Roy Stafford

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The Global Film Book Blog

The Girl Who Kicked in the Hornet’s Nest (Luftslottet som sprängdes, Sweden/Denmark/Germany 2009) October 4, 2018
(I discovered this in a pile of unpublished posts. I’m posting it now as a tribute to Mikael Nykvist who died ridiculously young (of lung cancer) at 56 in June 2017. I also note that a second ‘follow up’ title in the Millennium series by David Lagercrantz has been published in the UK and that Sony … Continue reading The Girl Who Kicked in the Hornet’s Nest ( […]
Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie, China-France 2003) September 25, 2018
MUBI has recently included several films by the Chinese auteur Lou Ye as part of its rolling monthly programme. They titled their mini-season of Lou’s films ‘Freedom and Defiance: The Cinema of Lou Ye’. Lou Ye (born 1965) made his first features in China in 1994 and 1995, but it was not until 2000 that … Continue reading Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie, China-Fr […]
Under the Tree (Undir trénu, Iceland-Poland-Denmark 2017) August 21, 2018
At first, I was under the misapprehension that Under the Tree was a follow-up to Rams (2015), the Icelandic film that became a surprise arthouse hit in the UK in 2016. I was wrong. Under the Tree is a different writing and directing team. Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson wrote and directed the film with Huldar Breiðfjörð as … Continue reading Under the Tree (Undi […]
The Bridges of Sarajevo (France-Bosnia-Herzogovina-Germany-Italy-Switz-Portugal-Bulgaria 2014) July 25, 2018
This compendium/portmanteau film features the work of 13 European directors who were asked to represent aspects of Sarajevo’s turbulent history. The film was completed for the centenary of the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand which triggered the First World War. Since then the city, which had been in Austrian-Hungarian control since 1978 after […]
The Nile Hilton Incident (Sweden-Denmark-Germany 2017) May 15, 2018
The Nile Hilton Incident is an intriguing film, not only in its presentation of an exciting crime thriller in a precise location, but also as a film production which invokes a specific kind of response. In its own way it’s the perfect case study for ideas about global film. This film is a product of … Continue reading The Nile Hilton Incident (Sweden-Denmar […]
Gholam (UK-Iran 2017) April 26, 2018
This unusual film places a major Iranian star actor, known in the West for three leading roles in the films of Asghar Farhadi, into a downbeat slow-paced thriller set in parts of North London. The director is Mitra Tabrizian, Professor of Photography at the University of Westminster whose 2005 exhibition ‘Border’ appears to have been … Continue reading Ghola […]

Media Student’s Book Blog

Balancing left and right
The Labour leadership election appears to have got the UK press and broadcasting media in a real tizz. One of the most aggravating aspects of the reporting is the constant appendage of ‘left-wing’ to any reference to Jeremy Corbyn. He is … Continue reading →
Defining the other
The 10th anniversary of the ‘7/7 bombings’ in 2005 in London saw a range of remembrance events across the UK. These resulted in a great deal of media coverage. One BBC radio reporter referred to the four young bombers and … Continue reading →
Getting the balance right
The local elections in England last week produced two examples of quandaries for broadcasters. The big story for the BBC and other commentators was the rise of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), led by a curiously charismatic Nigel Farage. UKIP are … Continue reading →
Welsh TV noir: Hinterland (UK 2013)
Hinterland is a good example of the global/local. Like some other modern states the UK has statutory requirements and cultural policies that protect the other languages in the Home Nations and this means support for both Welsh and Gaelic broadcasters … Continue reading →

Cineuropa

Review: Thou Shalt Not Kill - Warsaw 2018
Cătălin Rotaru and Gabi Virginia Şarga’s first features explores one of Romania’s most pressing social issues – the healthcare system
Filming under way on new Irish sci-fi thriller Sea Fever - Production – Ireland/Belgium/Sweden/UK/USA
Award-winning director Neasa Hardiman's new feature stars Danish actress Connie Nielsen in one of the leading roles
The 25th Astra Film Festival ready to kick off - Astra 2018
Romania’s biggest documentary film festival is offering more than 400 screenings and film-related events over the course of seven days
Europa Distribution will hold its 12th annual conference in Rome - Rome 2018 - Industry
The organisation will take a closer look at the blockchain technology and its application to the distribution of films on 20 October
Le Ninfee di Monet, the father of the Impressionist movement hits the big screen - Production - Italy
The event movie dedicated to Claude Monet, with the participation of Elisa Lasowski and photographer Sanne De Wilde, will hit Italian cinemas on 26, 27 and 28 November with Nexo
Interview: Paul Pauwels • Director, European Documentary Network - "The voice of documentary professionals must also be heard in Brussels"
European Documentary Network director Paul Pauwels talks to us about EDN's recent meetings with EU policy makers to secure funding for the documentary sector in the future
170 films showcased at Festival Lumière - Festivals - France
Heritage cinema returns to the limelight in Lyon for a 10th edition, featuring various contemporary films, including Roma
Thessaloniki’s Agora Crossroads Co-Production Forum announces its selection - Thessaloniki 2018 – Industry
The 14th edition of the successful co-production section of Agora has selected 15 projects from South-Eastern Europe that are aiming to develop further and expand their international scope

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