Film tips week 46
Kosmorama recommends quality films for the week. You can catch these animal themed titles either on the big screen or on various streaming services!
Eagles of the Republic
Where: Trondheim Kino
Egypt’s most beloved actor, George Fahmy, is pressured into taking the lead role in a film commissioned by the authorities. Fearing he has no choice, he reluctantly accepts — and is thrust into the inner circle of power.
Eagles of the Republic had its world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film is directed by Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh (Boy from Heaven), and Fares Fares stars in the lead role as George Fahmy.
© SF Norge
Killer of Sheep
Where: Cinemateket Trondheim
This is one of the great American independent classics — a quiet, beautiful, and unglamorous depiction of life in the African American working-class community of Watts, Los Angeles, in the 1970s. At the center of the story is Stan, a hardworking man employed at a slaughterhouse, who keeps turning down offers to make easy money through shady means. Instead, he chooses to live an honest life, even though it costs him blood, sweat, and tears. Killer of Sheep is a quiet existential drama about self-respect and sacrifice. “What good am I?” sings Dinah Washington in one of the film’s most moving scenes, as Stan dances with his wife in their living room on a Saturday night — “Heaven only knows.”
The film has a beautiful, subdued atmosphere, with calm, clear black-and-white cinematography and a sparse soundtrack featuring a long list of jazz and blues classics by artists such as Etta James, Dinah Washington, Earth, Wind & Fire, Paul Robeson, and Little Walter — all subtly reinforcing and commenting on the story. Director Charles Burnett grew up in this very neighborhood in Los Angeles, and he fills the film with authentic details and streetwise humor.
© Milestone Films
Eagle vs Shark
Where: Streaming
Lily is a shy fast-food waitress who writes songs when no one is listening. She’s in love with Jarrod, the nerd who works at the video game store. When Lily ends up at a party with Jarrod and a bunch of other geeks — she’s dressed as a shark, he’s dressed as an eagle — sparks begin to fly. Their romance develops into a most unusual relationship.
Eagle vs Shark, Taika Waititi’s (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok) debut film, is a one-of-a-kind comedy starring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) and Loren Horsley.
© Miramax Films
