Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films

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On this page: ELLIS PARK | LOVE+WAR | MEGADOC

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 20.Oct.25

Ellis Park
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir Justin Kurzel
scr Justin Kurzel, Nick Fenton
prd Nick Batzias, Charlotte Wheaton
with Warren Ellis, Femke den Haas, John Ellis, Diane Ellis, Rio Kaj den Haas, Monique Kauffmann, Agus Andri, Achmad Hasan Sahani, Nursalim, Benfika, Elisabeth Rose Rahayu B Hutabarat, Pak Ismail
release Aus Aug.24 miff,
UK 26.Sep.25
24/Australia 1h44

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Filmmaker Justin Kurzel takes a loose, observational approach as he documents the life of musician Warren Ellis, following him as he revisits his youthful inspirations as well as his involvement in helping wild animals recover from trauma. It's an earthy, warm-humoured film that rolls along at Ellis' offhanded pace. And along with his running commentary, he gets the chance to score his own life, playing live in various locations.

In Australia, Ellis retraces his early life and school days, inspired by his musician father and brothers while devouring movies, magazines and of course records. He recalls his brief stint as a teacher, years playing in local bands and then his indelible collaboration with Nick Cave, which has continued for three decades and counting. In a Paris studio, he lays down tracks for a new album. And he also makes his first journey to Indonesia, where he has helped den Haas open Ellis Park, a sanctuary for distressed wild animals rescued from the illegal trade.

Gorgeously shot and edited, the film is packed with beautiful imagery, mixing scenes of artistic creation with emotional footage of animals that have found peace after surviving horrific abuse. Ellis strolls through all of this with his woolly beard and easy physicality, ruminating honestly about significant issues from his childhood and throughout his life. It's intriguing to see how Ellis' father helped him through his own trauma, which is paralleled in moving anecdotes from the sanctuary. And he can see animal rescue and rehabilitation as an important part of his legacy.

Terrific archival footage and photos accompany Ellis' reminiscences, including the legendary story of Nina Simone's chewing gum. He speaks about the joy of creating art as a leap of faith, starting with a germ of an idea and letting it flow. He also acknowledges the importance of Cage encouraging him to continually take risks in his work. So it's natural that he encourages Kurzel to revisit his own history with the violin. He also feels that the animal sanctuary has helped him put his whole life and career into perspective, because this practical compassion shows us how people should be.

themes, language, animal cruelty 22.Sep.25

Love + War
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
prd Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
with Lynsey Addario, Paul de Bendern, Andriy Dubchak, Yulia Bondarenko, Michael Schwirtz, Dexter Filkins, Alice Gabriner, Meaghan Looram, Camille Addario, Phillip Addario, Lukas de Bendern, Alfred de Bendern
release UK 24.Oct.25,
US 7.Nov.25
25/US National Geographic 1h35

TORONTO FILM FEST

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Using astonishing behind-the-scenes video, this documentary chronicles how Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario juggles a perilous job with marriage and motherhood. Filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi create a remarkably engaging portrait of her life. Specialising in warzones, Addario covers intensely violent conflicts, often chronicling the unseen horrors that are faced by women. In all her work she hones in on everyday humanity in extraordinary situations.

After taking photos of Russians intentionally targeting civilians as they invaded Ukraine in 2022, Addario returns to her family in London: journalist husband Paul De Bendern and two lively young sons. "Kids are so much harder than war," she laughs. While she dives into responsibilities at home, she admits that she feels most present when she's working. And because her assignments are all over the world, Paul has opted to work from home. But her sons miss her. Addario has taken memorable images from places like Afganistan, Iraq, Sudan and Libya, where she was kidnapped.

After having children, Addario had to convince editors to allow her to return to conflict areas. War photography is still a male-dominated field, even with so many important women in the role, from Lee Miller to Anja Niedringhaus. Indeed, the intrepid Addario is able to enter areas men can't. She finds the best stories in the most dangerous places, and will only risk her life to help civilians, wiping away tears to get the shots. On-site cameras capture all of this, and the film also explores Addario's colourful childhood, her dawning interest in photography and how she started to tell stories with pictures.

"We should never censor war," she says. "People have to understand the consequences." But in recent years, journalists have increasingly become targets, knowing that every moment might be their last. Footage here shows Addario and her colleagues survives with good humour and strong camaraderie, knowing that their work can help change how the world sees these situations. It's impossible for Addario not to get involved with the people she photographs, but she knows that telling their stories is what's important. So she is willing to compromise on her personal life, even as the guilt and anxiety are real. And this documentary becomes thoroughly involving as it captures her emotions both at home and in the field.

themes, language, violence 19.Oct.25

Megadoc: The Making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir Mike Figgis
prd Tara Li-An, James Mockoski
with Francis Ford Coppola, Mike Figgis,George Lucas, Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Eleanor Coppola
release US 19.Sep.25
25/US 1h47

VENICE FILM FEST

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This documentary is a fascinating look at the workings of a legendary filmmaker, as seen through the eyes of another established director. Mike Figgis assembles this from terrific fly-on-the-wall footage shot during the production of Megalopolis, including unusually open-handed interviews. This amazing collection of scenes explores the many aspects of a movie in a way rarely shown on-screen. And it's a wonderful portrait of icon Francis Ford Coppola.

Understandably, after working on this movie for four decades, 82-year-old Coppola is feeling excited and scared as he finally starts filming his passion project Megalopolis, an epic packed with huge ideas. To tell this monumental story, Coppola experiments with filmmaking techniques that include outrageously playful sets and complex in-camera effects. The entire cast and crew is equally involved in finding a way to put Coppola's ideas onto the screen. And Figgis has full access to the cast and crew throughout the shoot. He also intersperses scenes of a starry table read some 20 years earlier.

Coppola sold a large stake in his vineyard to finance the film and personally asked Figgis to document the production. It's unsurprising that Figgis was curious to see how someone would spend $120 million of their own money to make a movie. So the cameras are there from day 1, documenting how Coppola encourages actors to play games to discover their characters. Scenes reveal Coppola's more demanding side, especially as he is repeatedly pestered by LaBeouf's questions. And he also reminisces about how this compares to making his previous films, which offers remarkable insight into Coppola's creative process.

Peppered throughout are archival clips of Coppola from his earliest projects, revealing a dreamer who, as Lucas says, would jump off a cliff in an effort to make something extraordinary. Driver talks about how working on a Coppola set is about making art that's alive, never taking the safe route. And several wonderful behind-the-scenes moments that reveal these ideas in entertaining ways. It's clear that Coppola likes to be in the moment, instinctively moving through production based on how he is feeling. "Moviemaking isn't work, it's play," he says. "Toil gives you nothing."

themes, language 14.Sep.25

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