Award season may have come to a close but with directors like Alice Rohrwacher and actors like Sydney Sweeney still hitting the big screens, there’s still plenty to be absorbed by. Here’s a roundup of some of April’s exciting releases:
La Chimera
(D: Alice Rohrwacher, 2023)
An auteur of contemporary Italian cinema, Alice Rohrwacher returns with La Chimera, a wild, flamboyant and magically surreal odyssey. The film follows Arthur (Josh O’Connor), an archaeologist who finds himself pulled into the underground world of tomb-raiding and grave-digging in search of the sought-after artefacts of the Etruscan civilization. Rohrwacher’s textured, dreamy style is on full display as this layered piece of work takes us on an otherworldly trip through the past and into the present, exploring how they connect and haunt one another. The film is a powerful, unforgettable excavation of ghosts and memory.
- Starts Apr 11, details.
Immaculate
(D: Michael Mohan, 2024)
Nuns shown through the subverted gaze of the horror genre? There is never a moment when I don’t have time for this particular type of cinema! Here we have the devoutly religious Cecilia (played by newly initiated A-lister Sydney Sweeney), who moves to a convent in rural Italy to pursue her religious practice. Things quickly turn dark and strange, and secrets from underneath the convent grounds and between its walls are unearthed to test Cecilia (and scare the audience). A crowd-pleasing and fun genre film.
- Starts Apr 4, details.
Terrestrial Verses
(D: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami, 2024)
An immersive and stylistic film, Terrestrial Verses uses a versatile array of filmmaking techniques to investigate the powers at work in Iran, where the film is based. The filmmakers worked in secret, and the film puts into perspective the domineering way the state rules over its people. It’s artfully told, and features beautiful cinematography as well as powerful vignettes exposing the strength and hope of people’s spirits.
- Starts Apr 11, details.
