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AFF 2014: Day Six
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AFF 2014: Day Eight

AFF 2014: Day Seven

by Zack Miller on September 17, 2014

Sorry to disappoint all you vicarious festival attendees out there, but today’s films were pretty conventional stories. First, I saw a relationship movie about desire, the importance of communication, and how all take and no give can start to drive a wedge between two people. After that was a standard gangster flick in which a newcomer shows up and starts to rise through the ranks, but interpersonal politics turn things a bit sour. Theft, murder, and prostitution ensue, as is usually the case with these things. Luckily, those synopses are the only things conventional about their respective films.

The first is Peter Strickland’s dreamy masterpiece “The Duke of Burgundy.” The lovers in question are a butterfly expert and her girlfriend who is quite fond of sadomasochism, a predilection that is starting to strain their relationship. Before the lights went down for the start of this film, I was concerned that I was nearing the point of festival burnout (particularly after my disconnected experience with “The Clouds of Sils Maria” the previous night). From the marvelous opening credit sequence, “The Duke of Burgundy” snapped me back into full-fledged movie mania. Strickland is an aural genius; this film continues to display the sonic mastery he showed off in his previous “Berberian Sound Studio.” With only one day left, it’s a strong contender for my favorite film of the festival.

“The Tribe” is the second film described. Directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, it is a Ukrainian production filmed entirely in sign language with no talking or subtitles. The gang that I mentioned is actually a group of teenagers at a boarding school, which should be painting the crimes listed above in a slightly different light right about now. The misdeeds of the students are captured in impressively long takes that use precise choreography to help provide context to a story that can’t be delivered through dialogue. It’s sort of like “Goodfellas” made up entirely of Copacabana shots. It is a visual feat in every sense of the term, but be forewarned – the film is well aware that it is under close scrutiny and takes that opportunity to shock the viewer with some horrifically graphic scenes.

There were also rave reviews coming out of the screenings I missed out on, from Timothy Spall’s incredible turn in biopic “Mr. Turner,” to the bewitching musical charms of “God Help The Girl,” to the non-stop kinetic force of “Whiplash.”

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About the Author
Zack Miller
Zack Miller
Zack is a software developer from Halifax, Nova Scotia moonlighting as a cinephile - until the weekend, when those roles reverse. He can often be found thoughtfully stroking his beard or thoughtfully stroking his cat. Despite remaining in the sitting position almost exclusively, he occasionally makes time to be bent into other shapes during jiu jitsu practice. You can aggresively shout your opinions and objections at him via Twitter or in person (anywhere beer is served).
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AFF 2014: Best of the Fest!

by Zack Miller on September 21, 2014
When you watch enough films in a concentrated period of time, everything can seem like a blur. Film festivals are an amazing opportunity to scope out the best in foreign and domestic cinema, but it’s always good to allow yourself some time afterwards to process the many hours that you spent in the dark with […]
 

AFF 2014: Day Eight

by Zack Miller on September 19, 2014
The 34th Atlantic Film Festival has wound down, and so have I (as it turns out, the “non-drowsy” part of cold medicine isn’t quite as effective after nearly 60 hours of film). Luckily, I was able to soldier through three of my four planned screenings on the final night before finally succumbing to what I’m […]
 

AFF 2014: Day Six

by Zack Miller on September 16, 2014
As the festival leaves weekend mode – where days are stacked, top to bottom, with great regional and international features – you may have noticed that I’m allowing myself to decompress a bit by starting my days with a shorts program. Today, that program included an honourable mention for the Best Atlantic Short award, “The […]
 

AFF 2014: Day Five

by Zack Miller on September 15, 2014
Today was it: the big day. I may have soldiered through six screenings on day three, including an impenetrable and self-satisfied Godard, but day five boasted the most leg-numbing film of the festival: Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s 196-minute Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep.” I decided to ease myself in with a repeat screening of some short […]
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