Director / Writer Dana Ziyasheva Talks About 'Defenders of Life'
Director Dana Ziyasheva made her directorial debut, 'Defenders of Life' which focuses on the Ngäbe community, and the hardships Ngäbe girls faced in Costa Rica.

This short film by Frank Eidlitz shows a snippet of Australian artist Brett Whiteley at home with his wife Wendy and daughter Arkie. It was likely filmed in late 1966 or early 1967, before the Whiteleys moved to New York in late 1967. The film shows the artist and his family at home in the evening, reading the newspaper and watching television. Whiteley’s paintings line the walls of the living space, including ‘Fidgeting with Infinity’ (1966), a large triptych painting that dominates the space.
Director Dana Ziyasheva made her directorial debut, 'Defenders of Life' which focuses on the Ngäbe community, and the hardships Ngäbe girls faced in Costa Rica.
The Conjuring: The Last Rites delivers a thrilling mix of scares and heart. From the axe-wielding ghost to the Warrens’ emotional farewell, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga shine. Fans get a chilling, atmospheric conclusion that’s worth watching in theaters.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes on the heels of its billion-dollar grossing predecessor, and seeks to do absolutely nothing other than repeat its success. In this, the film is eminently effective. If you have seen the previous film, you can expect something extremely similar in this package. That is, a barrage of references to Nintendo intellectual property wrapped in a plot that provides the thinnest layer of emotional payoff for the characters.
Remakes. Reboots. Reinventions. Redundancy. It's the common practice in Hollywood of late, sometimes offering us victorious reimagining of what can be considered cinematic classics while also, more often, falling flat on their UN-imaginative faces in utter defeat and lackluster results. Admittedly, with this in mind, I went into the newest incarnation of "The War of the Roses" with typical trepidation and cautious optimism.
The film's storylines read as allegories for the queer experience and that's a source of solace for LGBTQIA+ fans!
Praising Black representation and condemning the power structures that suppress it, a mother delivers an impassioned speech to her distant son.