January’s Most Popular on OVID
Frances Ferguson
A film by Bob Byington | Distributed by Factory 25
With Kaley Wheless, David Krumholtz, Keith Poulson, Jennifer Prediger, Martin Starr
Nick Offerman narrates this deviant comedy, based on real events, and a small town’s reaction to a scandal.
“The film asks what it’s like to be so bored with your life you’ll willingly blow the whole thing up.” —The Hollywood Reporter
“Delivers comedy, conflict, and pathos in just the right proportion.” —Cinapse
Edward Said: The Last Interview
A film by Mike Dibb | Distributed by Icarus Films
Producer: D. D. Guttenplan; Interviewer: Charles Glass
OVID EXLUSIVE
Edward Said, University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, was one of the most important literary critics of the late 20th century, and for many years the most prominent spokesperson for the Palestinian cause in the United States. Said was diagnosed with incurable leukemia in 1991, and struggled with the disease throughout the decade, while continuing to write and teach. Towards the end of his life, as the disease and chemotherapy treatments sapped his energy, he stopped giving interviews. However, less than a year before his death in September 2003, he made an exception and over the course of three days spoke at length with the filmmakers about his illness, his work, Palestine and politics, his life and education, and his continuing preoccupations. This is the remarkable final testament of this passionately committed intellectual.
Rojek
A film by Zaynê Akyol | Distributed by Icarus Films
A chilling encounter with members of the Islamic State, as well as their wives detained in prison camps, who share a common dream: establishing a caliphate. Filmed in Rojava, Syria, the filmmaker’s conversations with incarcerated members are the thread along which the documentary evolves, as it is intertwined with various sequences depicting current, post-war Syrian Kurdistan.
Rojek premiered at DOC NYC 2023.
“A deeply unsettling exploration of morality and terror.” —The Globe and Mail
“An astringent, devastating and truly extraordinary film that is hard work to watch, but entirely worth it.” —Leslie Felperin, The Guardian
Another Body
A film by Sophie Compton & Reuben Hamlyn | Distributed by Utopia Films
After discovering deepfake pornography of herself circulating online, American college student Taylor dives headfirst into the underground world of deepfakes, uncovering a growing culture of men terrorizing women—influencers, classmates, friends. More than just a cautionary tale, Another Body transforms the deepfake technology weaponized against Taylor into a tool that allows her to tell her story and reclaim her identity.
“A groundbreaking, creepy, fascinating, and important documentary about a phenomenon that’s only going to grow in significance.” —Variety
Leave a Reply