ARTE (France): 3

Pasolini (2014) is an internationally co-produced drama, directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Maurizio Braucci, that delves into the final days of Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. At fifty-three years old, Pasolini lives in the chaotic Rome of the 1970s. He has recently wrapped up filming his controversial piece, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, which has sparked outrage among critics and viewers alike. The public’s disapproval towards Pasolini’s homosexuality and his bold approach to showcasing reality only grows stronger. As he prepares to ...

The Silence (2010) is a German thriller film directed by Baran bo Odar, adapted from the novel of the same name by Jan Costin Wagner. In summer 1986, Pia, an 11-year-old schoolgirl, was killed in a wheat field near a small provincial German town. One man carried out the murder while another watched silently from his passenger seat. The victim’s body was then placed in the trunk of a red car while her bicycle was left behind. Fast forward to 2009, when 13-year-old Sinikka Weghamm disappears from the local fair and her bicycle is found in the same location as ...

The Lives of Others (2006) is a German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, marking his debut as a feature film director. Set in 1984 East Germany, the film follows Stasi agent Gerd Wiesler, also known as HGW XX/7, as he carries out the order from his superior Anton Grubitz to spy on playwright Georg Dreyman. Despite Dreyman’s reputation as a pro-communist figure with international recognition, there is no evidence of disloyalty or dissent in his past. Wiesler and his team bug Dreyman’s apartment and report their findings to Minister of Culture Bruno Hempf, who has targeted ...