Luke Y. Thompson

Nicola Rose talks about creating an unusual romance hybrid film in GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

In the Russian ballet Petrushka, a Punch-like figure pines for a ballerina who rejects him, and gets killed in a duel. The combination of longing and presumed-crazy ambition imbues Nicola Rose’s Goodbye Petrushka, in which impulsive, puppet-making film student Claire (Lizzie Kehoe) impulsively quits school to go to France, where she longs to study more serious puppetry…and the handsome, recently retired figure skater Thibaut (Thomas Vieljeux) she ran into in New York before they both left.

As Claire attempts to navigate a new life as an au pair, she tries to coax Thibaut into making a skating puppet ballet with her. But her culture shock and his girlfriend just might stand in the way.

Alex Liu’s A SEXPLANATION goes to places pleasantly and informatively in a way that you wouldn’t expect when we talk about sex

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

Beginning and ending with his Catholic parents, who chuckle like Beavis and Butt-head when the subject turns to their own sex life, Liu tests the theoretical carnal knowledge of his family and friends. He then converses with many experts, self-professed and otherwise. From scientists who do MRI scans of orgasms to sex advice hotline staffers, Utah Republicans, to a surprisingly liberal Catholic priest, some perspectives may seem predictable, but most offer some level of surprise, and all maintain a level of civility one might not expect, if one is regularly on social media.

Ham Tran’s MAIKA is a surprising and very entertaining spin on the alien and child buddy movie

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

With strong music cues, simplistic villains, extremely broad acting, and a fairly simple story, Maika might be an insufferable movie if it were made by an American studio. (There is an English dub, which I’d be afraid to watch.) What helps make it compelling is to see the same beats of something like E.T. filtered through a different culture (or two, if you count the source material). When the kids make Home Alone-style improvised weapons to fight the villains, for example, one of their schemes is to repeatedly slap people in the face with kimchi.

Oualid Mouaness’ 1982 provides a snapshot of Lebanon through a child’s eyes processing a landscape beset by war and the threat of it

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

The title 1982 has specific meaning in Lebanese history, but it also serves as a reminder that this is a period piece. Because aside from one kid obsessed with his Walkman and cassette collection, nothing about the movie feels dated. Calculator watches may be confiscated instead of cell phones, but otherwise this could be a tale of Ukraine today, or an American act of terrorism tomorrow.

Gareth Kelly introduces us to the exhilarating life and skill of a groundbreaking yacht racing photographer in FRESH TO FRIGHTENING: THE SHARON GREEN STORY

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

With the music we tried to stay true to both Sharon’s persona as well as match the drama of what she is doing. Sharon is such a gentle, bubbly character we didn’t want the music to overpower her. That said, you will notice in both the on-the-water race start sequence and the in-the-air helicopter sequence we decided to kick things up a bit to highlight the drama and the action.

Jamie Meltzer captures the beauty and heartache of artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg’s COVID-inspired art installation in NOT EVEN FOR A MOMENT DO THINGS STAND STILL

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

Each day, walking through those flags, one saw the many hues of humanity. Visitors came from across the nation, even Alaska and Hawaii…and other countries.  Some came in the first-class cabin, others on a Greyhound bus. As I archive the 20,000 dedicated flags, I find flags dedicated in an array of languages and an array of sentiments. Their commonality lies in loss.