TFV Network

Welcome to TFV on Point, a new podcast series turning reviews from TFV's leading industry film critics into audio broadcasts. The show is hosted by Sarah Vianney.

In this episode of the series, we turn our attention to three films screened in the program of the 2024 Venice Film Festival: "My Late Summer," directed by Danis Tanović; "Family Therapy," directed by Sonja Prosenc; "A Fidai Film," directed by Kamal Aljafari.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(00:25) "My Late Summer"

(01:20) "Family Therapy"

(02:14) "A Fidai Film"

(03:05) Outro

Welcome to TFV on Point, a new podcast series turning reviews from TFV's leading industry film critics into audio broadcasts. The show is hosted by Sarah Vianney.

In this episode of the series, we turn our attention to three films screened in the program of the 2024 Locarno Film Festival: "Eight Postcards from Utopia," directed by Radu Jude and Christian Ferencz-Flatz; "Toxic" by Saule Bliuvaite, the winner of this year's Pardo d'Oro; "The Sparrow in the Chimney," directed by Ramon Zürcher.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(00:26) "Eight Postcards from Utopia"

(01:10) "Toxic" - Pardo d'Oro winner

(02:03) "The Sparrow in the Chimney"

(02:43) Outro

Welcome to "The Cinephile Corner," a regular series where TFV's Matt Micucci dives into a randomly selected film, sharing his opinion on a wide range of classics and hidden gems in two minutes or less, in the name of insatiable cinephilia. Tonight's film is "His Girl Friday" from 1940, directed by Howard Hawks. The review coincides with the screening of the film in the Venice Classics section of the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(00:28) Review

(01:38) Final Rating and Movie Recommendation

Welcome to TFV on Point, a new podcast series turning reviews from TFV's leading industry film critics into audio broadcasts. The show is hosted by Sarah Vianney.

In this episode of the series, we turn our attention to three films screened in the program of the 2024 Venice Film Festival: "Babygirl," directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman; "Maria," directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Angelina Jolie; "One To One: John and Yoko," directed by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards, a documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

To read the full reviews of these films and other titles presented at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival, visit https://thefilmverdict.com/

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(00:28) "Babygirl"

(01:15) "Maria"

(02:06) "One to One: John and Yoko"

(03:03) Outro

TFV's Matt Micucci shares a conversation with director Jan-Willem van Ewijk, the creative mind behind "Alpha.," a film making waves at the 2024 Venice Film Festival's Giornate degli Autori competition.

"Alpha." is no ordinary adventure film. It's an existential journey set against the breathtaking and unforgiving beauty of the Alps. The story follows a snowboard instructor whose life takes a turn when his father shows up there. As they venture into the snowy mountains together, unresolved tensions and clashing personalities come to a head, leading to a collision with both the overwhelming nature around them and each other.

In this episode, we explore the inspiration behind this icy tale, written by van Ewijk himself, and how casting a real-life father and son added layers of authenticity and raw emotion to the film. We'll also delve into van Ewijk's unique journey from aeronautics to filmmaking, and why he's drawn to shooting in some of the most exotic, and challenging, locations on Earth.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Introducing Jan-Willem van Ewijk and "Alpha."

(01:52) From aerospace engineering to film directing

(04:23) Extreme sports and filming in the wild

(06:38) Father-son relationships and masculinity

(11:51) Shooting in the High Alps7

(14:28) "Pacifica"

(15:42) Outro

Welcome to "The Cinephile Corner," a regular series where TFV's Matt Micucci dives into a randomly selected film, sharing his opinion on a wide range of classics and hidden gems in two minutes or less, in the name of insatiable cinephilia. Tonight's film is "Ecce Bombo" from 1978, directed by Nanni Moretti. The review coincides with the screening of the film in the Venice Classics section of the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(00:29) Review

(02:27) Final Rating and Movie Recommendation

TFV's Matt Micucci shares a conversation with director Fabrice Du Welz, whose latest film, "Maldoror," is premiering out of competition at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

A gripping and intense thriller, "Maldoror" tells the story of a young and impulsive Belgian cop on a desperate search for justice, all set against the backdrop of one of Belgium's most haunting scandals - a series of kidnappings of young girls that shook the nation in the 1990s and that left a deep scar in the Belgian soul.

In our conversation, Du Welz opens up about the challenges of revisiting such a traumatic chapter in his country's history and the catharsis of revisiting it in cinematic form. We also delve into what draws him to portrayals of evil and how this marks a significant evolution in his filmography.

Beyond this, we go back to Du Welz's earliest memories of cinema, his study of acting and theatre, and how all that shaped the filmmaker he is today.

Welcome to "The Cinephile Corner," a regular series where TFV's Matt Micucci dives into a randomly selected film, sharing his opinion on a wide range of classics and hidden gems in two minutes or less, in the name of insatiable cinephilia. Tonight's film is "Bend of the River" from 1952, directed by Anthony Mann. The review coincides with the screening of the film in the Venice Classics section of the 2024 Venice Film Festival.CHAPTERS(00:00) Intro(00:28) Review(01:48) Final Rating and Movie Recommendation

In this episode of the Showcast, TFV's Matt Micucci shares a conversation with Alexandros Avranas, who's making waves at the Venice Film Festival with his latest film, "Quiet Life," featured in the prestigious Orizzonti section.

"Quiet Life" is a gripping story about a refugee family in Sweden, thrust into unimaginable trauma when their youngest daughter mysteriously falls into a coma after their asylum request is denied. As the parents search desperately for a cure, their resilience is tested to the limit.

Join us as we explore the origins of this intense film, with Avranas revealing how he was inspired by an article in The New Yorker about the little-known Child Resignation Syndrome—a chilling condition that lies at the film’s core.

We discuss the film’s deliberate style, the recurring theme of family in Avranas’ work, and his thoughts on whether we’re living in a dystopian society. Plus, we delve into the roots of his filmmaking ambitions and how his background in sculpture has influenced his unique cinematic approach.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Introducing Alexandros Avranas and "Quiet Life"

(01:39) Early cinema memories

(04:48) Background in sculpture

(06:37) Learning about the Child Resignation Syndrome

(08:30) Exploring the theme of family

(11:02) A dystopian society

(13:32) Experimenting with human lives

(14:56) Visual style and emotional restraint

(18:00) Political activism

(22:00) Outro

Welcome to "The Cinephile Corner," a regular series where TFV's Matt Micucci dives into a randomly selected film, sharing his opinion on a wide range of classics and hidden gems in two minutes or less, in the name of insatiable cinephilia. Tonight's film is "La Notte" from 1961, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. The review coincides with the screening of the film in the Venice Classics section of the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

CHAPTERS(00:00) Intro(00:27) Review(02:14) Final Rating and Viewing Recommendation