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On this page: DJ AHMET | A MAGNIFICENT LIFE

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 22.Mar.26

DJ Ahmet
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Georgi M Unkovski
prd Ivan Unkovski, Ivana Shekutkoska
with Arif Jakup, Agush Agushev, Dora Akan Zlatanova, Aksel Mehmet, Selpin Kerim, Elhame Bilal, Metin Ibrahim, Adem Karaga, Atila Klince, Nadzi Shaban, Din Ibrahim, Erdoan Maksut
release US Jan.25 sff,
UK 27.Mar.26
25/North Macedonia 1h39

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

Now streaming...

Set in a small Macedonian village, this offbeat comedy-drama is packed with resonant themes as it explores the collision between old-world traditions and the youthful desire for independence. Using an almost documentary style, writer-director Georgi Unkovski makes witty observations at every turn, filling the story with terrific sequences that ripple with personality, culture and artistic expression. And it further wins us over by creating superb connections between characters.

After his mother's death, 15-year-old Ahmet (Jakup) and his younger brother Naim (Agushev) maintain her memory through music, which she loved. But their stoic father (Mehmet) removes Ahmet from school to care for the family's sheep. He also insists that Naim visit a healer (Shaban) because he has stopped speaking. One night during a rave in the woods, Ahmet meets Aya (Zlatanova) a neighbour who has returned home from Germany for her arranged marriage. She loves music too, and begins practicing a rebellious dance with her friends, accompanied by Ahmet's tunes. And the villagers react.

Trouble emerges on multiple fronts, as Ahmet's father furiously makes him live with the flock after one sheep escapes then returns bright pink. And Aya's father (Kerim) has his eye on Ahmet, growing increasingly angry at his interference in the elaborate wedding plans. There's also the local muezzin (Klince), who needs the tech-savvy Ahmet to set up his computer to make the daily calls to prayer. The locals are a terrific mix of traditional folk who might not be as close-minded as they seem.

Jakup has a bright screen presence as the teen who knows that he doesn't quite fit in without his mother's help. And as he falls for Zlatanova's flirty, feisty Aya, he begins to see another way of approaching his future and protecting Agushev's wonderfully cheeky Naim, although it means standing up to his dad. Even the harsher characters have likeable qualities to them, so it's easy to get involved in their layers of interaction, rooting for a peaceful resolution.

Although things begin to get scarily violent along the way, the film continually reverts to its light-handed vibe in sequences that pulse with an engagingly earthy musicality. The plot features several mini-adventures as these young people find ways to be free from the pressures piled upon them. And there's just enough hope in the community to keep things from feeling too oppressive, even if the older generations still need to learn how to lighten up a bit.

themes, language, violence 19.Feb.26

A Magnificent Life Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

A Magnificent Life
dir-scr Sylvain Chomet
prd Aton Soumache, Ashargin Poire, Valerie Puech, Lilian Eche
voices Laurent Lafitte, Geraldine Pailhas, Thierry Garcia, Anais Petit, Vincent Fernandel, Veronique Philipponnat
English voices Matthew Gravelle, Lu Corfield, Celyn Jones, Jess Nesling, Flora Montgomery, Rory Kelleher
release Fr 15.Oct.25,
US 21.Nov.25, UK 27.Mar.26
25/France 1h31

CANNES FILM FEST

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Based on memoirs by legendary author-filmmaker Marcel Pagnol, this skilfully animated biopic gallops briskly through his story, relying heavily on dialog. Writer-director Sylvain Chomet fills the screen with inventive touches that catch the interest, covering the history of France and the development of cinema in Europe, including efforts to counter American influence. Even more interesting is the way the film depicts the workings of a curious, creative mind.

In 1956, 61-year-old Marcel is dodging a journalist who wants to interview him for Elle magazine. Hiding in his office to write, his mind drifts back to his childhood in Marseilles and work as a teacher before moving to Paris with his wife Simone. She loses patience with his aspiration to be a playwright. Then stage success feels constraining, so he turns to cinema, intrigued by possibilities of new talking pictures. And he's so successful that he builds his own studio back in Marseilles, working with his childhood friends. Then the war brings new challenges.

Beautifully rendered in colourfully detailed line-drawings, the animation cleverly depicts unexpected inspirations and constant distractions. When he starts making movies, the way various productions are depicted is fascinating, especially in the way he takes a stand against the Germans and nearly loses himself in the process. And actual clips of Pagnol's films are woven into the imagery. As the story leaps through his life, he often encounters the ghost of himself as a cheeky 12-year-old who meets others who dies along the way.

The script leaps around, never allowing much time to develop characters and leaving various events feeling rushed. Only a few figures stand out from the huge crowd of people who come in and out of Pagnol's life. And even Pagnol never becomes particularly memorable, due to his dryly methodical way of facing the world. So it's no surprise when yet another wife or girlfriend abandons him, but he does develop strong connections with his creative collaborators.

Pagnol's life traces the history of cinema itself, and it offers a powerful reminder that spectacle and gimmicks aren't enough without a script that has something to say. This film says a lot about looking back at life without regrets, and in Pagnol's case this includes his insistence on expressing his creativity through plays, movies and, after a devastating tragedy, a series of beloved autobiographical novels. Most importantly, this is a lovely reminder of how important it is to never lose the bright-eyed curiosity of our youth.

themes, language, violence 5.Mar.26

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL