Spartan Eye

This sad and devastating film, made in 1965 and which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a nomination for Best Actress in a Foreign Film (both well deserved), takes us on a journey which begins in the realm of comedy and culminates in the land of tragedy.

The film is set in 1942 and Tono is a small town carpenter – he is neither ambitious nor greedy but sadly his wife, whose sister is married to a high-ranking officer in the Slovakian right-wing military, is and she desperately wants to have the same lovely clothes and foods supplied by the status and influence her brother-in-law holds. To this end, Tono is appointed by his brother-in-law, whom he heartily dislikes, as ‘Aryan Controller’ of a small shop in the town which has been owned by Mrs Lautmann, who is Jewish, for many years. Tono’s role, to his wife’s delight…

Image by Mark Renney

WADJDA (2012) – Written and Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour

Wadjda is not only delightful but also an immensely interesting study of the role of women within Saudi Arabian society and the cultural issues which, in the most conservative and religious households, render them virtually voiceless. Indeed, they are constantly being reminded not to raise their voices so that men may hear them speak.

Wadjda is a young schoolgirl who is naturally rebellious – despite it being very much frowned upon she is friends with Abdullah, a boy of her own age whose admiration for Wadjda leads him to declare, toward the end of the film, his intention to marry her. Abdullah, being male, and I use the word advisedly, has all the advantages – he teases Wadjda but also gives her gifts. However, her real interest is that he has a bike and can use it…

Image by Christine Renney

THE LOOK OF SILENCE (2014) – Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Whilst I had been vaguely aware of the military coup which took place in Indonesia in 1965, I never had any real knowledge or understanding of what exactly occurred. You know, another coup another country – we shrug and we move on but this film, which follows on from the astounding ‘The Act of Killing’ by the same director and which deals with the same issues but from a different perspective, demonstrates the importance of showing the world what does take place in such times. The gifted directors and writers do so in multiple ways, harnessing both fiction and documentary styles to deliver their message to their audience. Some films are made for very specific groups but ‘The Look of Silence’ is made for us all.

We follow Adi, a 44 year old Indonesian optometrist, whose…