Icarus Films – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 2, 2023: USERS

May 27, 2023May 28, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentary, Icarus Films, jennifer merin, kronos quartet, leslie combemale, motw, Movie of the Week, Natalia Almada, nikki fowler, users

Through a mix of mesmerizing images and contemplative narration, director Natalia Almada explores humanity’s relationship with technology in the thought-provoking documentary Users. It’s more of a tone poem than an analytical investigation, raising complex questions that don’t have straightforward answers and reminding viewers that we all have choices when it comes to how we interact with the digital tools and devices that are so prevalent in our modern world.

Reviews

WHITE BALLS ON WALLS – Review by Liz Braun

May 23, 2023May 24, 2023 Liz Braun Amsterdam, documentaries, Dr. Charl Landvreugd, dutch films, Icarus Films, Kirchner and Nolde: Expressionism. Colonialism, Rein Wolfs, Sarah Vos, Stedelijk Museum, White Balls on Walls, Yvette Mutumba

The art world is shrouded in mystery (on so many levels) but writer/director Sarah Vos wades in fearlessly in the documentary White Balls on Walls — a film about Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum and that institution’s work on diversity and inclusion. It’s a fascinating film. Sorting out whose work gets shown and evolving as an institution so more artists of colour and more women artists are included is a tricky business. But it’s crucial, for both ethical and practical reasons. Tasked with representing the population at large, museum Director Rein Wolfs begins with an almost all-white staff and the understanding that from artists to exhibits, “White middle aged men occupy 95 percent of the space but are only 10 percent of the population.”