If you like a good romance, but find little satisfaction in the formulaic films churned out by Hollywood, then you must try Medianeras (Tuesday 22nd January, 8.30pm).
If you like a good romance, but find little satisfaction in the formulaic films churned out by Hollywood, then you must try Medianeras (Tuesday 22nd January, 8.30pm).
It’s playing as part of the Around the World in 80 Days series that each week screens two films from the one country over consecutive evenings. This week, Rialto Channel takes us to Argentina, with Medianeras paired with Puzzle, which plays on Wednesday evening.
When Medianeras initially played at the 2011 New Zealand International Film Festival, it was screened to launch the festival as well, and it’s an enchanting love story that will have us all searching for our passport and a Spanish phrase book.
A stylish, romantic comedy Medianeras is filled with neurotic, quirky characters and interesting observations on how architecture influences us and how we live our lives. It’s gorgeous, melancholic, witty and thoughtful - my highlight of the week.
The documentaries on Rialto Channel this month have a green theme (I’ve been boring everyone about bees after seeing Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? last week), and this week Rialto takes us to the American Appalachian heartland. Mining giants are planning to blow the top off one of the last, untouched mountains, Coal River Mountain, and the struggle to stop this is the subject of The Last Mountain (Thursday 24th January, 8.30pm)
The locals, joined by environmental lawyer Bobby Kennedy Jr., reveal the effect the coal industry has had on many communities in West Virginia, and the massive challenges they face to legally stop coal company Massey Energy from polluting their air and water. Jobs versus the environment, large corporations versus powerless communities and fossil fuel versus wind power are among the issues that are vigorously discussed.
And finally this week, screening on Friday evening at 8.30pm is Life in a Day. I love the idea of this film; the general public were asked to chronicle a day in their lives, July 24th 2010, and submit it to YouTube. 80,000 people took up the challenge, sending 4500 hours of footage from 192 countries. It was up to Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) to take this raw footage and create a 90 minute film that captures a day in the life of the world.
Ridley and Tony Scott were executive producers on this project, and while it is a mixed bag it’s also an interesting film with some moments that definitely soar.
Enjoy.