Film review of Design Film Festival Singapore 2015

Next weekend are the last two days you can catch the Design Film Festival Singapore 2015. You can find out all about it on their website. On that website you can watch trailers from each and every of the movies of the festival.

My film review of Design Film Festival Singapore 2015

I went there last weekend and saw 6 movies, all in documentary style.

Here are my ratings and reviews, so that you can take them in consideration when making your movie choices for coming weekend.

1. Iris *****
   What’s not to love about this movie? Iris Apfel is such a character! And her (recently deceased) husband is a doll! This movie is filled with stories, color, art, fashion, life and a lot of humor. I already was a big fan of Iris, but after seeing this movie I simply adore her.
   

   Still from the movie Iris

2. The Salt of the Earth ****
   The talented and famous Wim Wenders as the cineast and the fascinating and brilliant photographer Sebastiao Salgado as his subject. Wow. Salgado’s pictures alone are already spectacular. What the man did all his life to make these pictures is equally impressive. And what he finally did with the land where he grew up is amazing!
   Then why did I give this movie 4 stars, compared to Iris’ 5 stars?
   Well, watching Iris is light, fun, uplifting AND interesting. At the end you wish it would last longer, that movie. The Salt of the Earth on the other hand is a loooong movie with some heavy content here and there. That’s the only reason for the difference in stars.
3. Dior and I ***
   What happens when a big haute couture house (Dior) contracts a Flamant fashion designer (Raf Simons) who has a reputation of being a minimalist? We see him -and everybody involved- working hard on realizing his first show for Dior. We get to know Raf Simons as an introvert. Not a people person. Too shy and uncomfortable for publicity and such. It’s very interesting to see what it means to go from zero to a beautiful fashion show.
4. Hand made with love in France ***
   This movie shows us some of the last artisans and small studios in Paris who do very specialized work for couturiers. Like a studio that makes pleats in fabrics. Fascinating. But these craftsmen are getting old and have no successors. Their skills may die with them. What to do? What’s happening with them?
5. Station to Station **
   The concept sounded so nice on paper: a train travels through the usa during 40 days, making stops in 10 cities along the way, transporting artists. Like musicians, dancers, performance artists, etc.
   Maybe it was a fantastic experience for the audiences along the trip, because they could choose what to see and what not. But for me the movie was a failure.
   The makers of the movie have chosen for an artificial format, cutting the movie in 60 1 minute snippets. That does not do much justice to anything or anyone participating in the project. But on top of that the filmers have chosen to show us a lot of bands and musicians that basically make…how shall I say it politely…or not…that make a lot of noise. Rubbish. Screaming, loud, grunge…
   At least, that is MY opninion.
   I was sooooo glad when the movie ended and that says enough, doesn’t it?.
6. Naoshima: Dream on the Tongue *
   This was even a bigger deception than Station to Station.
   This ‘art-island’ is on my bucket list since years. It always seemed like a fascinating place to visit one day. After seeing this movie, I am not so sure anymore.
   The movie is more about the topic of: what does mass-tourism do to a small island? What do the original inhabitants think about all that? That means that the art that is on the island, barely plays a role in the movie. That’s one. Second, the filmer has chosen for a sloooooow pace, with lots of silences, shots in which no one appears and nothing happens, rain, more rain. I guess a sort of minimalism, which came across to me as utterly boring and depressing emptiness.
   Man, that movie lasted 70 minutes, but it really felt like 7 hours. It drove me crazy.
   What did not help were the subtitles. It took me half a movie, to realize, that you had to read them from bottom to top. (My husband did not even figure that out at all, and neither of us is stupid.)

The new, revamped Capitol Building and Theatre

Last weekend the Festival took place in the recently re-opened Capitol Building and Theatre, a beautiful historic building and cinema.

There is also a new mall added: Capitol Piazza. For the high end shopper, I would say.

I have to say, that the renovation is done beautifully. The buildings are restored in their former glory in impeccable white. A new glass roof connects the parts of the building, thus creating a lot of new indoor space.

Foodie Haven

That new indoor space gives room to a number of eateries and bars. We did not have much time in between screenings, so we decided to go for quick eats and drinks in between movies in the Capitol Building.

We had dinner at Italian restaurant Equilibrium,

Restaurant Equilibrium in Capitol Building

hearty snacks at a Japanese restaurant from which I forgot the name,

cappuccino and croissants at 1933, and beers from Tap Craft Beer Bar,

In general the food and drinks were good. A bit pricey maybe. And the staff in general came across as a somewhat insecure. Maybe because it’s all quite new?

Let’s finish with a peek inside the beautiful Capitol Theatre:

Oh, and as so often, it was freezing inside the cinema. My advice: wear long trousers, socks, and bring a vest and a shawl!;-)

Next weekend however, the festival takes place in another theatre. Check out their website for all the information you need.

Have you seen any of the movies that I reviewed? What is your opinion about them?