The Heat of Adolescence: Exploring the Post-Colonial Tensions in Xavier Tera’s ‘The Color of the Sun’
For anyone who has navigated the treacherous, humid waters of queer adolescence, the experience is often defined by a singular, destabilizing encounter: the moment you realize you are infatuated with someone who exists in a world of effortless,…
A Reckoning with History: Lav Diaz’s Makikiraan Po and the Architecture of Colonial Trauma
In the landscape of contemporary world cinema, few figures command as much reverence—and debate—as the Filipino auteur Lav Diaz. Known for his "durational" masterpieces that often challenge the patience of even the most seasoned festival-goers,…
The Weight of Shadows: Lav Diaz’s ‘Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors’ and the Anatomy of Colonial Trauma
The landscape of contemporary Philippine cinema is often defined by its relationship with time, history, and the scars of a colonial past. At the forefront of this movement is Lav Diaz, a filmmaker whose name has become synonymous with "slow…
The Erasure of Memory: Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana and the Architecture of Colonial Indifference
Editor’s note: This review was originally published on January 23, 2026, following the film’s debut at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The film is set to open at New York City’s Film Forum on Friday, August 28, with a wider theatrical expansion to…
The Architecture of Erasure: Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana Exposes the Colonial Ghost in the Machine
Editor’s note: This review was originally published on January 23, 2026, following its premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The film is set to open at NYC’s Film Forum on Friday, August 28, with a wider theatrical expansion to follow. In the…
