Tag Archives: Real-life incident

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

Posted on November 7, 2021 by kaist455

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

Posted on September 13, 2021 by kaist455

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

Posted on August 15, 2021 by kaist455

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

Posted on July 30, 2021 by kaist455

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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Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): A harrowing Bosnian war drama

Posted on April 11, 2021 by kaist455

Bosnian film “Quo Vadis, Aida?”, which was recently nominated for Best International Film Oscar, is an unforgettable war drama which takes us into one of the most tragic incidents in the Bosnian War. As told to us at the beginning … Continue reading →

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Collective (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A sobering Romanian documentary on massive systemic corruption

Posted on March 29, 2021 by kaist455

Romanian documentary film “Collective”, which was nominated for Best Documentary Oscar as well as Best International Film Oscar early in this month, is often sobering in its phlegmatic but angry chronicle of outrage and frustration toward alarming systemic corruption. It … Continue reading →

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Totally Under Control (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Totally out of control

Posted on January 10, 2021 by kaist455

Documentary film “Totally Under Control” is alternatively sobering and infuriating for several good reasons. While it is disturbing to see the exponential spread of COVID-19 virus in US during last year, it is also exasperating to watch how this serious … Continue reading →

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Kingdom of Silence (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A journalist who cared about his country

Posted on January 10, 2021 by kaist455

Showtime documentary film “Kingdom of Silence” glimpses into the life and career of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose brutal murder at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul, Turkey shocked many of us in October 2018. Mainly revolving around the … Continue reading →

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Mr. Jones (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The price of reporting a truth

Posted on January 9, 2021 by kaist455

Agnieszka Holland’s new film “Mr. Jones” is an earnest period drama about a young reporter who struggled to maintain his professional integrity after coming to learn of a terrible injustice behind the Soviet Union government in the 1930s. While it … Continue reading →

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La Llorona (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little spooky horror film from Guatemala

Posted on December 27, 2020 by kaist455

“La Llorona”, which was selected as the Guatemalan entry for Best International Feature Film Oscar in this year, is a little spooky horror film which reflects one dark historical past via its effective ghost story. Filled with unnerving ambiance from … Continue reading →

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