2022 Charlotte Film Festival Pt. 1 (Hopefully)

Photo by me, Fola

Last weekend, I attended and volunteered with the Charlotte Film Festival. I intend to write slightly more in depth about my experience, but I don’t currently have the mental and emotional capacity to do so. I’m also not ready to break my weekly-ish streak, so here are the films I did see, my rating, and one thought on each!

• The Unknown Country by Morissa Maltz:

  • Rating: 7/10

  • Was a little confused in the beginning about whether I was watching a documentary or something more of a genre-bender, and struggled to get really bought into the story until the main character’s cousin gets married. The film really picked up from there and my orientation to it had changed by the end. Also, perhaps my first time seeing a Native woman as lead.

• Poundcake by Onur Tukel

  • Rating 8/10

  • First, this was a “work-in-progress” which made me feel very cool. Second, this film was crazy. It’s the type of film that leaves you wondering if you should feel offended or guilty while you laugh. Tukel accepted feedback from the audience at the end and I appreciated the thoughtfulness put into this film that is bizarre yet poignant in many subtle ways.

• Nanny by Nikyatu Jusu

  • Rating: 8/10

  • Hopefully part 2 of this blog post will be a better review of Nanny, which will be out in theaters in November and then on Amazon Prime in December. I heard of Jusu after I watched her short “Suicide by Sunlight”. I was excited to see Nanny and it did not disappoint at all! So much to hit on and discuss (and I intend to…next week.)

Films I didn’t see, but wanted to:

• Lee Fields: Faithful Man by Jessamyn Ansary and Joyce Mishaan

• Piggy by Carlota Pereda

• Chameleon by Stéphanie Olijnyk

OK, I’m doing the best I can. Hope you are too.