At age three , Antonio LeBlanc ( Justin Chon ) was adopted from his home country , Korea , and grew up in Louisiana , USA . Thirty years later , he faces deportation because of his lack of US citizenship . He and his wife , Kathy ( Alicia Vikander ), are expecting their first child . He is a helpful stepfather to Kathy ’ s first child , Jessie ( Sydney Kowalske ). They live on a small income . Naturalization is difficult because of an arrest for a supposed robbery ; Antonio is innocent , but policeman Ace ( Mark O ’ Brien ) has his own private interests : he was affiliated with Kathy and is the father of Jessie . Should Antonio go to court ? Can they afford a lawyer ? How will Kathy cope if the family is separated ?
This film is excellent due to the actors ( especially Kowalske ), but also for the topic , which is based on the real-life experiences of adoptees throughout the United States , who face futures in the completely unknown worlds of their births . The situation was improved somewhat with the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 , but still , many over the age of 18 face deportation . Hopefully , a not-yet ratified law , the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2021 , will solve
© Universal Pictures International Germany
Blue Bayou **** USA / Canada 2021 Opened March 10 , 2022
Directed by : Justin Chon Writing credits : Justin Chon Principal actors : Justin Chon , Alicia Vikander , Mark O ’ Brien , Linh-Dan Pham , Emory Cohen , Sydney Kowalske
the problem . As a long-term member of the citizenship committee of the Federation of American Women Overseas ( FAWCO ), I have worked on many US citizenship issues , but was never aware of this particular problem until I was privileged enough to view Blue Bayou , which showed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 . The title refers to bayous in the state of Louisiana , which are small lakes or slow-moving streams . Here the bayou represents a magical area of calm , in contrast to the hectic problems of the participants . ( Becky Tan )
Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi ’ s ( A Separation in 2012 , The Salesman in 2016 ) current awards season contender , A Hero , is a biting commentary on the world ’ s allure to fame and prevalent bureaucratic ludicrousness . Farhadi ’ s screenplay focus is the practice of imprisoning debtors , customary even in
A Hero : Die verlorene Ehre des Herrn Soltani ( Ghahreman , A Hero ) *** 1 / 2 Iran / France 2022 Opening March 31 , 2022
Directed by : Asghar Farhadi Writing credits : Asghar Farhadi Principal actors : Amir Jadidi , Mohsen Tanabandeh , Fereshteh Sadrorafaii , Sahar Goldoust
© Neue Visionen
Spain , and affable , attractive Rahim Soltani ’ s ( Amir Jadidi ) two simple actions that are twisted into a jaded narrative with an undeterminable maze of checks , balances , retribution , regret and retrieval , and ultimately resignation .
Released for a two-day prison leave — almost unheard of — Rahim rejoins society continually smiling . He is hoping to somehow find enough money to repay , or at least to shorten , his 10-year sentence . Beloved Farkhondeh ( Sahar Goldust ) found a purse containing gold coins that could be his ticket to freedom and their future together . However , reality arrives when the coins are appraised . Brother-in-law Hossein ( Alireza Jahandideh ) cannot help financially ; when sister Malileh ( Maryam Shahdaei ) discovers the purse , her moral compass guides Rahim . Overnight Rahim is a hero . Praise and adulation come his way ; release seems imminent . His creditor , embittered ex-brother-in-law Bahram ( Mohsen Tanabandeh )
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