Film

‘The Sea Speaks His Name’ Review: Absorbing Indonesian Political Thriller Is an Ode to Disappeared Activists

• A student activist disappears amid resistance to Suharto’s rule.
• His family searches for answers after his 1998 capture.
• The film honours Indonesia’s disappeared activists.

“The Sea Speaks His Name”, directed by Yosep Anggi Noen and adapted from Leila S. Chudori’s novel, follows a student activist resisting Indonesia’s Suharto dictatorship. The political thriller portrays the personal costs of opposing state oppression and honours activists who disappeared before they could see change. Reza Rahadian…

Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary shifts tone between its two halves

• Gibney’s film presents a critical portrait of Elon Musk.
• Its two halves differ in tone and focus.
• The review finds it polished but overlong and familiar.

Alex Gibney’s documentary *Musk* examines Elon Musk’s public image and business career, portraying him as an investor who sells visions of technological progress more than an inventor. The review says the film is compelling and polished, but overlong, covers familiar ground for technology readers and shifts sharply in…

Universal hesitated over overseas release of Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary

• Universal hesitated on international release over political concerns
• Musk refused interviews, responding with insults on Twitter
• Documentary opened in limited release with £68,900 box office

Director Alex Gibney's documentary "Musk" opened in limited release on Friday after Universal Pictures wavered on committing to an international distribution plan. This hesitation reflected broader political sensitivities around films depicting influential billionaires, with Gibney confirming the studio's reluctance despite initially planning a wider release. The filmmaker revealed…

What to know about the landmark Warner Bros. Discovery sale

• Paramount completed its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
• Netflix had bid $82.7 billion for the studios and streaming assets.
• A lawsuit by 12 state attorneys general delayed approval.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been acquired by Paramount in a landmark deal that brings its studios, streaming services and television networks under one owner. The sale follows years of debt, falling cable viewership and pressure from streaming rivals, and could reshape competition across Hollywood and the media industry.…

Trump woos Fetterman as poorest nations battered by triple crisis

Trump urged Senator Fetterman to cross the aisle to Republicans. The UN warned developing nations face a triple economic shock from high energy costs, El Niño effects and rising borrowing costs.

‘12.12: The Day’ Director Kim Sung-soo Says AI ‘Shows What’s in Your Imagination’

• AI changed Kim’s approach to filmmaking.
• His team combines generated scenes with conventional production.
• He says rights and permissions need clear rules.

Director Kim Sung-soo says AI has become a creative tool in his filmmaking, changing how he imagines and plans projects. At a Busan film market session, he argued that the technology can make imagined scenes visible, while human creative choices remain central. Kim’s eight-minute short “Worm Train” helped…

Keanu Reeves-Voiced Stop-Motion Samurai Film ‘Hidari’ Looks for New Partner After U.S. Talks Stall

• Dwarf Studios seeks new partner for Keanu Reeves samurai film after US talks collapsed.
• US company demanded all rights in exchange for full funding.
• Japanese film financing system struggles with international co-productions.

Dwarf Studios is seeking a new financing partner for "Hidari," a stop-motion samurai film voiced by Keanu Reeves, after negotiations with a U.S. company fell apart. The American company offered to fund the entire budget but demanded all rights to the project, which would have left Dwarf Studios…

Joe Strummer, two video cassettes and the 1973 movie he couldn’t stop watching

• Strummer scored Alex Cox’s film *Walker* after The Clash split.
• *Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid* was a key influence.
• Strummer also drew inspiration from Kurosawa’s *Ran*.

After The Clash split in 1985, Joe Strummer turned to film soundtracks and worked with director Alex Cox on films including *Sid and Nancy* and *Walker*. Cox recalled that Strummer repeatedly watched two films while composing the *Walker* score, with Sam Peckinpah’s *Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid*…

Taiwan’s Sole Busan Competition Title ‘To Be Ordinary’ Marks Lee Yun Chan’s Return to Features After Two Decades

• Lee Yun Chan has made her first feature in 20 years.
• The film is the only Taiwanese entry in Busan’s competition.
• Taiwan’s cinema release is set for 13 November.

Lee Yun Chan has returned to feature filmmaking with “To Be Ordinary”, her first feature in two decades and the only Taiwanese film in competition at the Busan International Film Festival. The family drama follows a household struggling financially and emotionally after a college student is injured in…