By: Amanda Guarragi Korean-Canadian Albert Shin’s Together presents a narrative that has been overlooked for some time. The stigma surrounding mental health needs to come to an end, so we, as a society, can help one another. When working on In Her Place, Shin learned about the seriousness of Korea’s suicide rate. South Korea consistently has had the highest suicide rate of any developed country … Continue reading TIFF ’21: Writer-Director Albert Shin Presents An Overlooked South Korean Narrative In ‘Together’

By: Amanda Guarragi Terence Davies Benediction is portrait of 20th-century English poet Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden), and the first time the Davies has ever portrayed love and desire between men. Sassoon went through the war period with a pen and paper in his hand. Exploring the emotions from soldiers and the PTSD they face. The poems from Sassoon are visually executed in a beautiful way … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Benediction’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi Apichatpong Weerasethakul Memoria is beautifully striking in its landscapes, as he delivers a character-driven story, about human connectivity through archaeological study. How truly connected are we to this world? How many generations have passed through us. From stories that are passed down through generations, or studying the actual land ancestors walked on, the human connection runs deep. Memoria centres on Jessica (Tilda Swinton), … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Memoria’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi Dear Evan Hansen, This is a movie musical that should have stayed a stage production. Like many that came before it, Dear Evan Hansen, suffers from the overly long runtime and loses its original message. Some musicals do not fit the screen and that’s okay. I have never watched the Broadway production and I now regret not listening to the original soundtrack … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi From French auteur Celine Sciamma, comes a beautiful intergenerational story about grief, love, and the journey of life. After her grandmother dies, Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) is taken to her mother’s childhood home. While her parents go about cleaning out the house, Nelly explores the surrounding woods. She encounters Marion (Gabrielle Sanz), a girl exactly Nelly’s age and to whom she bears a … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Petite Maman’ Review