MaryAnn’s quick take… Tender and contemplative, but as it meanders to its not-quite conclusion, it misses a ripe opportunity to give a stronger voice to a character the likes of which isn’t often heard. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
After a long festival run, from last year’s Cannes to this March’s BFI Flare in London, the directorial debut of up-and-coming Iranian filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh — one of Filmmaker magazines “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2013 — arrives on VOD and DVD in North America. They is precisely the sort of tender, contemplative, deceptively simple exploration of a complicated reality that we might have expected from a filmmaker who counts such legends as Abbas Kiarostami and Jane Campion among her mentors. And if...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
After a long festival run, from last year’s Cannes to this March’s BFI Flare in London, the directorial debut of up-and-coming Iranian filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh — one of Filmmaker magazines “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2013 — arrives on VOD and DVD in North America. They is precisely the sort of tender, contemplative, deceptively simple exploration of a complicated reality that we might have expected from a filmmaker who counts such legends as Abbas Kiarostami and Jane Campion among her mentors. And if...
- 5/8/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Not every filmmaker gets to make their feature-film debut at Cannes. But when you’ve studied with Abbas Kiarostami, and Jane Campion once said your voice had “a very unique flavor,” your chances are pretty good. Such is the case for Iranian writer/director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh and her stunning debut feature, “They,” an impressionistic character study about a gender non-conforming kid named J (Rhys Fehrenbacher).
Read More: ‘Top of the Lake: China Girl’ Review: The Highlight of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Might Be a TV Show
Though Ghazvinizadeh’s voice is wholly her own, Kiarostami’s influence is all over “They.” And if you’re going to borrow from someone, one of the most singular filmmakers of the last 50 years isn’t a bad place to start. The Iranian auteur redefined the medium, eschewing flashy action sequences for quietly complex stories that often left viewers feeling baffled. In his last film to play Cannes,...
Read More: ‘Top of the Lake: China Girl’ Review: The Highlight of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Might Be a TV Show
Though Ghazvinizadeh’s voice is wholly her own, Kiarostami’s influence is all over “They.” And if you’re going to borrow from someone, one of the most singular filmmakers of the last 50 years isn’t a bad place to start. The Iranian auteur redefined the medium, eschewing flashy action sequences for quietly complex stories that often left viewers feeling baffled. In his last film to play Cannes,...
- 5/25/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Want to feel old? Anahita Ghazvinizadeh was born in 1989 and is about to premiere her new film “They” at Cannes. Described as “an intimate story about coming home,” it stars Rhys Fehrenbacher, Koohyar Hosseini and Nicole Coffineau. Avail yourself of the striking poster and lyrical trailer, both of which have been shared exclusively with IndieWire, below.
Read More: ‘The Day After’ Trailer and Photos: Hong Sang-soo Remains as Prolific as Ever With Latest Cannes Drama
While you’re at it, here’s the synopsis: “Fourteen-year-old J goes by the pronoun ‘They’ and lives with their parents in the suburbs of Chicago. J is exploring their gender identity while taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty. After two years of medication and therapy, J has to make a decision whether or not to transition. Over this crucial weekend while their parents are away, J’s sister Lauren and her maybe/maybe-not Iranian...
Read More: ‘The Day After’ Trailer and Photos: Hong Sang-soo Remains as Prolific as Ever With Latest Cannes Drama
While you’re at it, here’s the synopsis: “Fourteen-year-old J goes by the pronoun ‘They’ and lives with their parents in the suburbs of Chicago. J is exploring their gender identity while taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty. After two years of medication and therapy, J has to make a decision whether or not to transition. Over this crucial weekend while their parents are away, J’s sister Lauren and her maybe/maybe-not Iranian...
- 5/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
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