Tatami – Presented By The Persian Film Festival

Tatami

Tatami Rating

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TATAMI is the first feature film co-directed by Iranian and Israeli filmmakers. It had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 2nd, 2023 and received very positive reviews from the critics and audience. It is currently part of the 11th Persian Film Festival, which is being held until the 11th of May 2025.

The program of the festival includes a competition in feature, documentary and short film categories where the festival jury will present the Golden Gazelle Award to the best film in each section. The festival opened in Sydney and will tour to Melbourne and Armidale. TATAMI could be called a meditation upon the possible role international sports could play in world politics. It’s co-directed by Zar Amir and Guy Nattiv.

Guy Nattiv is an Israeli who lives and works in the United States. His film Skin won an Oscar for best short film at the 91st Academy Awards, and he is one of only three Israeli directors to have won an Academy Award.

Zar Amir Ebrhimi is an Iranian and French actress, producer and director. She rose to international prominence for her performance as journalist Arezoo Rahimi in the crime thriller Holy Spider in 2022, for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and the Robert Award for Best Actress as well. In 2022, she appeared on the BBC’s 100 Women list as one of the world’s inspiring and influential women of the year.

The film follows Iranian female judoka Leila, played by Arienne Mandi, and her coach Maryam, played by co-director Zar Amir Ebrahimi, as they travel to the World Judo Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. Both Leila and her coach are initially intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. But doing so includes the possibility of an encounter with an Israeli athlete, which is something the Mullah regime of the Islamic Republic prohibits.

Midway through the competition, Leila and her coach receive repeated threats from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and drop out of the tournament. With her own and her family’s freedom at stake, Leila faces a difficult choice: feign injury and comply with the Iranian regime as her coach implores or defy them and fight for the gold.

As an analogy for the differentiation between enemies and rivals, the story paints a poignant picture. Enemies want you to die. Rivals want you to become better, so the challenge would be worthwhile. Adding to that, since TATAMI has been co-directed by an Israeli and an Iranian it is a great piece of art reflecting what life could be if we all had our heads on right. Also, the film is shown in black and white, which lends a sombre tone, without sounding preachy.

I recommend this film, and I give it a big thumbs-up. Five stars out of five for me.

The Persian Film Festival will run from 24 April to 11 May 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne, and Armidale. For session details and to book tickets to Tatami and other films, please visit https://www.persianfilmfestival.com/.

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Hysteria – A Thriller That Burns Through the Lies

Hysteria

Hysteria Rating

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The German Film Festival previewed at Palace Cinemas with the Australian première of Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s Hysteria. This 104-minute political thriller left the crowd hushed and visibly rattled on the way out. On a film set that unravels after a burned Quran is discovered, Hysteria is equal parts whodunnit, social essay, and psychological pressure cooker.

Büyükatalay wastes no time striking the match. When the sacred text is smouldering among the props, blame ricochets between the director, the star, a slippery producer and a van-load of asylum-seeker extras. Class, faith and power lines are drawn in seconds; alliances fray just as quickly. This film proves you don’t need a big budget to create tension. The tension comes from the people, not the pyrotechnics.

One of Hysteria’s thrills (and frustrations) is its refusal to hand you a neat answer. Every scene forces you to ask: whose version of events do I believe, and what does that say about me? Büyükatalay is less interested in solving the mystery than in showing how easily images of “the Other” override the human being standing before us. That makes for an unsettling watch, but it’s precisely the point. Cineuropa praised the film’s “important inquiry into the representation of migrant minorities”, even as it noted the narrative leaves viewers “confused”. Confusion about how you want the story to pan out and who turns out to be the protagonist and the antagonist.

As a 24-year-old intern, Elif Devrim Lingnau anchors the film with wide-eyed resolve that gradually hardens into fury. Refugee extra Said (Mehdi Meskar) and Director Yigit (Serkan Kaya) spar with her in tightly coiled exchanges that feel one breath away from violence. Nicolette Krebitz steals scenes as a calculating producer who knows exactly how far an image can travel once uploaded. The casting is strong, there are no weak links.

The use of close-ups in Hysteria traps the audience inside green-screen warehouses and cramped caravans. The pacing is fast; the 104 minutes fly by. Cinematographer Julian Krubasik ensures we feel connected to every character in every shot.

This film may leave you feeling cold if you love films that end all tied up neatly with a little bow. Hysteria is a must-see for viewers who relish cinema that sends them out into the foyer to debate morality, identity, and media manipulation. Behind every flame lies a darker truth.

