The third iteration of the Refocus Film Festival just ended at FilmScene. Bijou members were at various screenings during the weekend and came together to share their favorites! Tune into Bijou Banter this Friday (October 25th) from 3-4pm to hear a more in-depth review.
Kat Trout-Baron, Executive Director- An Evening Song (for three voices) Directed by Graham Swon
I spend a lot of time rummaging through the photo bin at Artifacts– there are hundreds of jaundiced photos depicting families and individuals I’ll never know. When I see their clothes and their distant smiles, I can begin to imagine their lives. It is so rich, creating stories and possibilities for voices we do not know. Every book and movie is a ghost story, if you look at it from a certain angle. I was completely enchanted by the haunting atmosphere of An Evening Song (for three voices), how it felt like an antique uncovered from the dirt. I also found it incredibly intimate– it takes a lot of skill to depict pure passion on screen, making mundane actions erotic and desirable. There’s a scene in this film where the maid Martha assists her boss Barbara into a dress. My breath was trapped in my chest, my lungs aching– I was too mesmerized to let it out. As a young writer and filmmaker, it is the type of film I’d love to make when I’m older. Swon’s utilization of a newer camera to capture the glass of an older camera was incredible– it excites me to see how inventive artists can be. We constantly can create new ways of seeing. I could’ve spent hours within this world– I loved it so much!
Caitlin Lenz- An Evening Song (for three voices) Directed by Graham Swon
I was so impressed with the selection at Refocus this year, and delighted I had the chance to explore stories from all over the world. My favorite selection however, was filmed right here in Iowa— Graham Swon’s An Evening Song (for three voices). Every element of this film fascinated me, from the texture of the visuals, to the overlapping and sometimes confusing narration from our three leads, to the heart-racing intimacy between the despondent couple and their mysterious young maid. I am deeply excited to read Swon’s adaption in the future! Another highlight of the weekend was RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys. I am in awe of movies that impact its viewers as viscerally as this one did; it has been ages since I have been in an audience where everyone was completely still and silent as the credits rolled. Besides the films I’ve already mentioned, I would highly recommend the documentary Three Promises by Yousef Srouji. It is a difficult watch but one that is wholly necessary and current, despite the footage being shot over 20 years ago. The highlight of my Refocus Film Festival experience was finding Jonathan Rosenbaum’s denture cream tucked into a seat as I was cleaning out a theater. He did not come back for it so it’s up for grabs!
Gigi Bell- Ghost Cat Anzu Directed by Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita
I went into it with zero expectations other than that I thought that the cat on the poster was cute, but I was delightfully surprised by Ghost Cat Anzu! I usually think these comparisons are thrown around too lightly but it certainly had the flavor of Studio Ghibli's best works, mixing the joyful mundanity of everyday life with supernatural elements and heartfelt explorations of grief and loneliness. Plus, it's a movie about a cat who was loved so much by his owners that he turned into an immortal being who rides a moped and makes snarky comments nonstop, so it's basically a guaranteed banger. I can already tell this movie will be entering my rotation of comfort films once it's released on home media and streaming, and I can't wait to watch it again!
Jeremy Laughery- Nickel Boys Directed By RaMell Ross
My favorite film that I saw at the Refocus Film Festival was the quietly beautiful and experimental Nickel Boys. A film that on its surface (i.e., in its marketing) seems to be trafficking in the area of the gimmick in its use of a first person camera point-of-view from the perspective of its two leads, I was struck by how this formal choice works to ground these two characters in both their harrowing material circumstances and in their subjective way of engaging with and interpreting these conditions. In taking on this formal constraint, the film demonstrates such a caring attention to who these boys were and what they went through, certainly, but also how they made sense of their fraught positions in the world. Alongside the film's almost stream-of-consciousness integration of contemporary archival material within the film's narrative, Nickel Boys left me feeling both awestruck and dismayed — awestruck that director RaMell Ross could so humanely and affectingly attempt to mend a vast, buried historical archive, and dismayed at the painful, sorrowful reality of what is now known and felt through his film.
Grace McCabe- The Count of Monte-Cristo Directed by Alexandre de La Patelliere and Matthieu Delaporte
My personal highlight of the festival was undoubtedly The Count of Monte-Cristo! A momentous epic that had me swept out of my seat like the Universal Harry Potter ride, boasting sword fights, star-crossed lovers, and discussions of 19th century finances (which frankly went a little over my head but the experience was none the worse for it). The crown jewel of Refocus and of my weekend.
Padric Timp- 4th floor Special Exhibit
My favorite Refocus experience was the 4th floor video installation on the history of the Ped Mall - in no small part because hanging up all the tarps to cover the windows was such a pain, it was very gratifying that they stayed up for the whole festival.
Maddie Gingery- The Storm Directed by Zhigang Yang
The Storm is a visually striking film that lovingly tells the story of a child and his guardian in search of treasure. The two face a monstrous transformation that forces them apart, and with the help of others they must find a way to become reunited again. I really enjoyed watching this film, between the gorgeous watercolor style animation, incredible score, and the touching themes that it presented of found family and love.
Lydia Meth- The Storm Directed by Zhigang Yang
I saw The Storm-- it was a super super cute animated film from China that had a very interesting plot because no one really seemed to be the villain, and if there was, the audience tended to be very sympathetic to them. Plus there was an ADORABLE found family plot and a cute little bird that made a “plop” noise every time it sat down!
Gillian Carrington- A Real Young Girl Directed by Catherine Breillat
I was really surprised by how much I loved A Real Young Girl. Regretfully, I did not go into this movie with an open mind. I am extremely wary of films that handle the sexual awakenings of girls and women because I’ve seen so many of them (directed by both men and women) pander to weirdly patriarchal sexual fantasies. This movie was not that. The protagonist, Alice, is allowed to be gross and weird and to explore her body and fantasies on her own terms. Her curiosity is organic, at no point does it feel like she’s trying to be sexy for the camera; everything she does is to satisfy her own curiosity and desires. The narrative does not force her to change herself or to feel ashamed; it lets her roam free, for better or for worse. I had never seen a movie that allowed a girl to just exist like this before, no part of it felt performative.
Maryl Rees- A Real Young Girl Directed by Catherine Breillat
My personal favorite movie from Refocus was A Real Young Girl. I unexpectedly found the movie very endearing and empowering. The narrative of an unconventional and sometimes disgusting female sexual awakening was super compelling. Being able to watch it on the big screen with a great crowd was an awesome experience. I also loved the very informative and passionate speech about Catherine Breillat at the beginning of the screening. It was surprisingly my favorite film from the festival.