His fluid style always works in service of the oral histories and folklore of Native peoples that might otherwise go unrecorded and lost. Sky Hopinka’s short films challenge that power dynamic in beautiful and inventive ways, experimenting with voice-over narration, inter-titles, music and sound design to explore how language, memory, and cultural history help strengthen identity. Maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore (Sky Hopinka)Įthnographic documentary has historically been used as a tool by colonial filmmakers to exoticize non-Western communities and cast themselves as white saviors. The poverty-stricken Filipino enclave is populated with superstitious citizens who often confront the misery and unfairness of modern life by embracing legends and mythologies of old. – Glenn H. Clocking in at a smooth 157 minutes, this blistering allegory takes place almost entirely on the ghostly terrain of Hugaw Island. With his latest feature Genus Pan, the king of slow cinema Lav Diaz proves that even his fleet-footed efforts can be an unrelenting experience. But while this kind of intense creative exercise no doubt deserves respect, ultimately one has the uneasy sense that things don’t really add up. It’s a heady hall of mirrors that keeps revealing, or at least suggesting new depths and angles. Frantz, a remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s Broken Lullaby with a twist, juxtaposes themes of grief, guilt, forgiveness, and the deceptive, self-inventive qualities of narrative against the backdrop of post-WWI Franco-German tensions. The prolific French auteur is a constant presence at A-list film festivals since the late ’90s and has proved to be a true writer’s director, with his films often characterized by a meticulous construction and the vigorous thought process that goes on behind it. One can accuse François Ozon of many things, but lack of ideas isn’t one of them. And while he bites off a bit more than he can chew here, there’s a good deal that resonates. Has there been a great feature made about the opioid crisis in America? Director Braden King is determined to answer the question “yes” with The Evening Hour, written by Elizabeth Palmore and based on the novel by Carter Sickels. A chronicle of the centennial reenactment of the forced deportation of mining workers that occurred in the eponymous Arizona town, the film emerges as a clear-eyed, blistering look into contemporary political divisions through an entire spectrum of viewpoints, while still possessing some of the most lucid and impressive filmmaking of 2018. Over the past decade, Robert Greene has carved out a place as one of the most vital American documentarians working today, and with Bisbee ’17, he has produced perhaps his most accomplished work to date. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here. Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States.