Modern Times Review

20/12/2024

The Bibi Files, premiering to wide acclaim and currently on the documentary Oscar shortlist, goes deep into the corridors of power where Benjamin Netanyahu’s every decision resonates across the Middle East.

With rare footage of police interviews and insider commentary, Alexis Bloom’s film reveals a leader ensnared in corruption trials, dazzling favours, and political gambles that may endanger his country’s security.

Alexis Bloom's gripping exposé of the web of lies apparently woven by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid corruption charges shows how one man's fear of jail has led to war and instability in the Middle East.

20/12/2024

This year’s Ex Oriente Film programme will support 12 feature-length documentary projects and five docuseries.

The Ex Oriente Film documentary laboratory calls on ambitious creators to join its international programme, designed to elevate creative documentary

18/12/2024

'Limits of Europe' confronts the gap between the EU’s ideals of freedom and fairness and the daily lives of Eastern European workers struggling in the West’s underground economy.

Far from the Instagrammable version of Europe, the film reminds us that behind every plate of fresh produce and every neat hotel bed is a story of exhaustion, insecurity, and resilience.

In association with Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and Dok.revue read Lucija Furac's perspective on 'Limits of Europe' ⬇️

The invisible economic labor of Eastern European workers.

13/12/2024

This autumn, Truls Lie met two intellectuals in Istanbul to discuss today's Turkey and attended a major conference on political economy.

With Can Cengil, we look at the use of power, freedom of expression, the media, militarisation, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political pragmatism, and with Mustafa Ünlü to uncover something about the independent media in Turkey.

Pragmatism and repressive politics -> https://www.moderntimes.review/istanbul/

Independent journalism -> https://www.moderntimes.review/independent-journalism/

To uncover something about the independent media in Turkey, I visited P24, the centre for culture and political debate - in the heart of Istanbul.

13/12/2024

FIFDH Genève Impact Days 2025 starts on 16 January's annual public webinar, Impact Filmmaking for Social Justice.

This year's theme is Visions of Hope, which discusses the power and challenges of promoting hopeful human rights narratives in documentaries and impact campaigns.

This year’s program focuses on the power and challenges of creating narratives that inspire action while addressing systemic poverty, oppression, and persecution.

10/12/2024

«Any help that we can provide to emerging filmmakers will be given»

Modern Times Review speaks with Adele Kohout, co-director of DOK.fest München , and Johanna von Websky, Assistant to the Managing Director, to delve deeper into the vision behind the Doc Around Europe platform and its potential to reshape the future of European documentary cinema.

In this interview, we speak with Adele Kohout, Co-director of DOK.fest München and Johanna von Websky, Assistant to the Managing Director, to delve deeper into the vision behind this platform and its potential to reshape the future of European documentary cinema.

09/12/2024

In 'Dahomey,' ancient kings find their voices, whispering truths beneath centuries of silence. It’s a film about identity, memory, and the moral weight of objects that have travelled through blood and time. Can museums ever be neutral spaces? Are returned artefacts merely symbolic gestures or steps towards real healing?

In association with Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and Dok.revue read Botagoz Koilybayeva's perspective on 'Dahomey' ⬇️

Blending nonfiction and magic, Mati Diop's 'Dahomey' blends gives voice to looted statues while exploring the complexity of restitution.

09/12/2024

dok.incubator 2025 deadline for submissions is 27 January.

Filmmakers with projects in the rough-cut stage have until 27 January 2025, to apply for this intensive eight-month initiative.

06/12/2024

The first details of the 2025 Trieste Film Festival - Alpe Adria Cinema have been announced.

The 36th edition of the Trieste Film Festival, taking place from January 16 to 24, 2025, will spotlight Serbia and its talented women filmmakers in the «Wild Roses» section.

05/12/2024

Step aboard Maciej Drygas’ 'Trains,' a spellbinding documentary that takes you through the 20th century’s most poignant moments—all through the lens of railway history. From the age of steam’s innocence to the harrowing use of trains during wartime, this IDFA Best Film winner offers a visual symphony of human progress, tragedy, and resilience.

IDFA best film award winner Polish director Maciej Drygas's entrancing 'Trains' is a mesmerising journey through much of the 20th century by rail, accompanied by a subtly intense soundtrack.

02/12/2024

With minimal dialogue and breathtaking cinematography, Far West captures the quiet resilience of Angela and Jair, a couple navigating life in the shadow of Cape Verde’s emerging tourism industry.

From Porto/Post/Doc read Nick Holdsworth's perspective on 'Far West' ⬇️
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Terratreme Filmes

The contrast between the poverty and resignation of Cape Verde's locals and the western big game marlin fishermen who are beginning to change a traditional way of life could not be greater.

02/12/2024

This year’s Porto/Post/Doc awards highlighted bold, socially relevant narratives and unique artistic approaches at various stages of development.

This year’s awards highlighted bold, socially relevant narratives and unique artistic approaches at various stages of development.

29/11/2024

'Bright Future,' Andra MacMasters’ stunning debut, takes us to Pyongyang in the summer of 1989, offering a rare glimpse into the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. Against a backdrop of Cold War tension and monumental change, the documentary unearths the contradictions of a utopian vision of global unity.

From IDFA read Steve Rickinson's perspective on 'Bright Future' ⬇️

The sensory and ideological layers of a forgotten Cold War festival, exploring fleeting solidarity, ideological discord, and the fragility of socialist dreams.

29/11/2024

The autumn 2024 edition of Modern Times Review is now available. 36 pages of the latest documentary films, dialogues, and books.

Featuring films from SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL, IDFA, Movies on War, Porto/Post/Doc, Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival & more.

Read the digital magazine, or get the physical edition sent to you with a small donation to MTR -> https://www.moderntimes.review/donation

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28/11/2024

How do you say goodbye to your home, your family, your past? 'All Is Well' chronicles the lives of Ukrainian refugees who face this question daily.

The IDFA word premiere captures the profound uncertainty of lives lived in limbo—lives shaped by impossible decisions and enduring trauma.
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SEE NL

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands confront war, loss, and uncertainty

28/11/2024

The role of cinema becomes more crucial each year as we find ourselves in individual echo chambers, shaped by algorithms that often amplify the extreme over the insightful on social media.

Movies on War director Øystein Egge reflected on curating this year’s compelling focus on Gaza and the Middle East, the role of cinema in our polarised age, and the festival’s role in fostering critical conversations through it.

In our interview, Movies on War director Øystein Egge reflected on curating this year’s compelling focus on and the East, the role of cinema in our polarised age, and the festival’s role in fostering critical conversations through it.

28/11/2024

The Balkan Documentary Center initiative offers journalists, filmmakers, and activists a platform to confront societal issues in regions with restricted press freedom.

The Balkan Documentary Center (BDC) has announced the 2025 call for its Balkan Watchers program, aimed at fostering critical storytelling through documentary films and podcasts.

27/11/2024

Eliza Kubarska’s The Last Expedition - Ostatnia Wyprawa takes us on a journey into Wanda Rutkiewicz’s life, legacy, and the biases she faced as a woman in a male-dominated sport.

Despite being one of the most accomplished climbers in history, Rutkiewicz was often framed as “less than” simply because she was a woman. Kubarska’s film dives into these contradictions, examining how such narratives shaped her life and legacy.

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SWISS FILMS

The life and disappearance of Wanda Rutkiewicz, the mountaineer whose untimely end remains shrouded in myth.