SiftPop

by Cris Mora-Villa, Contributing Writer

I didn’t pay much mind to anything having to do with the Academy Awards when looking at the festival selection. My reasoning for that was largely because I wanted to examine every movie equally under its own terms. I don’t believe much was even announced at the time, but looking back at it now, there were several films submitted by various countries for Best International Film — which has always been one of my favorite categories — at next year’s Academy Awards. Beyond just the excellent level of quality that can be found across such a wide array of films, they come from all over the world. That offers a chance to explore the current state of the broader cinematic landscape outside the traditional Hollywood system. This category often tends to be overlooked in favor of the much showier awards that get handed out, but that just incentivizes me to devote a piece in this series to it. The five films in this section were all submitted by their respective countries for Best International Film of 2023.

Fallen Leaves — Loved It

Finland’s entry for the Oscars comes in the form of the romantic tragicomedy, Fallen Leaves.We follow the increasingly lonely pair of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), who, upon a chance meeting on one fateful night, come to find their potentially blossoming relationship halted by Holappa’s personal demons and a series of ill-fated circumstances. Every once in a while, I come upon a film that leaves such an impression that it motivates me to check out the director’s previous work. That will very much be the case with Aki Kaurismäki. His deft level of skill as both a writer and director are too great to not explore further, and that’s the magic of these festivals: to find something so unexpected and refreshing that it opens a door to something you wouldn’t have found otherwise. As far as what the film does to merit that interest, it largely comes down to its sense of humor, muted chemistry between the leads, and heartwarming sentiment. While that in itself is nothing I haven’t seen before, I actually contend that should be taken as a point of pride. While the film may feel like it’s traversing on previously walked ground, it’s executed so well that a sizable impression was made in my psyche to hold it in this high esteem. The more I ponder why that would be, when compared to every other film of the festival I had viewed which delved into such personal or prescient territory, there’s an extra layer of appreciation for one that chooses to focus on telling a brisk love story in a quaint setting. I don’t expect Fallen Leaves to move every viewer the way it moved me, but I truly believe it is also not the kind of picture someone would regret spending their time with. For almost the entirety of the runtime, my smile barely wavered, and I think that counts for something.

Shayda —Liked It

Director Noora Niasari achieves quite the feat by having her feature directorial debut receive the official submission for Australia. The film follows the titular Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and her daughter, Mona (Selina Zahednia), as they attempt to distance themselves from Shayda’s abusive husband after leaving their home of Iran in the hopes of building a better life. In a semi-autobiographical take on Niasari’s own childhood, this movie has an emotional authenticity that could not wring more true to the message that’s being conveyed. Niasari actually attended this screening, along with one of the film’s producers. Upon hearing them speak about this project, I could feel so much care that was felt throughout the making of this picture. The film is awash with scenes that fall under one of two halves. When the movie chooses to lean towards its quieter and more meditative side, there’s a celebratory overlay to the interior lives of Shayda and Mona, where they enrich their situation by embracing their culture while hoping for normalcy. On the other end of the scale, we have a more despairing and anxiety-laden film for the scenes that include Shayda’s husband, or which reminisce on memories too painful for the screen. Something else I find fascinating is that regardless of whichever half the movie settles into, there’s an effort to build an interior world for the supporting characters who share similarities with Shayda. Alongside her is a bevy of women who regardless of age, race, or country of origin, all of whom find themselves in the same boat, trying to escape from their respective pasts. Despite coming from a very personal framework, it’s not at all hard for me to imagine that this story could also be told from a differing perspective from any of the other women or children living in this small safe house. That speaks not only to the clever scripting from Niasari, but to the universality the film possesses, which only strengthens its themes. There’s certainly a lot this has going for it, but my lasting takeaway was the lead performance by Ebrahimi. In a top-three performance of the entire festival, Ebrahimi absolutely commands every frame she’s in with her subdued interpretation of this character. Body language, facial expression, and vocal dexterity are all incredible and fully enraptured me into feeling everything Shayda felt. Truly one of the best performances of the year.

Totem — High Side of Liked It

One of the most emotionally resonant movies of the festival was Totem. We follow Sol (Naíma Sentíes) as she bears witness to her sprawling family’s attempts to prepare a birthday party for her dying father. Representing Mexico in this category, Totem very much falls in line with the kind of works I’m familiar with in regards to Mexican cinema. While it could be up to interpretation as far as what that entails, for me, the most common components that I find in Mexican works that they prioritize themes and overall feel as opposed to narrative. That’s very much the case with Totem. While the story is kept relatively simple, that’s very much an intentional choice by writer/director Lila Avilés, in favor of driving home the sentiment of the picture. There’s a vignette-based structure to this one, as we not only follow Sol, but pivot frequently to spend time with every family member within the vicinity of their home. Whether it’s someone being disciplined into cleaning up the living room or a recurring motif of animals popping in and out of the frame, all of these interactions are meant to ingratiate oneself into understanding what kind of family this is. We’re not witnessing a family out of a sitcom or some dour melodrama, but one born to reflect the reality which occupies families akin to the viewers. So much of the film is devoted to this overwhelming joy that it’s not lost on me to acknowledge the looming elephant in the background. Sol’s father, Tonatiuh (Mateo Garcia), is far down the road of a disease that’s robbing him of his life as a friend, an artist, a son, and a dad. With what little strength he has left, he prepares himself for what’ll likely be his last birthday. Avilés doesn’t shield the audience from witnessing every ounce of his struggle as he endures pain. But endures he does, not for himself, but for what truly matters most in this thing called life. The viewer is left on a coda appropriate with everything that preceded it. Kept succinct and minimal, the final frames of the movie left me moved with their ghostly overtones and traces of past memories.

Four Daughters — High Side of Liked It

Rounding out the documentaries I’ll be going in depth about, we have Four Daughters,from Tunisia. In a blend of documentary and fiction, the film follows Olfa and her two daughters, Tayssir and Eya, as they reminisce about the disappearance of their two family members (Ghofrane and Rahma) by casting actresses to take their place, along with one for Olfa herself. As one of the most intriguing premises of the entire festival, Four Daughters appealed to me very early on. The more distance I’ve gotten from it, the more my reverence for it has continued to grow. This picture is nothing short of incredible, and I would not be surprised if it makes strong waves in both the International and Documentary categories at this year’s Oscars. It’s that strong of a contender, and everybody should definitely be looking out for it. What you’ll find is a movie which offers equal parts introspection and compassion for a family unable to move on from the most unexpected of life events. Throughout these reviews, I’ve been keen on keeping a bit of distance from spoiler territory so as to let the movies speak for themselves. That’s especially the case with this film, as its lasting conclusion is not one meant for the naive. It’s as big of a gut punch from any movie I’ve seen in a long while, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. But before arriving at that point in the story, the film-within-a-film structure not only makes for an ever-engaging watch, it also contains the soul. The line between recollection and interpretation is stripped bare as we are allowed to witness several moments from within the interior lives of this family. It’s ultimately Olfa’s perspective that brings home the point that when the past is too excruciating to confront accurately, you may find yourself investing in fantasy over memory.

The Teachers’ Lounge — Loved It

The last film in this section hailing from Germany is Ilker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge, which follows Carla (Leonie Benesch), an idealistic high school teacher whose investigation into a series of thefts around the school lead to a widespread controversy among the students and faculty. There are few movies that I’ve seen in the past year that have exhilarated me as much as this one. The level of tension on display is at such a high frequency, it’s impossible to look away at times. There are several factors that contribute to this, but the two primary highlights would be the setting and the script. A pivotal part of what builds the tension is how the insulated school setting enhances the triviality of the thefts themselves. When combined with the writing, it’s there that the movie really starts to sing. Written with cutting precision, and performed by a very talented ensemble, so many of the scenes in this movie just beam with a kinetic energy that is not easy to generate. Benesch leads the cast in the role of Carla Nowak, and she does so with spectacular range. Benesch approaches the material with a confident understanding of her ever-evolving characterization, choosing to use different tools in her bag, depending on where she finds herself within the film. Whether it’s the ferocity that peaks beneath the surface when her sense of justice is mistaken for oppression or her more nurturing moments used to maintain some semblance of peace amidst the megalomania of the situation, Benesch never loses sight of Carla’s humanity. On top of the excellent performance, the themes offer something to chew on. At the epicenter of the plot are the thefts themselves, and given how much of the runtime is devoted to that as one of the lead motivations for several characters, it’s ultimately not the focus of what’s being depicted. Instead, the main focus of the movie is its exploration of paranoia, racial prejudice, righteousness versus pretentiousness, and the folly of institutions. Certainly a big recommendation from me to anyone who can get to see this film, a truly phenomenal film.