On a chance encounter, a disenchanted architect bumps into his long-lost elephant on the streets of Bangkok. Excited, he takes his elephant on a journey across Thailand, in search of the farm where they grew up together.
Truck driver Barry is forced to accept a new co-driver, the Dutch Moroccan Sadiq. During their international ride, the tension rises high in the cabin. Does a special friendship arise here or does it lead to an ultimate confrontation?
Director:
Danyael Sugawara
Stars:
Guido Pollemans,
Majd Mardo,
Sophie Höppener
When a traveling soap salesman arrives in a desolate Chinese town, a crime occurs, and sets the strange residents against each other with tragicomic results.
In a small seaside town, two schoolgirls are sexually assaulted by a middle-aged man in a motel. Mia, a teenager who was working on reception that night, is the only witness. For fear of losing her job, she chooses to keep silence.
When Kelly is released from prison, her sister Samantha tries hard to keep her on the right track. But then Kelly's ex-boyfriend Eddy gets back into her life.
Director:
Stanley Kolk
Stars:
Jennifer Welts,
Esmée van Kampen,
Fred Goessens
They go from town to town, a big top on their backs, their show over their shoulder. They bring dreams and disorder to our lives. They are ogres, giants. They've devoured the theater and ... See full summary »
Director:
Léa Fehner
Stars:
François Fehner,
Marion Bouvarel,
Marc Barbé
Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her ... See full summary »
Havin, the young wife of Kurdish shepherd Zagros, is being accused of adultery. She flees with their daughter Rayhan from Kurdistan to Brussels. Zagros is convinced of her innocence, leaves his family to start a new life.
Director:
Sahim Omar Kalifa
Stars:
Maaike Neuville,
Feyyaz Duman,
Janne Desmet
After 58 years of Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive Oyl, they've all decided to finally settle down and start families. Popeye and Olive got married and had a son who hates spinach. ... See full summary »
A sturdy flight attendant has to deliver a child in mid-air and gets involved in a confusing mother/lover relationship with a boy who's living under the streets of Bucharest.
Director:
Jaap van Heusden
Stars:
Maria Kraakman,
Bogdan Iancu,
Ellis van den Brink
On a chance encounter, a disenchanted architect bumps into his long-lost elephant on the streets of Bangkok. Excited, he takes his elephant on a journey across Thailand, in search of the farm where they grew up together.
I have had the chance of seeing this film at 2019 Ankara International Film Festival. The plot offered in the festival pamphlets motivated me into buying tickets for it despite being a complete stranger to the cast & crew and pretty much every other component that made this film possible.
Pop Aye offers its audience the journey of an elephant and a man who experiences various disappointments and a general sense of unhappiness at work and home and becomes sort of weary of everything that shapes his life. I will not disclose the nature of their relationship here, in order to avoid any possible spoilers and because of the fact that I believe what makes you enjoy the film is to discover it yourself as you watch it. Suffice it to say that the man holds the elephant very dear to his heart and I believe, that was the magic of the movie. The interaction between the two, how they witnessed each other's sufferings (physically and mentally) and how they came across very different people with different stories who suffer in various (but somehow similar) ways were the defining features of the film.
Defining this movie as such might make one think that it is sort of a cliche, but it really wasn't and that was the success of the film. I appreciated Kirsten Tan's writing and unique perspective in that sense. Especially, the way she paid attention to the stories told by diverse people was commendable. A road movie is supposed to show different journeys of different people, crossroads and comebacks. Pop Aye, although not to the point of perfection, managed to pull this off.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
I have had the chance of seeing this film at 2019 Ankara International Film Festival. The plot offered in the festival pamphlets motivated me into buying tickets for it despite being a complete stranger to the cast & crew and pretty much every other component that made this film possible.
Pop Aye offers its audience the journey of an elephant and a man who experiences various disappointments and a general sense of unhappiness at work and home and becomes sort of weary of everything that shapes his life. I will not disclose the nature of their relationship here, in order to avoid any possible spoilers and because of the fact that I believe what makes you enjoy the film is to discover it yourself as you watch it. Suffice it to say that the man holds the elephant very dear to his heart and I believe, that was the magic of the movie. The interaction between the two, how they witnessed each other's sufferings (physically and mentally) and how they came across very different people with different stories who suffer in various (but somehow similar) ways were the defining features of the film.
Defining this movie as such might make one think that it is sort of a cliche, but it really wasn't and that was the success of the film. I appreciated Kirsten Tan's writing and unique perspective in that sense. Especially, the way she paid attention to the stories told by diverse people was commendable. A road movie is supposed to show different journeys of different people, crossroads and comebacks. Pop Aye, although not to the point of perfection, managed to pull this off.