Hanna B.

As a documentary, Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest does its heroine justice.

The movie enables viewers to witness firsthand how indigenous people are unable to keep their cultures. It also looks at how society has corrupted men and has forever changed ancestral traditions.

Pay Or Die acts as a call to action driven by human stories.

A House Made of Splinters tells a story that needs to be told as loud as possible. While uncomfortable at times, the filmmaker is respectful and empathetic.

The Teachers’ Lounge flows very well, and the story is quite effective, leaving viewers intrigued, engaged, and as eager as its protagonist to find the truth and answers to what is happening at the school.

Midwives partially plays like a feature film, especially in its second half, when it takes a more contemplative approach with emotional “slice of life sequences” and moves swiftly across years with touches of humour.

While the narrative features magical realism, it lacks levity, which will probably make it less appealing to a select few. Nonetheless, this is something uniquely special and a perfect, alluring example of all that is wrong with the world we’re living in.

This touching film will undoubtedly make you sympathize with its protagonist, wonderfully interpreted with gentle poise and nuance by Diop.

Heartfelt and genuine sentiments abound, making Petite Maman one of the finest titles of the year, one that can appeal to the (weird) kid in all of us.

In the end, I’m not sure if thriller, drama, or action would be best suited to describe Lakewood. Maybe it is not quite the edge-of-the-seat movie one might expect, but it is entertaining enough to keep one fully engaged.