By Roger Costa
THE PROPHET
Addressing faith and religious practices through the moral transition of a pastor who becomes attached to witchcraft, Mozambican filmmaker Ique Langa’s mysteriously seductive drama brings an impressive performance by Admiro De Laura Munguambe as the protagonist. Shot in a starkly lush B&W, capturing the remote landscape as a metaphor for its characters’ disturbed emotions, it’s a brilliant investigation on the human condition challenged by principles and instinctiveness. (Screens April 9th and 10th).
FANTASY
A labyrinthic, genre-defying psychological drama, French award-winning director Isabel Pagliai’s humanistic experiment observes mythical situations through people on the edge facing isolation and anxieties. Structured as video-diaries vignettes and influenced by avant-garde and naturalism, it is a bold and creative take on art film. (Screens April 9th and 11th).
NEXT LIFE
Deeply emotional and relatable, Tenzin Phuntsog’s portrait of a Tibetan/American family dealing with the expectation of death, is a singular take on grief and human values. Drawing influence from “The Tibetan Book of the Dead”, charged by its lyricism and endearing patience, the result is a delicate meditation on spirituality and family bond. (Screens April 13th and 14th).
IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT
Following the forbidden romance of a young woman and her artist boyfriend, Indian filmmaker Sanju Surendran’s urban romantic saga is a courageous take on a woman’s liberation and quest for independence. While navigating the tumultuous megalopolis of Delhi, they must face economic and hierarchical challenges, all while pursuing their aspirations and real desires. Infused with a sophisticated energy, Surendran delivers an assured drama about relationships and the obstacles of traditions. (Screens April 14th and 15th).
BRAND NEW LANDSCAPE
A wonderfully crafted, sharp and unpredictable family drama, Japanese Yuiga Danzuka’s absorbing and stylish debut meticulously explores the resentment and subtle anger of two siblings abandoned by their father and trying to reconnect years later when the father returns to Tokyo to lead a major urban development. Perhaps one of the most confident and accomplished directorial debuts coming from Japan in recent years, Danzuka may be the next Koreeda. (Screens April 15th and 16th).
(Presented by Film at Lincoln Center and MoMA, the 55th New Directors/New Films runs April 8th thru 19th at both venues with most filmmakers in person. Go to www.filmlinc.org for details).
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