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Madre (2019)
Incredible
Since watching this movie I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Everything about Madre is just mesmerizing: the setting, the continuous takes, the acting, the characters (especially Elena), and of course the unique plot. It's also a perfect example of "show don't tell": we never learn exactly what the protagonist feels for Jean (motherly love, or more?), nor do we learn what happened to Ivan, or why Elena has lived in France after his disappearance (has she really never given up her search for him?). Much needs to be filled in by the reader, which probably makes this film so graceful and elegant. Every scene is meaningful and refined.
If it isn't clear by now, I can't recommend this movie enough.
For Sama (2019)
Conflicted
While the documentary is great at showing the beginnings of the Syrian civil war, the disturbing and horrific consequences of the war, and the valiant efforts of her husband and the other hospital workers, one can't help but feel conflicted about the filmmaker's actions. At one point in the film, she and her husband visit a family member in Turkey (i.e., a safe country) and still decide to sneak back into Aleppo with their child, even though they know it's incredibly dangerous to try and get back in. It's difficult (for me, at least) to understand why she does not simply stay away from Aleppo, as it's obviously safer for her and her child.
As one of the people in the documentary says: "children have nothing to do with this war." Yet, Waad Al-Kaeb deliberately takes her baby back into Aleppo, knowing the dangers of the place. Despite being a great documentary, showing how people deal with the horrendous reality imposed on them, the film still left a bitter taste in my mouth, knowing that Sama did not have to go through all of this.