The Look Of Silence and Q&A, Nationwide
For many, Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act Of Killing was the best film of 2013 – a portrait of Indonesia’s 1960s death squads that went beyond the bounds of documentary, mixing theatricality with horror. The only thing it lacked was the perspective of the victims. Oppenheimer corrects that with a moving, accomplished, astonishingly dramatic companion piece, which is sure to prompt further questions. You’ll get some answers at this preview, accompanied by a Louis Theroux-hosted satellite Q&A with the director.
Various venues, Sun
Open City Documentary Festival, London
The big issues of the day are very much tackled here, such as inequality (explored in authoritative doc The Divide, 20 Jun), corporate tax avoidance (Harold “The Corporation” Crooks’s latest The Price We Pay, Fri) and social housing (Estate, A Reverie tracks the demise of Hackney’s Haggerston Estate over seven years, 21 Jun). But there’s room for individual stories and voices, too. Included is a rare chance to see early documentaries from Belgium’s eminent Dardennes brothers, for example (Fri to 21 Jun), while Andrew Kötting and Iain Sinclair take another eccentric trip in By Our Selves (20 Jun). Opening film Sam Klemke’s Time Machine (Tue) could qualify as the world’s first vlog: its protagonist has kept a video diary for 35 years. You can catch up with the present-day Sam Klemke too, as the screening is followed by a Q&A – he’s one of numerous guests and industry insiders here.
Various venues, Tue to 21 Jun
Edinburgh International Film Festival
It’s always been a champion of domestic cinema (as well as every other kind), but somehow this year’s Edinburgh international film festival feels more Scottish than ever. The opening and closing films are both homegrown (and world premieres): Robert Carlyle’s The Legend Of Barney Thomson, in which he plays an accidental Glasgow serial killer, and Scott “Shell” Graham’s Hebridean drama Iona. Other Scots of note in the programme include Peter Mullan, Martin Compston and Ewan McGregor. Highlights are too numerous to list, though Beach Boys biopic Love & Mercy, Pixar’s Inside Out and Asif Kapadia’s Amy doc are sure to be hot tickets.
Various venues, Wed to 28 Jun
New Mexican Cinema, Manchester
After back-to-back best director Oscars for Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) and Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity), there’s no doubt Mexican cinema has been on to something in recent years. How deep does that talent pool go? This clutch of new films from young directors – some of whom will be in attendance – gives an indication. Names to watch include Alonso Ruiz Palacios, whose youth drama Güeros (22 Jun) has gathered acclaim, and Mariana Chenillo, who follows up her award-winning Nora’s Will with suburban comedy Paraíso (20 & 21 Jun). Meanwhile, inequality and generational differences are apparent in films such as Hilda (Fri & 20 Jun), in which a wealthy woman befriends her maid.
HOME, Thu to 22 Jun
