Author: Joel Fisher

In 2017, Tareq’s (Ayham Abou Ammar) family were forced to emigrate from Syria to Canada after his father, Issam’s (Hatem Ali) chocolate factory was destroyed. Moving to a new country is certainly daunting, especially when moving to such a different country as Canada is and especially when Tareq thinks that he’s the only Arab in Antigonish.

Tareq is also a qualified doctor and is keen to get work, despite having no paperwork to prove his qualifications. However, it seems that with his father’s confectionary knowhow and the right opportunity, Tareq and Issam could start to change the world.

Peace by Chocolate is the biopic of a family of Syrian refugees who moved to Canada and set up their own chocolate business, which also aims to shed light on the issues of refugees from around the world. Starting out in the style of a typical Hallmark type film, Peace by Chocolate seems to have the kind of format that audiences may find predictable.

However, that’s where the film draws the audience in. Where they are expecting a feelgood, inspirational movie of triumph that can wash over them, that’s where Peace by Chocolate starts laying down its story.

Something which all audiences could enjoy, a story like Peace by Chocolate could be as warm and inviting as the thought of eating chocolate itself. However, Peace by Chocolate is not afraid to tell its story in a way which gives its audience what it wants, whilst simultaneously telling them the honest truth about experiences that refugees have in other countries.

For example, where other films may have played on audience’s emotions by showing Tareq applying for jobs and being rejected, Peace by Chocolate shows the struggle and explains why it feels so difficult for Tareq to move on. This is mixed in with family drama and conflict where Issam wants his son to feel happy with what he’s got, but Tareq can only think about what he’s lost.

Peace by Chocolate doesn’t express its drama by making the audience feel pity for Tareq and his family either. Neither does it show a family triumphing in the face of adversity to make the audience think that everything’s ok. Instead, Peace by Chocolate becomes a much more fulfilling experience than its seemingly sweet nature implies.

Gene (Christopher Trindade) is a production assistant and aspiring filmmaker who works for Joel D. Pomponetto, otherwise known as Pompo (Brianna Gentilella) for short. Pompo is also unusual for a movie producer because she’s a little girl, but she has big ideas for the kinds of films that she wants to make and she knows what sells.

Basically, Pompo is Michael Bay in pigtails and she thinks that scantily clad women and gratuitous violence is what makes people come and see movies. She’s also unapologetic about it, despite Gene’s aspirations for something better.

Then one day Gene is in Pompo’s office and he finds a script and the script is the best thing he’s ever read, it has poetry, creativity and is everything he’s ever wanted in a film. He’s also very surprised because Pompo wrote it herself. So, after giving Gene a chance to show her what he can do, Pompo lets Gene turn the script into a feature film and he has full creative control.

Pompo the Cinephile is an anime based on the popular manga series written by Shôgo Sugitani. Written for the big screen, Pompo the Cinephile is probably everything that a person who works in the film industry would like to see on screen to show exactly how hard it is to make a film. However, for those audience members who don’t have any interest in making films, let alone have any experience with making something creative, then they may get bored.

What starts out as a satire on the film industry turns into a loving portrayal of filmmaking and despite its accuracy in portraying the process, its attention to detail does not make it that good of a story.

Pompo is the perfect analogy for a movie producer (a ten-year-old who loves explosions) and there are some funny observations when casting and filming the movie. However, after that it seems to be far more interested in showing what goes into making a film. There’s also a scene about editing which ironically goes on for far too long that could have been cut.

Overall, Pompo the Cinephile will be of interest to those who love everything about film from the creative process to the opening night. However, for those who have wondered what it’s like to make a film but haven’t thought about it too deeply, it may put them off the idea altogether.

Iris (Paula Silva) has had a troubled past, but she’s trying to put it behind her with her husband, Luis (Daniel Hendler) and her daughter. However, one day as Iris is trying to get to her daughter, things don’t seem quite right and before she can gather her bearings she’s attacked.

Realising that something is horribly wrong and that there are more people who have become infected with a violent rage, Iris realises that getting to her daughter will be harder than she thought. Although after an encounter with one of the infected, Iris realises that there’s a 32 second window after they attack where she may have time to escape.

She just has to make sure her daughter is safe and that she can get there in time.

