Blood & Gold
World War II is coming to a close, private Heinrich (Robert Maaser) has deserted his SS platoon. They leave him hanging from a tree as punishment, but is saved by Elsa, a farmer. The SS soldiers arrive at Sonnenberg, threatening to kill the villagers if they don’t reveal where the gold belonging to a Jewish family is hidden. Heinrich and Elsa, with help from a couple of villagers, decide to take them on. As the title suggests, there’s plenty of blood and gore in this action-packed German film. (Netflix)
Anubhav Sinha’s black-and-white film spotlights the plight of migrant workers who were forced to make their way home when the covid-induced nationwide lockdown was announced in 2020. The references to some of the early covid protocols and the misinformation, which spread like wildfire through WhatsApp groups, seems almost like a dark comedy now. Starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar. (Netflix)
In a mining town in Russia, a young woman named Ada (Milana Aguzarova) lives under the thumb of her domineering father. When her father falls ill, she sees a faint chance of escape. Kira Kovalenko’s heart-pounding film won the Un Certain Regard award at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. (MUBI)
Set in the 1960s in rural Mexico, Georgina runs the Malinalli Tepenepatl Public School from a railway wagon. Her students come from impoverished families. Ten-year-old Ikal is new in town and Georgina convinces his railroad worker father to send him to school. The film follows Ikal and the three students and a dog, Quetzal, he befriends. It’s a simple yet sentimental tale of childhood and how a good teacher can make a difference. (Netflix)
