From May 31 through June 9, the 27th annual Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) shared a diverse lineup of stories from all around the world. The theme was immersion: immersion into different cultures, unpopular perspectives, and fictional worlds that echo our own. The lineup spits in the face of those who see cinema as mere escapism, and forces viewers to consider hard truths about faith, love, and resistance to oppression. Beyond the rich wealth of stories, the independent film festival introduced an advertising campaign bringing “real art” to life through a movie, further proving cinema as the art form for expression.
After a busy week watching all 12 “narrative feature” films in the BFF’s lineup, here are the standouts that not only embodied the festival’s themes, but also used the medium of film to its full potential.
Atikamekw Suns by Chloé Leriche
“Il y a pas eu d'autopsie.” (There was no autopsy.)
Atikamekw Suns is devastatingly beautiful, following the true, tragic story of five young people from the Atikamekw First Nation community of Quebec who were found dead in a truck in a river. Two white Quebeckers survived what the police branded as an accident. To this day, the case is unsolved. Similar to Killers of the Flower Moon, Atikamekw Suns highlights institutional racism and the failure of the justice system—or, perhaps, a broken justice system that was never meant to protect Indigenous communities.
Director Chloé Leriche spent seven years creating the film and puts the Atikamekw community at the forefront. The families of the five victims are present in front of and behind the camera, with most actors in the film holding some sort of relationship to the victims. In a Q&A session, Leriche said she worked with the surviving families through interviews and “creative writing exercises” to respectfully and spiritually connect the victims and their families to the story.
Atikamekw Suns was one of the hardest movies to watch, but its painful beauty made it worth it. Through poetry, surrealist natural shots, and a haunting soundtrack, the film captures a wide range of grief and righteous anger, acted by those who still suffer from the same injustices that caused this pain almost 50 years ago.
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts by Shaun Seneviratne
“We had a beginning and an end.” “Nothing in the middle.”
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts follows Ben's journey to Sri Lanka to meet his longtime girlfriend, Suzanne, an American NGO worker. They don’t get the relaxing vacation they hoped for, however, as Suzanne’s boss asks her to work, leading to a struggle to balance desire and intimacy over responsibility and growth. As someone who’s never been in a romantic relationship, I’m sure there are parts of Ben and Suzanne that I’m missing. It’s incredibly funny and deeply human, reaching a level of authenticity that’s difficult to emulate outside of motion pictures. Ben and Suzanne brings together fresh dialogue, realistic acting, and French New Wave–style shots to create a work of art relatable to all.
It’s difficult to believe that this is Shaun Seneviratne’s debut feature. After watching the film, I learned that Seneviratne had created three short films following Ben and Suzanne’s relationship through the different stages of long–distance. By the time you reach Ben and Suzanne, conflict becomes almost inevitable, and I would go so far as to describe the film as a “breakup rom–com.” It’s a technically beautiful film, filmed on digital and 16mm film with long shots that allow the tension to build.
I connected most with one of the more hidden aspects of the film. Because of Ben’s Indian heritage, people continually assume he can speak the local language and knows the traditions. However, it’s his white girlfriend, Suzanne, who has truly found her home in Sri Lanka, creating a sense of alienation in both. These themes are rarely directly discussed, with the script choosing to focus more on the innate tension of a long–distance relationship. Even if you’re not a fan of rom–coms—like myself—this film’s balance between the awkward and the endearing makes it a wonderful watch.
Chaperone by Zoë Eisenberg
“Is that maturity or the moronic optimism of youth?”
Directed by Zoë Eisenberg, Chaperone is a romantic drama that’s nothing like the previous film. The story focuses on Misha, an aimless 29–year–old who falls into a romantic relationship with Jake, an 18–year–old high school track star. It’s not an illegal arrangement per se, but it allows for an uncomfortable watch and doesn’t shy away from the ethical dilemma.
Misha is a relatable protagonist—though maybe not for those who enjoy the cutthroat pre–professional Penn culture. She has no ambitions and is content with mundanity, working her low–stress job and lazing around her house with her cat. Chaperone is an overdue coming–of–age. The film asks audiences to judge Misha, a character who is constantly judged for either not doing anything, or taking a crazy risk. Despite the judgment, the director successfully shares both empathy and consequences.
Set in Hawai’i and featuring an all–Hawaiian cast, Chaperone pushes boundaries while delivering representation without tokenism or stereotypes—unlike the controversial May December. Laird Akeo, who plays Jake in the film, said it was important to him that his cultures were well–represented and not fetishized. Eisenberg flourishes, delivering a genuine portrayal of Hawai’i and its people. For those who want to experience the catharsis of a Shakespearean tragedy, Chaperone is the film for you.
Ovid, New York by Vito Rowlands
“Let me guess, not a happy ending?”
Ovid, New York, the festival’s closing film, made me truly understand why film is not just a medium to access art, but an independent form of art. A collection of seven stories, the film poetically reimagines Metamorphoses. It follows a lonely hunter stalking snow–covered mountains, a beautiful and vengeful actress, playful statues in the leaves, a poetically distressed demigod, an entomologist who might’ve met her match, a vacuum salesman haunted by his motel room, and two ferrymen guarding the underworld. Each tale is a different genre, a different season, and a different work of art.
Directed by New York University assistant professor Vito Rowlands, the experimental film was shot on expired 35mm Agfa film from the ‘90s. It’s visually stunning and surreal, and the expired film brings out unique reds and blues that add to the timeless yet modern myth. It was mainly filmed in New York, showcasing the vast natural landscapes throughout the state.
Rowlands loves Ovid’s Metamorphoses. He creates audiovisual poetry that’s immersive and magical. The characters are complex and flawed, and the mythological aspect is enhanced through bugs, animals, and statues that the gods communicate through. Fantastical and violent, Ovid, New York is a whole universe.
