FILMS from AFAR

“Being a woman is beautiful,” says one of the elderly narrators of Costa Rica’s entry for the International Oscar, Memories of a Burning Body . “But there’s also an ugly side to it: you’re always vulnerable.” Judging by this year’s leading contenders for the International Oscar, the feeling is global. Countries around the world submitted women-centered stories for the non-English-language Oscar category this year, with female protagonists finding themselves in disadvantaged s

As a woman in one of the 22 short films in Palestine’s International Oscar entry, From Ground Zero , says, the loved ones lost in the ongoing war in Gaza are at risk of becoming “just numbers.” This film aims to resist that happening. But it also aims to go beyond stories of human suffering, according to producer Rashid Masharawi, who conceived of, organized and financed the anthology. On the one hand, he notes, the film intends to “document what’s going on.” On the other han

Costa Rican director Antonella Sudasassi spent two and a half years talking with older women for her film Memories of a Burning Body (Memorias de un Cuerpo que Arde) , Costa Rica’s submission for the International Oscar. “In the beginning, I was looking for a specific kind of woman,” she says. “I was looking for someone more traditional, who got married, had kids, always lived with her husband and eventually died or divorced or whatever.” “I also looked for someone who was m

Work-life balance may be a multimillion-dollar industry, but it's not a new concept. Experts say it's also achievable. Read the full...

Could the 4-Day Workweek Be the Answer to Finding Work-Life Balance? Change doesn’t come quickly, but there’s a rising movement to make...

Spain is having a moment . If that sounds familiar, it might be because Spain’s been having a moment for the last few years. The bump...