'Young Royals' Review
'Young Royals' is a great example of positive gay representation in its two main protagonists, but the supporting characters are often frustratingly selfish.

Haibat and six of her grandchildren are making furnaces (tandoor ovens) under the burning sunlight of Kirkuk, but they don't have any bread to eat themselves! Haibat's son became depressed and died due to poverty and lack of employment. While her city is one of the biggest sources of oil worldwide, Haibat and her six grandchildren are trying to make ends meet in this city of oil. This vicious circle goes around.
'Young Royals' is a great example of positive gay representation in its two main protagonists, but the supporting characters are often frustratingly selfish.
Elio could be seen as fantastic piece of representation, showing lonely children who feel ostracized that they are not alone. That is, unless you look behind the curtain.
"A Drowning Man" (2017) explores the unseen aspects of the Refugee Crisis. In, 15 far-too-short minutes, viewers are given a detailed snapshot of what it's like for a refugee to drown in the waters of poverty and otherness while trying to navigate a land whose promise has worn off, and only 'strange' remains.
Haven't you heard? There's a new horror subgenre: cerebral gore, that's probably been around for decades and we're now just starting to talk about it.
A sweet slice-of-life anime that visualizes all the ways we creatively hide our vulnerabilities from the world.
'Midnight at the Paradise' premieres tomorrow at Toronto's Paradise Theatre! I had the pleasure to sit down with Vanessa Matsui to discuss the making of this film.