Tag Archives: Real-life incident

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): That forgotten summer of Harlem, 1969

You all probably know about the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, but most of you have probably never heard about the Harlem Cultural Festival, which was incidentally also held during the summer of 1969 just like Woodstock. Mainly based on … Continue reading

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The Rescue (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A vivid and gripping presentation of one risky rescue

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s new documentary film “The Rescue”, which was released on Disney+ in last week, is a vivid and gripping presentation of one risky rescue which drew lots of public attention around the world at that … Continue reading

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Belfast (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Branagh’s little personal work set in Belfast, 1969

Kenneth Branagh’s new film “Belfast” is a little likable coming-of-age drama which looks into its hero’s small world with considerable affection and a bit of bittersweet nostalgia. While often recognizing the alarming social tumult surrounding him and many others in … Continue reading

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Dear Comrades! (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An absurd and devastating Russian period drama

Russian film “Dear Comrades!”, which was submitted as the Russian entry for Best International Film Oscar in last year (It subsequently made to the shortlist, by the way), looks into one relatively unknown historical incident via the personal viewpoint of … Continue reading

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Casting JonBenet (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Casting performers to play her and others

Netflix documentary film “Casting JonBenet” takes an unorthodox approach to an infamous unsolved murder case at its center. Because I am not familiar with that notorious case which happened almost 25 years ago, I was a bit disappointed to see … Continue reading

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The Dissident (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Behind the assassination of one Saudi Arabian journalist

Documentary film “The Dissident” will alternatively chill and infuriate you for good reasons. While going into the details on the shocking death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, the documentary also gives us the alarming presentation of how the … Continue reading

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Coup 53 (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): The story behind the 1953 coup in Iran

Documentary film “Coup 53” leads us into the hidden story behind the 1953 coup d’état in Iran, and it is often compelling to watch even if you already have some background knowledge on its main subject like me. Although it … Continue reading

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In the Same Breath (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another important documentary of the COVID-19 pandemic era

HBO documentary film “In the Same Breath” is another important record of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era. Mostly sticking to personal stories to show and tell, the documentary calmly and harrowingly observes how things went wrong in China and then … Continue reading

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Assassins (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A close look into one infamous assassination case

Documentary film “Assassins” gives us a close look into one infamous assassination case which surprised many of us a few years ago. On February 13th, 2017, a certain prominent North Korean exile was assassinated right in the middle of Kuala … Continue reading

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Escape from Mogadishu (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): They must stick together for their escape

South Korean film “Escape from Mogadishu” is a gritty and intense action thriller flick which is loosely based on a real-life story between South and North Korean embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1991. While often reminiscent of a bunch of … Continue reading

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