By Roger Costa
TANTURA
For most people, the thought of reviving, remembering or even mentioning traumatic events of one’s past seems hard and painful, but in most of these cases, the necessary and inevitable going back to the past, brings remedy, relief and healing. That’s exactly what moves director Alon Schwarz in his investigative, hauntingly immersive process of gathering facts, evidences and testimonies from the so-called 1948’s “War of Independence” on the coastal Tantura village when the Israeli army killed hundreds of Palestinians, depopulating their villages. The narrative is told from the perspective of Israeli scholar Teddy Katz, who was first celebrated for his thesis based on documents and recordings he found, stating the numbers and precise locations of the massacres, but eventually he was turned down and persecuted by the system and had his diploma revoked. That instantly led to a net of conspiracy involving authorities, the army and the Government. The director goes deep inside the facts, cautiously listening to the facts presented by Katz, his motives and patriotic disappointments, while also meeting up with former soldiers, in crucial, cold hearted revelations about how they were ordered to kill, as well as others who insist on denying the facts and accusations. He also does a great research with victims, survivors, historians, professors and other specialists, crafting an incredibly accurate, intriguing and spellbinding journalistic material that reflects on the authoritarian power of avoiding the hardest and (almost) unforgiveable truths, and denying respect and compensation for its victims. (Reel Peak Films. 12/2. IFC Center).
CONFESSIONS OF A HITMAN
Based on the true story of Canada’s notorious professional killer, this electrifying and highly entertaining crime noir brilliantly recounts how such a man outsmarted the police committing 28 murders in a 2 decades prolific career. Director Luc Picard multi-tasks behind the cameras and as the leading star, an ordinary, elegant and quiet man, nobody would suspect of. The film opens as the antihero is at confessional terms in church, and such narrative element persists throughout as we witness his detailed testimonies on how he proceeded and scored his assignments. He has a cover-up wife, but becomes involved with an athletic woman running a funeral home, whom he immediately identifies with. She turns out to be acceptable and tolerant to his confessions, and might be a key for his success. Extracting convincing performances, setting up the accurate atmosphere, and maintaining it gripping and unexpected, Picard crafts an instant classic about human violence, a stylish and graphic hybrid of gangster tale, dark comedy and social tensions. (Film Movement. 12/2. Streaming on Film Movement Plus, and others).
LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE
An instant cult classic that deliciously plays with anarchy and subversive elements, this smart gem written and directed by Maritka Ramirez Escobar is one of the most inventive films of the year. It deservedly won some prestigious accolades for its aesthetic and narrative innovations, including Sundance’s Innovative Spirit Award and Toronto’s Amplify Voices Award. It is currently nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for Best International Film. Poised to become one of those midnight arthouse engagements, it literally immerses the viewer into the head of an aging, once-popular female director who is finishing up a screenplay for an action film but is on a comatose state. We first meet Leonor, (a career-changing, charismatic, sarcastic and touching performance by Sheila Francisco) struggling to pay the electric bill, arguing with her son, dreaming of soap operas and trash action films, and crossing with her other son’s ghost. After a freak accident leaves her in a coma, we are invited to explore her imagination, as she continues to write the screenplay while gaining form on screen. The film reflects to it as a surrealist, anarchist and badass tribute to the action genre and its influences on heroism and triumph. Escobar is certainly a major new voice, an authentic filmmaker whose ability on creating a personal, female-driven, liberal universe defies the standards of storytelling, and leaves an impressive mark as a fresh re-start to the art.
(Music Box Films. 12/2. Metrograph and Alamo Drafthouse).
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