The Big Picture MagazineChelsea Zhao is a staff writer for the Dominican Star and an avid consumer of foreign films. She appreciates the cultural context of cinema and enjoys learning languages through the original works of diverse filmmakers.
Artistic cinematography and a devoted biographical approach characterize Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016). With plot-driven tri-part divisions, Moonlight poetically chronicles the growth and maturity of identity searching as a boy matures into a man. It is a memorable film with few words, a collage of characters scarred by social misfortunes, and a message of hope that is […]
Weaving horror techniques with philosophical undertones, Cube (1997) navigates the dark recesses of humanity in a mechanical enigma. In a bright start for his career, Vincenzo Natali co-wrote and directed the movie while still a student in film school. It is perhaps due to this creative freedom – and a low budget – that a […]
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018), a coming-of-age film with a focus on queer identity, offers a new perspective of teenage sexuality with a religious undertone. In a realistic style, director Desiree Akhavan explores the intricacies of growing up in the cruelty of a conformist reality. It is a narrative and a victory song as […]
A good movie makes one nostalgic without a reason to and a memorable one adds a glint of value in the landscape of our lives. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood created just that for thousands of kids in the early 60s to early 2000s. Many documentaries and stories have retold the works of Fred Rogers, the charismatic […]