“I, DANIEL BLAKE” - This won the Palme d’Or at 2016 Cannes Filmfest where “Ma Rosa” also competed. Directed by Ken Loach (who also won for “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”), this British social-realist drama is about a widower, Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), who has a heart attack and now unable to work but the state’s uncaring welfare system fails him. His fight for dignity becomes a one-man crusade that makes quite an impact.“THE SALESMAN” - From Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose “A Separation” won the Oscar best foreign film in 2012. “The Salesman” also competed in the 2016 Cannes filmfest and won the best actor award for Shahab Hosseini (our own Jaclyn Jose won the best actress award then). It will compete in next year’s Oscars, along with “Ma Rosa”. It tells the story of a couple who play the lead roles in their own version of the classic Miller play, “Death of a Salesman”.
“FIRE AT SEA - FUOCOAMARRE” - The entry of Italy in next year’s Oscars, it’s set in the island of Lampedusa off Sicily which hit the headlines as the port of call for hundreds of thousands of refugees from Africa and the Middle East fleeing from wars and unrest to migrate to Europe. The film focuses on 12-year old boy Samuel and how life goes on in his island until it’s affected by the influx of refugees.“FRANTZ” - From acclaimed French director Francois Ozon, the film is set in a small German village after the First World War. Anna (Paula Beer) visits the grave of her boyfriend named Frantz, a soldier who was killed in combat in France. One day, she sees a Frenchman, Adrien (Pierre Niney), also visiting the grave of Frantz and this starts her journey in discovering more facts about her boyfriend.
