THE VIOLIN
Directed by Francisco Vargas. In Limited Release.

"'The Violin' emphasizes the timeless necessity and even inevitability of rebellion on the part of the disenfranchised. The poor may be overmatched, but, as one character says, 'our destiny is to fight" because "the land is ours.' A message this political has rarely been delivered in so poetic a form."

Review by Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times.

HALF MOON
Directed by Bahman Ghobadi. In Limited Release.

"For his poetic fourth feature, 'Half Moon,' the Kurdish-Iranian writer and director Bahman Ghobadi returns to the breathtaking desolation of the Kurdish borderlands and the enduring optimism of his people... Inspired by Mozart's 'Requiem' and commissioned by the New Crowned Hope festival in Vienna, 'Half Moon' is an affecting contemplation of resilience in the face of tragedy"

Review by Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times.