Here are links to the reports I wrote for the website of the 34th TIFF. In passing, I would say it was a better festival than it has been for many years, owing mainly to its change of venue to Hibiya/Ginza and the return of programmer Shozo Ichiyama, who left some years ago to found Filmex, which this year was held in tandem with TIFF. However, while the Competition films covered a broader range of experience, overall the selection sacrificed quality and rigor for representation; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but too many were saddled with an old-fashioned notion of thematic importance. But I really liked Hommage, Californie, and the eventual winner, Vera Dreams of the Sea, all of which were original and dramatically compelling. They were also all about women, though only two were directed by women.
Asian Lounge: Bahman Ghobadi x Ai Hashimoto
philipbrasor.com 