SXSW - PART 2

Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 26/03/2021

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all well. This week I’m sharing the second part of my favorite films and musicians from SXSW Online.

SXSW Online was an amazing experience for me. it was my first time covering the festival and I loved it. It was really cool to have the chance to meet people from around the world in a digital space. I’m sure that it would be better if I could actually go to Austin and meet all these people in person. But the festival organizers came up with amazing ways to make connecting and engaging with other festival-goers very easy. We had live chats, shared XR experiences, Zoom MeetUps, AMAs, Clubhouse, and other social media channels to watch, listen and celebrate tremendous creativity and talent.

SHORT FILMS

REKLAW

A team of altruistic vigilantes destroys evidence to keep as many people from prison as possible. But when one of their crime scene clean-ups is revisited by the killer, the strength of their convictions is tested.

I really enjoyed REKLAW It has sophisticated storytelling, amazing performances from the entire cast and it is very well shot. As soon as it finished I wanted to see more. A feature or a series based on this short would be amazing.

MARVIN’S NEVER HAD COFFEE BEFORE

Marvin Wexler is lonely. When he realizes his co-workers all love coffee while he’s never even tried it, he vows to be a coffee aficionado before their next meeting.

This film is a refreshing and hilarious story of one man’s journey to connect with other people in the COVID era. Very awkward at times but also totally sweet. The film was done with so much playfulness and I had a great time watching it. I’m excited to see what the director, Andrew Carter, will do next.

NUEVO RICO

NUEVO RICO is unlike anything the animation world has seen before. It’s a Latinx-Futurism film that expresses something singular about who we are and where we’re going. A graphically bold, distinctly trippy animated short.

The film aims to decolonize and builds a path towards narratives that give nuance and breath to our experiences. It’s also a really cool look into the world of reggaeton which I didn’t know much about and it was exciting to explore it.

DOCUMENTARY

THE OXY KINGPINS

This documentary covers the untold story of how a network of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers worked together to orchestrate and perpetuate the opioid crisis that has killed over half a million people in America.

This is a really important topic and the director Brendan Fitzgerald tells this story through two different perspectives; Alex Dimattio, a former OxyContin dealer who speaks to us after spending eight years in jail for dealing. And Mike Papantonio, a tough-fighting attorney who corresponds with Domattio while prepping a racketeering and conspiracy lawsuit against Big Pharma.

THE OXY KINGPINS is eye-opening and sometimes sickening! America’s opioid epidemic has killed 700,000 people over the last two decades, resulting in jail time for thousands of drug dealers, hundreds of pharmacists, and yet not a single executive from the pharmaceutical corporations truly responsible.

FEATURE FILM

LANGUAGE LESSONS

This film starring the lovely Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass is so sweet. An honest portrayal of human connection. And it succeeds where other pandemic films have failed—in part because it has absolutely nothing to do with COVID-19.

The push and pull between the two characters over a series of video calls feels real. They argue they makeup, they learn each other’s triggers and embarrassing moments. You might expect the film’s format to tire viewers, especially after they’ve participated in so many Zoom meetings in the real world, but Morales and Duplass’s effortless chemistry makes it easy to forget you’re watching a series of video calls. Through their partially improvised performances, the two breathe life into a format that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of set design or visuals.

So much of LANGUAGE LESSONS subverts expectations: it’s a pandemic movie with no ties to the pandemic, and a rom-com that’s entirely, wonderfully platonic. Without any bells and whistles, the connection between its two characters lets the story shine. The end result is a simple film, but one with a lot of heart.

TOP 5 SONGS

These were my favorite 5 songs from musicians that took part in the SXSW online 2021. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube

1 - MEMES - SO WHAT

2 - Data Animal - Bad M.F

3 - Ruido Rosa - Miedo A Caer

4 - Say Sue Me - Old Town 

5 - Afro Cluster - The Reach (Radio Edit)