By 
“THE ROCKET” ****
One of Cinema’s most fascinating skills is the fact it introduces the audience to unseen cultures, different geographical landscapes and unknown traditions. That’s a good way to kick off the new year with a story that feels like visiting a new place, getting acquainted with new perspectives and looking around through the eyes of a determined kid.
Kim Mordaunt’s Australian film takes us to Laos, introducing a small village, its inhabitants and virtues. On the opening sequence, a woman is delivering twins, and as one of them is born dead, she’s trying to avoid the traditions that rule them, implying that the other must die as well, in order to prevent a curse of bad luck. On the second take, we meet Ahlo, a 10-year-old boy, smart and active, enjoying nature and the ordinary precious moments he shares with family. They are ordered to evacuate the village where a big corporation will build a dam, leaving behind their rituals and memories. On the journey, with the hopes of a new home, tragedy catches up with them, twisting their dreams and relationship. But Ahlo seems to be the one who will never give up and finds a chance to prove his care and determination when he enters a contest to build a rocket that would hit and wake up the skies claiming for rain. It’s impossible not to fall for the charisma, simplicity and efforts of the little hero, struggling and enduring pain and abandon, but strong enough to keep moving towards his goals to reunite his family. Most important, his innocence hasn’t been disturbed by the tragic facts haunting them, and through the rules of survival he maintains his fantasies of childhood even if he’s a boy forced to grow.
Beautifully shot and supported by impressively touching performances, it’s a lovely meditation on family, nature and beliefs. (Playing at Film Society Lincoln Center, 144 West 65th Street NYC)
“IN BLOOM” ***
Set in Georgia, 1992, with the Civil War as a backdrop, this insightful drama discusses social and political turbulences centering on the friendship of two girls dealing with changes around them and of their own. Natia sees an opportunity to leave her abusive home when asked for marriage, while Eka is trying to figure out a way into the future among the absence of her mother, the ignorance of her sister and her father’s imprisonment. The narrative is punctuated with a brilliant tension creating a suffocating and unpredictable atmosphere. The shocking depiction on poverty and hopelessness makes it an accurate neo-realistic portrait of people struggling to rebuild their lives out of misery. (At Film Society)
“WHEN I SAW YOU” ***
In 1967, Palestinians refugees wait on a camp for the uncertain future. Little Tarek doesn’t understand the chaos and insists returning home. He leaves his mother behind and set on foot, crosses the desert where he meets a group of soldiers preparing to claim their land back. A delicate and sensible coming-of-age story with a magical touch about losing innocence and facing transitions and the risks of life. Inspiring! (Playing thru January 22nd at MoMA, 11 West 53rd Street)
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