Soviet bloc. A lot of that has to do with the rather ambiguous ideological profile of its characters – socialists can go wrong, millers can be reactionary and preachers can serve revolutionary causes from the right distance. It’s one of those rarae aves that offer both a fervent cry and a good laugh. Călin Boto, 24, Romania

Leynilögga (Cop Secret) may seem just like any other action-comedy, but this Icelandic film has put a twist on it: the two main characters are casually gay and the film makes a conscious effort for diversity among its characters. Karin Taglang, 27, Switzerland

Leynilögga (Cop Secret)

Pathos Ethos Logos

A mystical odyssey into the mystery of things and bonds throughout the story the crossroads in life between Angela, Mariana and Ruben spun in this film of more than 10 hours with Leonel and Pinto's usual affection. Diego Cepeda, 28, Dominican Republic

The evidence: a blue scarf washed away by the river announcing a tragedy, the path from color to a black screen, the idea that an entire film can be contained in one gesture. Solange continues one’s faith in cinema. Diego Cepeda, 28, Dominican Republic

Petite Solange

Quand nous étions petits enfants

Henry Brandt's Quand nous étions petits enfants follows the everyday life of a class in Neuchâtel at the beginning of the 1960s. Given its ethnographic approach, it highlights easily recognizable nostalgic elements, such as drinking Ovomaltine, while it imaginatively shows details of nature, this way universalizing the experience of being in a cycle of life. The film starts with drawings of houses, plotted at defined lines, anticipating a playful exploration of the system of life, an immersion in the freedom of rules. Anna Babos, 25, Hungary

Wild, irreverent, and deeply romantic, Edwin's Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas (Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash) offers a powerful crime story-infused corrective to genre cinema's traditionally masculinist machismo against the backdrop of late-1980s Indonesia. Alan Mattli, 29, Switzerland

Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas

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