People in the Slum

Jan 26, 2021 — I stumbled onto Will Niava’s debut short film, Zoo, via a still I saw online: a close-up of a young man’s face under blue neon, framed by cigarette smoke. Curious about this striking image, I tracked down the film and...

Oct 8, 2025 — We remember an artist, teacher, and filmmaker who unleashed realms of depth from two-dimensional images.

Mar 25, 2022 — With its rambling Victorian mansions and seedy charms, the once-exclusive area of downtown Los Angeles was film noir’s favorite neighborhood.

Feb 12, 2024 — Bob Young worked with Michael Roemer on Nothing but a Man and directed ¡Alambrista! and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.

Oct 18, 2023 — You don’t have to believe every word in Herzog’s memoir to get a kick out of it.

Sep 4, 2019 — The late actor became an icon of his generation with this moody, brilliant non-performance, informed by his intimate knowledge of chaos and death.

Aug 16, 2019 — Look back with us on the winding career of Arthur Jafa, a summer spent with Tilda Swinton, and an evening with soccer “super-fan” Agnès Varda.

Mar 30, 2010 — The work of Pedro Costa has progressed in slow, measured steps, but each step has been a giant leap. His slowness is both the condition and the consequence of ethical standards he shares with precious few directors of his generation....

Sep 21, 2021 — Johnnie To pays homage to Akira Kurosawa in this martial arts drama about the virtue of struggle and self-improvement.

Oct 16, 2020 — This week we’re reading Jacques Rancière on Pedro Costa, J. Hoberman on Pietro Marcello and Jack London, and Sasha Frere-Jones on Jóhann Jóhannsson.