Authors — Sofia Bohdanowicz
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“Shooting on Film Felt Right—Joy’s an Analog Lady”: Nathan Silver on His NYFF Documentary Short, “Carol & Joy”
In 1971, Jean Eustache set a camera in front of his grandmother Odette and invited her to speak. The film that emerged, Numéro Zéro, is a vivid document of one woman’s life told without embellishment. The frame is almost fixed—broken only by a zoom or reframe—but Odette’s words animate it with a striking urgency as she chain-smokes, drinks whiskey, fields interruptions and insists on telling her story on her own terms. Domestic minutiae becomes monumental: Eustache reveals not only the power of a raconteur but also the radical act of listening and granting someone the time and space to summon […]
by Sofia Bohdanowicz on Sep 25, 2025 -
“A Medieval Period Piece for Under $200,000”: Caroline Golum on FIDMarseille 2025 Premiere Revelations of Divine Love, Prayer and Process
Since watching Revelations of Divine Love—which is making its world premiere at FIDMarseille today—I’ve found myself thinking about its construction, restraint, devotion to form and alarming sincerity. Brimming with the mystery of manifestation, it is a work of sheer will, equal parts spiritual inquiry and cinematic lament. Masterfully lensed by cinematographer Gabe Elder, the light surrounding our heroine, Julian of Norwich (Tessa Strain), is diffused and precise, its textures tangible. I reached out to Caroline Golum because I found myself curious: not just about the film itself, but about her process, commitment, and rigor that shaped it. The film draws […]
by Sofia Bohdanowicz on Jul 9, 2025 -
Duty of Care: Sarah Friedland on Familiar Touch
Sarah Friedland’s Familiar Touch follows Ruth, an octogenarian woman experiencing memory loss as she transitions into assisted living. Played with luminous restraint by Kathleen Chalfant, Ruth is not someone we observe from a distance—we move with her. Told entirely from her perspective, the film unfolds through a sensory experience of time and memory. Through light, texture, sound and gesture, we come to understand what it means to live inside a body—and a mind—that is transforming. Ruth is looked after by Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle Smith), a personal support worker, and Brian (Andy McQueen), the home’s doctor. Over time, she begins to […]
by Sofia Bohdanowicz on Jun 18, 2025
