A Very French Scandal

by Cláudio Alves

The César Awards ceremony happens tomorrow, with Anatomy of a Fall poised for a sweep befitting its status as an Oscar darling. For some, its victory will taste like justice after what many have decried as a scandalous snub. After all, despite its acclaim, Justine Triet's film wasn't selected to represent France in the Best International Film race. Instead, the selection committee went with Trần Anh Hùng's The Taste of Things, which competed against Anatomy in Cannes, losing the Palme d'Or but nabbing the Best Director prize. The decision generated much press, with people decrying it as undue punishment toward Triet, who criticized Emmanuel Macron's government in her Palme acceptance speech.

However, this perceived indignity has led to its own backlash. Hùng's film has been belittled nonstop, including by Triet on social media. It all culminated with the César nominations, where France's Oscar submission got three "below-the-line" nominations and nothing else…

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Interview: "The Taste of Things" Director Tran Ahn Hung

By Ben Miller

Image courtesy of IFC FilmsI was fortunate enough to sit down with Award-wining Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung to talk about his wonderful new film The Taste of Things. We spoke about his film's themes, making a film without conflict, and shooting cooking scenes like action sequences.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.  THIS INTERVIEW CONTAINS SOME FILM SPOILERS

BEN MILLER: I loved your film.  Thank you so much for having it.  I was curious, more than anything else, how the story came about as far as how it relates to the food...

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Review: "The Taste of Things" is a Delicious Indulgence

by Eurocheese

The advice I received going into a screening of Anh Hung Tran’s The Taste of Things was don’t go in hungry. With its wide release coming up on Valentine’s Day, I have to assume it will send couples scrambling to their late-night dinner reservations, prepared to order the entire menu. I heard audible groans of longing from the audience as we watched images of what can best be described as food porn – glowing sequences of fresh ingredients simmering in their juices, guided by chefs obsessed with their craft. If only we could jump through the screen and experience those meals with all of our senses. This is the immersive experience Chocolat wished it could have achieved...

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Hou Hsiao-Hsien @75: New Millennium (2001-2022)

The conclusion of a four part series by Cláudio Alves

In the cinema of Hou Hsiao-Hsien, the 21st century started with a neon dream. The camera follows Shu Qi's Vicky as she runs through a Taipei tunnel, lights flickering above. Everything happens in slow-motion, flickers turn into waves and the actress's movement makes a strange unnatural dance. She looks back at us, hair flying in a cloud of black tendrils, her eyes asking us to follow her down the tunnel, like Alice down the rabbit hole. It's a hypnotic sight, made more seductive by the music of Lim Giong, house beats and techno dronings that transform the screen into a pulsing heart.

2001's Millennium Mambo fulfills the formalistic promise of Daughter of the Nile, transcending Goodbye South, Goodbye's tethering to material truth. Like its protagonist, the film looks back at its director's history while moving forward to an unknown future. It's the start of a new chapter for Hou Hsiao-Hsien…

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Winners of the 4th annual Meihodo Festival

by Nathaniel R

You may recall that in January we shared the news that Michael Douglas was the guest of honor at this year's "Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival". (That's quite a mouthful of a title to try to say. Perhaps they need an acronym or nickname?) But their core team this year actually had three Oscar winners on it, Douglas, Binoche, and composer Tan Dun. This year the festivalhad 2431 contestants from 110 countries. The winners (which were unfortunately awarded in crypto and NFTs -- agh stop the madness) are after the jump...

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