Stories about Film
Malaysian artists decry ‘Mentega Terbang’ film ban and blasphemy charge as ‘archaic form of content control’
"As a community that champions creative and artistic freedom, we must stand united in condemning any attempts to place undue restrictions on filmmakers or any artists."
Celebrities, celebration, and a touch of controversy at the Jamaica premiere of the Marley biopic ‘One Love’
"Last night at the Jamaican premiere of #OneLoveMovie [...] you could sense that there was something special about his music [...] encapsulated in his anthem of One Love!"
In Gaza, trapped in the rubble, body and soul
The brutality of Israel’s attack on Gaza is foreshadowed in the Japanese anime series "Attack on Titan," which first aired in 2013.
Russian series on Perestroika-era youth gangs breaks popularity records, defying attempts to ban it
Russian streaming services premiered the series "Slovo Patsana. Krov’ na asphalte" (The Boy’s Word: Blood on the Asphalt). Within just a month, it was breaking popularity records in Russia.
Documentary about the protest of soldiers’ wives, sisters and mothers created in Russia
Women demanding 'demobilisation' say: "Our topic, it's kind of forbidden. Do you understand? I'm scared to say what I think. I'm scared that I might never see my husband again."
How Caribbean ‘Black Cake’ can help the region transcend its traumatic past
"Black Cake" (the book and series) naturally brings to mind the Caribbean Christmas dessert, but the linkages the delicacy shares with the literacies of enslaved Africans are often obscured.
Uzbekistan celebrates reformist Jadid movement in the new documentary
It seems the Jadids' return to the public space will be long-term with the government using their legacy as means of inspiration.
In Georgia, backsliding has taken over culture and art, says a new report
Those who spoke to PEN American said the repression reminded them of the Soviet occupation, "during which all art and culture was systematically repressed or exploited for government propaganda purposes."
Malaysia’s Orang Asli women gain acceptance through filmmaking and grassroots activism
Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli is a young feminist-activist collective using film to document the lived realities of the First Peoples (Orang Asli) of Malaysia.
The number of Indigenous people of Sakhalin island in Russia is drastically decreasing
The indigenous people of Sakhalin are now present in small numbers, they are named Nivkhs, Ainu, Uilta. A documentary shows one of the dying villages, Rybnoe, where Nivkhs live.
How Russians fought Putinism: A documentary
It is incorrect to say that the people in Russia did not resist the emergence of Putinism — they resisted, many times and in many ways, albeit unsuccessfully.
Yakut movie ‘Aita’ was censored in Russia
The reason Roskomnadzor cited was that the movie attempted to break the 'principles of the unity of the peoples of Russia.'
Pakistani movie ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ is finally made available online after injunctions on its release
Pakistani Punjabi-Urdu film Zindagi Tamasha, originally scheduled for release in theatres in 2020, but halted after receiving threats from religious hardliners, was finally made available to viewers on Youtube.
Horace Ové, Trinidad-born trailblazer of Black British cinema, leaves behind a rich legacy of films and photographs
"He worked outside of the system, showing generations of Black filmmakers that it could be done, and that their voices have power."
Kyrgyzstan's national game, kok-boru, continues to attract new fans around the world
The turning point for kok-boru’s popularity beyond Central Asia came with the first World Nomad Games (WNG) hosted by Kyrgyzstan in 2014.
World Steelpan Day honours the national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago
Steelpan, the unique musical instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago that has taken the world by storm, should be experienced first-hand to be best appreciated.
New Taiwan TV series tackles sensitive issue of race and makes it to Netflix
A Taiwanese TV series called "Port of Lies", now also showing on Netflix, is addressing one of the most sensitive issues in Taiwan today: Race.
Barbie in the Balkans: From disinformation to Yugonostalgia
The news about the ban of Barbie movie in Vietnam was used as inspiration for disinformation in the Balkans, with false claims about censorship in Serbia.
A documentary showcases why some Taiwanese consider Southeast Asia a land of opportunity
A documentary portraying a Taiwanese shrimp expert trying to find success in Myanmar tells in a very nuanced way the misperceptions many Taiwanese harbor about Southeast Asia.
Challenges of independent filmmaking in Indonesia
Since 2019, Annisa Adjam, a director, producer, and writer from Indonesia, has independently produced short films ranging from experimental and virtual reality (VR) to documentaries, fiction, and animation.
Poet Galal El Beheiry’s poetic protest and the perils of expression in Egypt
Imprisoned Egyptian poet Galal El Beheiry, detained since March 2018 for a poem, smuggles a letter from prison, vowing to escalate his 81-day hunger strike with a water strike starting June 1.