Be Happy! (Spain) — My honest thoughts When I went to see“Be Happy!” I thought to myself: “Okay, this is a musical, maybe a bit quirky, but surely there’s some kind of storyline tying it together.” Oh, I was wrong. This is not some flimsy plot — it’s like trying to hold water in your…

When I first heard about “Shoshana Halutz Merkazi” (or “Kicking Out Shoshana” as it’s known in English), I admit, my curiosity was piqued mostly because Gal Gadot stars in it. You know how it is—her presence alone often shoots up your expectations, right? But boy, was I in for a letdown. Watching this sports comedy…

Sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has been a dark shadow haunting countless stories and screens worldwide, and “Le Silence des églises” plunges headfirst into this unsettling abyss. I’ve seen my share of films tackling this painful topic—some full-length dramas, others raw documentaries—but each time, a knot tightens in my throat. It’s that gut-wrenching mix…

Set against the gritty, rain-slicked streets of Limerick, Cowboys & Angels unfolds like a bittersweet coming-of-age diary, giving us a peek into the tangled lives of two very different young men navigating the chaos of youth in a modern city. Though it first hit cinemas over two decades ago, and the visuals now feel a…

Introduction I still remember the first time I stumbled across the name Mel Daluzyan. It was a headline about an Armenian weightlifter breaking records, a story that seemed almost mythic in its simplicity—until I learned about the storm that followed. In Inna Sahakyan’s documentary Mel, we’re invited into the whirlwind life of a champion whose…

Introduction: “Bashtaalak sa’at (Shall I Compare You To A Summer’s Day?)” isn’t your typical film—it’s a fever dream, a kaleidoscope of queer Arab love, and a defiant celebration of stories rarely told on screen. Directed by Mohammad Shawky Hassan, this experimental musical documentary weaves together myth, memory, and desire, drawing inspiration from the tales of…

“Sweetheart Service,” a Korean series that fluttered onto my screen like a soft breeze on a warm spring day, had me hooked from the very first frame. With its bite-sized episodes, each clocking in under twenty minutes, it promised a delightful escape into a world where lighthearted charm met the sweet awkwardness of young love….

“The Scandalous Four (UK)” plunges viewers into the tangled web of 1930s England, where societal norms tighten their grip and secrets dwell in shadowy corners of grand estates. This period drama sets itself apart by daring to riff on themes seldom voiced in such historical settings: hidden desires, forbidden love, and the suffocating rules that…

From the very first frame, “Bixa Travesty” slams you into the vivid, pulsating world of Linn da Quebrada—a fierce Brazilian transsexual singer carving her path through the gritty edges of São Paulo’s favelas. This documentary isn’t just a biography; it feels like a raw, unedited scream against the suffocating weight of racism, transphobia, and poverty….

Introduction “Eban and Charley” isn’t your run-of-the-mill love story—it’s the kind of film that tiptoes along the edge of controversy, daring you to look away but making it nearly impossible. Directed by James Bolton and released in 2000, this indie drama stirred up plenty of debate when it first hit the festival circuit. The story…

“Transaction,” a British sitcom that flips the script on the usual portrayal of trans characters, feels like stepping into a supermarket that’s trapped in a bubble of chaos—only, no customers ever show up. Instead, what you get is a quirky, bizarre workplace where the staff are more caught up in their own dramas than any…

“Knock Out,” a Thai BL series with boxing at its core, immediately hooked me with its fresh setting—because let’s be real, how often do you see a love story draped in boxing gloves and sweat? It’s bold, no doubt, stepping into a world usually reserved for gritty sports dramas rather than tender romances. But as…