the fact that this was shot, edited and distributed all within the last year is a miracle—and as you’d expect, some of the most serendipitously moving sequences are those led by Mahmoud Khalil, whose gentle and yet unwavering and firm presence anchors the film. given the quick turnaround, I think I’d expected something that might just be a bunch of talking heads, but credit where it’s due: the coverage here is pretty staggering, spanning from embedded veritè footage of the…
me during half of this movie: god, this is such a beautiful picture of the spiritual discipline of caring for creation and paying intimate attention to the vulnerable creatures that others overlook
me during the other half: okay this hummingbird lady needs to go make some friends with human beings
this feels monumental, somehow. I wasn't fully sold until a few minutes in, but something clicked and everything was relentless after that. I think it's probably among the most powerful cinematic expressions of memory I've seen; even the shallow depth of field feels so out-of-sync with the POV conceit and yet it lends itself precisely to how we reality. if our day-to-day experience is a fisheye lens, our memories are somehow telephoto. it's worth noting, too, how much Ramell…
“The beginning of the healing of the whole planet starts right here.”
a portrait of people in the most dehumanizing place imaginable trying desperately to become human again—which means seeking dignity for yourself and others, learning to feel and express, engaging with the goodness of reality, and making the brave decision to trust. not without its dramatic turns and dark moments, but I was particularly refreshed by how much this avoids the trappings and pitfalls of the average "prison movie"…