At first glance, “Omen” appears to be another entry in the long tradition of immigrant narratives dedicated to the old adage that you can’t go home again. Returning to the country of his birth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgian resident Koffi (Marc Zinga) finds himself not just a stranger in a strange land, but a pariah in his own family. But things are more nuanced than that in this hazy, head-turning first feature from Belgian-Congolese rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji: The deeper it delves into and across Koffi’s tortured family history, the clearer it becomes that his homeland was never a home to him at all. In “Omen,” cultural tradition is as much a force in dividing families as the gentrifying pull of the west, though Baloji lets viewers draw their own political conclusions amid a mist of vividly realized folklore.
A boldly outward-looking pick from Belgium as...
A boldly outward-looking pick from Belgium as...
- 12/8/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Baloji, the Belgian-Congolese rapper, explores a familiar set of themes with an artful and impressionistic touch in his directorial debut Omen (Augure).
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, the magical-realist drama tackles displacement and belonging through four characters who’ve been ostracized by their communities. The musician pulls from his personal experiences and uses a visual language honed in his short films, like 2018’s Zombies, to craft a beguiling tale.
The journey begins with Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man living in Europe with his white fiancée Alice (Lucie Debay). We see him preparing for an upcoming trip to Democratic Republic of Congo, where he hopes to amend his relationship with his family. Koffi’s birthmark — a large Rorschach-esque blot — frightened his mother, Mujila (a sharp Yves-Marina Gnahoua), when he came out of the womb. She labeled him a sorcerer and sent him to Europe.
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, the magical-realist drama tackles displacement and belonging through four characters who’ve been ostracized by their communities. The musician pulls from his personal experiences and uses a visual language honed in his short films, like 2018’s Zombies, to craft a beguiling tale.
The journey begins with Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man living in Europe with his white fiancée Alice (Lucie Debay). We see him preparing for an upcoming trip to Democratic Republic of Congo, where he hopes to amend his relationship with his family. Koffi’s birthmark — a large Rorschach-esque blot — frightened his mother, Mujila (a sharp Yves-Marina Gnahoua), when he came out of the womb. She labeled him a sorcerer and sent him to Europe.
- 5/24/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As IndieWire has published its great camera survey regarding Cannes Film Festival 2023, we analyzed the data to reveal that the Arri Alexa Mini is still the king of kings. This is the 4th year in a row that this camera dominates the Cannes list. Also, there’s a respectful presence of good and old film cameras. Explore the list below.
Cannes Film Festival 2023 – Camera Manufacturers Chart The cinematography of the leading film festivals
Just saying — and without noticing, we wrote a title very similar to last year’s Cannes 2022 (“The Cameras Behind Cannes 2022: Alexa Mini (Still) Dominates”). This shows that filmmakers love the Arri Mini so much…but we’ll elaborate on this later. We have been waiting for IndieWire to complete its survey regarding the cameras that shot Cannes 2023’s feature films. Each year, IndieWire sends a questionnaire to main festivals’ filmmakers (directors and cinematographers) in order to...
Cannes Film Festival 2023 – Camera Manufacturers Chart The cinematography of the leading film festivals
Just saying — and without noticing, we wrote a title very similar to last year’s Cannes 2022 (“The Cameras Behind Cannes 2022: Alexa Mini (Still) Dominates”). This shows that filmmakers love the Arri Mini so much…but we’ll elaborate on this later. We have been waiting for IndieWire to complete its survey regarding the cameras that shot Cannes 2023’s feature films. Each year, IndieWire sends a questionnaire to main festivals’ filmmakers (directors and cinematographers) in order to...
- 5/22/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier’s documentary “Dreaming Walls,” about the legendary Chelsea Hotel in New York and its controversial renovation, has unveiled a trailer.
The film world premieres in the Panorama section of the Berlinale on Saturday.
The Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture, was a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol’s Factory. However, the building’s lengthy renovation into a luxury hotel, which has spanned more than 10 years, has been a source of ongoing frustration for its tenants, as dozens of them, many in their later years, still live amid scaffolding and constant construction.
Against this chaotic backdrop, the film travels through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring the bohemian origins that contributed to the Chelsea’s mythical stature.
“Dreaming Walls” is produced by Hanne Phlypo and Quentin Laurent. Co-producers are Frédéric de Goldschmidt, Simone van den Broek...
The film world premieres in the Panorama section of the Berlinale on Saturday.
The Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture, was a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol’s Factory. However, the building’s lengthy renovation into a luxury hotel, which has spanned more than 10 years, has been a source of ongoing frustration for its tenants, as dozens of them, many in their later years, still live amid scaffolding and constant construction.
Against this chaotic backdrop, the film travels through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring the bohemian origins that contributed to the Chelsea’s mythical stature.
“Dreaming Walls” is produced by Hanne Phlypo and Quentin Laurent. Co-producers are Frédéric de Goldschmidt, Simone van den Broek...
- 2/12/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
French director Vincent Paronnaud is best known as an animator, having co-directed two films with Marjane Satrapi. The two parted ways following 2011’s Chicken with Plums and Paronnaud returns with his solo, live-action effort, Cosmogony (his 2009 title Villemolle 81 was released under the pseudonym Winshluss). Paronnaud’s latest features Lucie Debay and Arieh Worthalter, produced by Alexandre Perrier and Benoit Roland, and is lensed by Joachim Philippe. Paronnaud competed in Cannes with Persepolis, which took home the Jury Prize in 2007. 2011’s Chicken with Plums competed in Venice.…...
- 12/31/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
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