Büyükatalay’s sophomore feature doesn’t just hold up a mirror; it shatters it, then asks us to pick up the shards and see which reflection we choose. Catch it while the German Film Festival programme runs nationwide, and check session times via the Palace Cinemas website. Take a friend; you’ll need someone to argue with on the tram ride home.

The HSBC German Film Festival presented by Palace runs from 2 May – 21 May, in association with German Films. In 2025, the festival will showcase the best contemporary German cinema direct from major festivals in Europe, plus a selection from its German-speaking neighbours, Austria and Switzerland.

To book tickets to Hysteria, or for date and session information for any other films in the festival, please visit https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.

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Yeah Nah Pavlova: The Laughs Keep Coming

Yeah Na Pavlova

Yeah Nah Pavlova Rating

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As the audience arrive into the cosy yet intimate venue that is Club Voltaire in North Melbourne, we are handed an ANZAC biscuit and asked to pick a side. Who invented the pavlova is the ultimate question.

Comedy duo Loud Jess (Jess Loudon) and Sandra Pace are immediately likeable, and the show hasn’t even started.

For one hour, they cover everything from politics to men, moving to New Zealand, rugby and the friendship between the two nations.

The main theme tying this show together is the age-old question: Who invented the Pavlova?

With audience participation that makes the show engaging, the duo are quick with their retorts, snappy one-liners, and they bounce off each other with incredible energy.

The women have great banter with each other, reminiscent of a young Gina Riley and Jane Turner ( Kath and Kim), and they’re incredibly comfortable in front of an audience. There’s no forced interactions, these two are naturally funny.

The show is dotted with dark humour. The subject of politics is candidly explored, and they look back on the era of Covid lockdowns, amongst other things, while talking about their lives in New Zealand – affectionately known as ‘ Across the ditch’.

The two have great energy, which is important in any comedy duo, but having a strong theme helps to tie the show all together, so it’s not just two loud girls rambling. It’s thought out, well-written and leaves just enough breathing room for improv and unplanned moments.

As for whether pavlova was invented in New Zealand or Australia, not to give away the ending, but we do get an answer as promised.

The comedy festival is wrapping up for another season, and before it goes, make sure to get down and have a laugh with Sandra and Jess. Their show is an hour of light-hearted comedy that never takes itself too seriously and is a refreshing reminder on why Australians and Kiwis love to give each other a hard time.

Yeah Nah Pavlova will be showing until April 20 at Club Voltaire in North Melbourne.

To book tickets to Yeah Nah Pavlova, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/yeah-nah-pavlova/.

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Maren May reads between no lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines Rating

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On a Monday night at Tasma Terrace, the after-work crowd could be seen getting ready for a night of comedy and laughs.

German comedian Maren May immediately captured the audience’s attention by introducing herself as the ‘unsure German’ – a character she has been told she plays very well (maybe….. because she isn’t playing a character at all, but just being herself). Reflecting on her most recent comedy shows, she was told by an audience member that he could offer her a free autism diagnosis as he was a psychiatrist.

Thus, set up the central premise of “reading between no lines”. May recounts pondering for days what is meant when a relative says to her “that’s a summery dress” at a wedding, before realising the relative meant that the dress wasn’t appropriate for a church. Later, she asks ChatGPT what this could possibly mean. The audience cracks up, agreeing with May – why can’t people just say what they actually mean?

May cleverly noted that although when navigating everyday life, she felt as though she was missing a script that everyone else had, she liked stand-up comedy as it meant she had a script to go off.

Throughout the show, May reflected on her family, love life, job, and interests with an endearing and joyful spin on even the most awkward stories. Her delightfully literal interpretations and neurodivergent lens were not only hilarious but refreshingly honest. Her stories touched on a cheating ex-boyfriend, an awkward date that felt like a scene straight out of Seinfeld, and weird habits her family has.

There was something uniquely charming about how May navigated her world— overthinking eye contact, and uploading her diary entries to Chat GPT (it’s less awkward than confiding in a therapist, who you may run into in person – whereas “ChatGPT doesn’t even own a bike!”). With just the right mix of awkwardness, wit, and heart, May’s set felt both deeply personal and universally relatable.

May delivered an audience-engaging set of observant and witty jokes, with clever call backs to earlier stories that tied in well together (such as mishearing the lyrics to the classic ABBA song Dancing Queen – “why are you kicking her?”). The show finished with a surprise guest appearance by someone we all know – ChatGPT.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Maren May delivered a delightful night of witty anecdotes and laugh-out-loud jokes. Make sure to check out this show and check out the many other comedians performing during the festival.

To book tickets to Maren May Reads Between No Lines, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/maren-may-reads-between-no-lines/.

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