Italian director Roberto Minervini’s powerful and deeply moving documentary “What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?” is a searing examination of racism that will open the Fresno Filmworks 2019-20 [...] Continue Reading
Timeless ‘Transit’ Forges a Path Out of Purgatory
German filmmaker Christian Petzold reminds us that the plight of refugees is not constrained by time or events. In his haunting dramatic thriller “Transit,” they are the collateral damage of [...] Continue Reading
Icelandic warrior battles to protect the environment
Icelandic filmmaker Benedikt Erlingsson’s second major film, “Woman at War,” is the quirky tale of an environmental activist who battles Iceland’s government. The absurdist tale, which is Fresno [...] Continue Reading
The Joy and the Darkness of ‘The Charmer’
“The Charmer,” the heartbreaking directorial debut from Iran-born filmmaker Milad Alami and Fresno Filmworks’ selection for its March 8 screening, captures with stunning realism the agony experienced [...] Continue Reading
Chang-dong Lee and the mystery of ‘the great hunger’
“Burning” is director Chang-dong Lee’s sixth film, and his first in eight years. In addition to being placed on the 2019 Oscar shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film, “Burning” also won the FIPRESCI [...] Continue Reading
‘Shoplifters’ Will Steal Your Heart
In the tender Japanese family drama “Shoplifters,” from renowned master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Osamu and his son Shota shoplift basic necessities in order for their family to survive. Returning [...] Continue Reading
If I Can Festival, So Can You
There are many reasons why film festivals feel so exciting. Fresnans are fortunate, as Filmworks hosts a first-class annual festival, showcasing a wide variety of films at an affordable price. A $50 [...] Continue Reading
Ensemble Casts Do More Than Support
In recent years, the argument has been made that the Academy should include an Oscar category for Best Ensemble Cast. The Screen Actors Guild gives an award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast, and [...] Continue Reading