Four-Sentence MIFF Reviews #3-4: The East, These Birds Walk

The East (Zal Batmanglij)

A corporate spy for a private company is sent to infiltrate an anarcho-eco-terrorist group (that's a lot of hyphens, and a lot more beards), and finds her professional detachment threatened as she becomes closer to the individual members.
I have to say OH MY GOD this film was relevant to my interests in all the right "anarchist jams with weirdy sexy-cult overtones" ways (a specific interest, it's true).
Gripping, and balanced in its portrayal of the evils of both corporate and terrorist actions.
I still don't like Ellen Page.

These Birds Walk (Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick)

A documentary tracing the experiences of several runaway children cared for by the Edhi Foundation (Pakistan's largest welfare operation, which seems to be basically run and funded by one old dude).
An Edhi ambulance driver drops the children home to their mostly indifferent families: one boy's uncle laments the return of a live troublesome boy, instead of his corpse.
Amazingly vivid and heartbreaking, an unsentimental view of a complex country.
"It's easier to drop off dead bodies than return these children to their families."

Four-Sentence MIFF Reviews #1-2: A Hijacking, Like Father Like Son

Hey hey, folks, ARPy's four-sentence MIFF reviews are back! (Try to keep the groans under your breath.)

A Hijacking (Tobias Lindholm)

A cargo ship is hijacked by a bunch of hijackers (bet you weren't expecting that one), and bargaining for the crew's lives begins back at the company's headquarters in Denmark.
A tightly wound film that piles on the stress as the crew and staff in Denmark suffer from the increasingly drawn-out negotiations.
My first film at MIFF and I've already eaten all my fingernails.
Distracting factor: the company CEO looked like a cross between Tony Abbott and Paul Lineham.



Like Father, Like Son (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

Officially my current favourite Japanese director, I was looking forward to this very much after last year's wonderful I Wish.
Two couples' lives are turned upside down when they discover that their sons (now six years old) were switched at birth in the hospital.
A story that in Hollywood hands would become the familiar "workaholic absent dad learns to value time with his children" is here given a subtle, human, gently humourous treatment.
Japanese children are also at least 40% cuter than all other children.

Poem #49 found - 340km from release point!

Yesterday I had an exciting email from Ross S, who found poem #49, that I released into the sea off the breakwater in Warrnambool, in a jar of two-fruits. It swam a long way!

Ross says:

Hi Anna, 
   Just returned from exploring some wild beaches & thought you'd like to know your poemsinthewild ace of spades card in the two fruits bottle was washed up amongst the high tide treasures at Cotters beach on the west coast of Wilsons prom, about 340 k's (shortest route) from where you launched it.

He also attached a photo, my zip-lock sandwich bag appeared to work well:

Of all the poems least likely to be found! Nice swimming, two-fruits. In case you want to see how far it travelled (and enjoy my nice wobbly line drawn in Paint):

I should throw all my poetry into the sea! Thanks for emailing me, Ross. Made my day!

Sou'wester : recent publications

Two places I have poems published at the moment:

Southerly

and Westerly

All I need now is someone to start up an Easterly and Northerly journal and I'll get all compass points covered. Also, grey covers are totally in this year.