Abdul Latif

Latif is a film enthusiast from Bogor, Indonesia. He is especially interested in documentaries and international cinema, and started his film review blog in 2017. Every year, Latif covers the Berlinale, Cannes and Venice, and he frequently attends festivals in his home country (Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival, Jakarta Film Week, Sundance Asia,…).

Cannes 2025

Abdul LatifMay 21, 2025

Cannes 2025 (Critics’ Week): Nino (dir. Pauline Loquès) | Review

Théodore Pellerin delivers a remarkable performance as Nino, raggedly heartbreaking as a character whose life is shattered in Pauline Loquès’…
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Cannes 2025

Abdul LatifMay 17, 2025

Cannes 2025 (Directors’ Fortnight): Death Does Not Exist (dir. Félix Dufour-Laperrière) | Review

Félix Dufour-Laperrière finds beauty in resistance and identity in his haunting yet deeply hopeful animated film "Death Does Not Exist"…
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Spotlight: Middle Eastern Filmmakers

Abdul LatifFebruary 16, 2025

Sundance 2025: The Things You Kill (dir. Alireza Khatami) | Review

Family drama turns into a body-swap mystery thriller in Iranian filmmaker Alireza Khatami’s Turkey-set "The Things You Kill" ("Öldürdüğün Şeyler")—one…
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Sundance 2025

Abdul LatifJanuary 26, 2025

Sundance 2025: Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites (dir. Chheangkea) | Review

"Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites," directed by Cambodian filmmaker Chheangkea, takes a look at an interesting, multifaceted character and encourages…
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Sundance 2025

Abdul LatifJanuary 22, 2025

10 Short Films to Watch at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

The documentary, created by a collective of filmmakers, centers on five people who reenact their stories of survival after fleeing…
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Spotlight: Documentary

Abdul LatifJanuary 7, 2025

Sundance 2025: Poster and First Clips for World Cinema Documentary Contender “Khartoum”

The documentary, created by a collective of filmmakers, centers on five people who reenact their stories of survival after fleeing…
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IDFA 2024

Abdul LatifDecember 8, 2024

IDFA 2024: Light Memories (dir. Misha Vallejo Prut) | Review

Photographer-turned-filmmaker Misha Vallejo Prut debuted with a rich, handsomely crafted documentary that probes his family legacy, centered around an absent…
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Singapore IFF 2024

Abdul LatifDecember 7, 2024

Singapore IFF 2024: Mantra of Neon (dir. Palita Chairit) | Review

In this mysterious short film, "Mantra of Neon," Palita Chairit takes us to a small Thai village where the inhabitants…
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IDFA 2024

Abdul LatifNovember 19, 2024

IDFA 2024: Bloodline (dir. Wojciech Węglarz) | Review

Taking on the Polish-Belarusian border conflict from a different perspective, Wojciech Węglarz's short documentary "Bloodline" is a meditative exploration of…
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IDFA 2024

Abdul LatifNovember 18, 2024

IDFA 2024: The Guest (dirs. Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Zuzanna Solakiewicz) | Review

Collaborating filmmakers Zvika Gregory Portnoy and Zuzanna Solakiewicz present a haunting and intense documentary on the Polish-Belarusian border conflict with…
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