Q&A: ‘Under the Tree’ Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson on How Bad Neighbors Make a Good Story

“Love thy neighbor” does not apply in the Iceland suburbs of UNDER THE TREE. After his wife kicks him out of the house, Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) stays with his parents—just as the passive aggressive hostility with their neighbors is ramping up over a large tree in the yard. Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson establishes character […]

Q&A: Director Jim McKay’s ‘En El Septimo Dia’ is Timely and Universal

Returning to feature filmmaking after a decade in television, indie veteran Jim McKay’s EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA is a heartfelt, subtle, and captivating portrait of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. José, played brilliantly by newcomer Fernando Cardona, is a hardworking delivery man whose only respite from his overwhelming schedule is his local […]

Q&A: Radu Jude on ‘The Dead Nation,’ a Cinematic Essay

Acclaimed narrative filmmaker Radu Jude explores Romania’s shifting identity throughout history in his first documentary, THE DEAD NATION. Using archival images found from the collection of a rural photographer, text excerpted from the journal of a Jewish doctor, and songs recorded from the nationalistic anthems of the time, Jude’s cinematic essay provides a harrowing yet […]

Q&A: ‘THE LAST PIG’ director Allison Argo on a Pig Farmer’s Final Season

A moving meditation on a man’s crisis of faith, THE LAST PIG follows Bob Comis as he concludes his last season as a pig farmer. Peppered with reflections on his decade with the pigs, farmer Bob’s introspective voiceover guides us through the changing seasons on the farm, and the images, often filmed at ground-level, merge us […]

Q&A: ‘Larger Than Life’ Director Tiffany Bartok on Kevyn Aucoin and His Impact

LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY explores the life of the iconic make-up artist who transformed the profession into a prominent and influential art form. Director and fellow make-up artist Tiffany Bartok paints a beautiful and deeply personal portrait of a man who, as both an artist and LGBTQ advocate, dedicated his life to elevating […]