Melbourne International Film Festival

MIFF 2013: A Quiet Place In The Country (1968)

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Screening alongside classics like Dario Argento’s Deep Red (a masterpiece, and still arguably the high point of the genre) and Tenebrae, as well as Lucio Fulci’s seminal early work Don’t Torture A Duckling, are more obscure items like The Pyjama Case (set in Sydney of all places and starring Ray Milland) and A Quiet Place In The Country.

MIFF 2013: Harmony Lessons (2013)

MIFF 2013: Harmony Lessons (2013)

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Ultimately this haunting Darwinian tale of violence and morality is a social commentary on the normality of violence and crime in the region. One can only hope the extreme brutalisation against children from the police force is an exaggeration of current times in Kazakhstan, rather than a reality.

MIFF 2013: Death For Sale (2011)

MIFF 2013: Death For Sale (2011)

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The audience knows where the film is headed long before it gets there, very much like watching a trail slowly derail. As the title indicates, Death For Sale doesn’t provide any happy endings. These men are a product of their society, which unfortunately doesn’t elevate them to fulfil any kind of potential.

MIFF 2013: The Weight of Elephants (2013)

MIFF 2013: The Weight of Elephants (2013)

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Beautifully filmed by Sophia Olsson, with a clear Scandinavian influence, the aesthetics might obscure the story a little at times but this is a minor trifle. Adrian’s life is anything but straightforward (I’ll say it again; it’s just very bleak) and so the plot can be forgiven for swaying every now and then.

MIFF 2013: A World Not Ours (2012)

MIFF 2013: A World Not Ours (2012)

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A World Not Ours gives us a unique look at a corner of the world we would be unlikely to encounter otherwise, adding a jazzy score and humour throughout to perk up an otherwise grim subject. Informative and grounding, this film shows us how frequently we take identity for granted.