Culture
Movies
Vacant seat at screening an emotional tribute to a beloved grandmother
The documentary Everybody’s Oma, about a woman struggling with dementia, had a warm-hearted world premiere at Sydney Film Festival.
- by Garry Maddox
Latest
The TikTok doco series trying to unpack the debate over trans athletes
In a documentary series made for TikTok, Rudy Jean Rigg is trying to make sense of the complex issue of where trans athletes fit in the world of sport.
- by Karl Quinn
Captured on camera: The poisonous plot to murder Alexei Navalny
A new documentary shows the Russian opposition leader tricking a confession out of the secret agents who tried to kill him almost two years ago.
- by Garry Maddox
The rom-com that transports Jane Austen to a queer island paradise
Fire Island gives us the rom-com stuff we love, and reimagines it for a modern audience.
- by Patrick Lenton
‘They’re not dinosaur movies’: Sam Neill on the enduring appeal of Jurassic Park
Thirty years on, and thanks to sequels, reboots and reboot sequels, Jurassic Park is one of cinema’s longest running and most financially successful franchises. Why?
- by Osman Faruqi
★★★★
Review
Two-time Oscar winner’s superb new drama is not without controversy
The Iranian filmmaker’s works have no equal, but they also give us a very pungent sense of the forces at work in Iranian society.
- by Paul Byrnes
In Melbourne’s west, a new frontier for the arts is finding its power
The Retreat is a film about breaking down our hidebound cultural structures and networks so new artistic talents can find ways to shine.
- by Stephen A Russell
‘I think she would have liked it’: Trauma Cleaner doco set to debut in Melbourne
The Trauma Cleaner took Sandra Pankhurst’s extraordinary tale to the world in 2017, and now a documentary puts it on screen. But she won’t be there to see it.
- by Karl Quinn
★★★½
Review
Jurassic World’s rampaging climax almost makes up for the hare-brained plot
Dinosaur sausages, anyone? Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are together again, but the humans are quickly overshadowed in this sixth film.
- by Sandra Hall
The Sydney Film Festival has begun. Here are 10 movies you can’t miss
With more than 200 features, documentaries and shorts screening over 12 days, here are 10 of the best to book right now.
- by Garry Maddox
Opinion
State of Origin
Rugby league is art, and the arts community could learn a few lessons from it
State of Origin versus the Sydney Film Festival: a debate that’s been foisted upon us by a poorly scheduled clash on Wednesday night.
- by Osman Faruqi