Reshna, a student in the Netherlands, visits her sick father in Suriname. When her family tells her what made her father ill and that it has to do with his past on plantation Mariënburg, she sets out to investigate. She finds out more and more and through flashbacks, the 1902 uprising is shown. Poor Hindustani and Javanese farmers were put to work on the plantation but were very poorly paid, and after a new Scottish director took office for the NHM (Dutch Trading Company) who abused and intimidated the farmers' wives, a decision to strike was made in July 1902. After the society used violence that left dozens dead, rebellion broke out.
This surprisingly clever romantic comedy perfectly balances genuine heart with wild reality television chaos. It is an uplifting and funny reminder that second chances and real community can show up exactly when you stop looking for them.
Alongside A Drowning Man, I Signed The Petition, 3 Logical Exits, and A World Not Ours, A Man Returned continues to paint a realistic portrait of the Refugee Crisis that eschews the Western gaze and stereotype. These are real portraits painted by a director with lived experience, cultural connection and an amazing eye for visuals.
Disney has a glaring and, up until recently, unaddressed issue that spans nearly its entire lifetime - an absence of diversity.
I hadn’t heard of it either until recently—and yet, it’s one of the highest grossing movies of all time.
"WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?!!!!" "EVERYTHING!!!!!" This is but one of a multitude of highly emphatic questions, and subsequent answers, being asked in the newest feature film from one of the current masters of horror, Jordan Peele ("Get Out", "Us" and "Nope"). I must give Peele credit in that he continues to push the boundaries of specific genres and their associated tropes in order to provide what ends up amounting to subtly then jarringly intense, yet still character and story-driven, cinema that speaks more to indie stylings than mainstream.
Whether you like cinema classics, sketch comedy, or science fiction, HBO Max has something for you! Check out our top picks for diversity and representation.