Virus-32 is a Uruguayan zombie film directed by Gustavo Hernández and co-written by Juma Fodde. Taking an original premise for a zombie movie, Hernández may have very well breathed new life into the genre. Using its unique selling point sparingly and effectively, Virus-32 tells the story of a grieving mother desperately looking for a second chance as the world falls into chaos around her.

Silva is particularly captivating in her role as she has to carry almost all of the film entirely by herself. Despite Virus-32 being a zombie flick which some may look down upon, Silva’s performance shows all the grief and anguish that any mother would face in a desperate situation.

More of a slow burn horror that seems to be taking inspiration from media such as The Last of Us and The Walking Dead, Virus-32 focuses more on character rather than scares. Although when it does want to scare, it ramps up the tension and makes the audience hold its breath as they watch Iris struggle to survive.

Virus-32 is also not afraid to go to some very dark places and to equally disturb its audience as it is to make them feel for Iris and her daughter. Images of motherhood, pregnancy and loss are scattered throughout and prove that with the right people behind the camera, the zombie genre may be able to take a few more bites.

Faruk (Pavle Cemerikic) does what he can to make ends meet, but he knows that sooner or later he’s going to have to take desperate measures to get what he wants. He’s promised a large sum if he carries out a delivery of something he’s unsure about and after a while he agrees, although he knows that it’s wrong.

Then after the deal, he runs into Mona (Sumeja Dardagan), a rich girl whose parents have political, albeit corrupt, power. However, Faruk doesn’t know this at first and uses his cheeky charm in order to secure a date from Mona, even if he doesn’t really think she’ll call. Although Faruk is pleasantly surprised when Mona calls him and soon a romance starts to blossom.

The White Fortress is a romantic drama from Bosnia which was the Bosnian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Put in a familiar framing of a Shakespeare classic, audiences are all too familiar with the story of The White Fortress.

However, it’s modern and socio-political issues that surround the film make it feel fresh and relevant all over again as it explores a side of Bosnia that’s not often seen on screen.

Behind all the issues of class which divide Faruk and Mona lie a war that has divided the country like never before. The financial and social wall that has been built between Mona and Faruk tell the audience all they need to know and although they wish for better, it is still heart breaking to know how it will end.

Cemerikic and Dardagan make for a charming couple in love and the moments of quiet between them show the audience how real their connection is and despite everything how they wish for them to succeed. Unfortunately, as often is the case with these kinds of divides around the world, they have to relish the few moments they have together before they’re gone.

The White Fortress is a sweet and often tender film which uses beautiful imagery to frame not only the star-crossed lovers, but also the city of Sarajevo. It may be a story that audiences have seen many times before, but it thankfully brings new life to an old tale.

New Orleans is more than just a place, it’s more than just a time or a type of person, music or art. New Orleans is an experience, New Orleans is a way of being and New Orleans is something like nothing else in the world.

New Orleans has a rich history and heritage that goes across generations and has affected people in all walks of life, whether they be young or old. It seems that even if New Orleans is out of your life that it always finds a way back in.

Take me to The River: New Orleans is the documentary follow up to Martin Shore’s 2014 documentary Take me to The River. Much like his prior film, Shore pairs up icons of music that have originated in New Orleans with relative newcomers who get to work with their heroes. The documentary also gives them a chance to talk about the music that has influenced them and the ways that their idols keep them going.

It’s such a joy to see someone like Irma Thomas meeting Ledisi and having her heart pour out at meeting the one woman who put her in music today. However, there’s also the family and fan connections that span across genres and generations. Take me to The River: New Orleans is a documentary for the fans who get a seat even closer than front row could ever allow.

Along with the joy that the music from New Orleans brings though, there is also sadness. Unfortunately, that means that doing a documentary of the history and music of New Orleans without mentioning Hurricane Katrina would be doing it a disservice.

Amongst those interviewed in the documentary are people whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina and the audience gets a thoughtful, but brief insight into how people felt at the time and how it affected the city. Although that sadness didn’t get many people down for long as they realise that even though some people may have left New Orleans after the floods, they took New Orleans with them.

Take me to The River: New Orleans is a joyous documentary about the music that brings life to the city of New Orleans and has no signs of stopping. A source of inspiration for many years, New Orleans will surely continue to give more and more every year.