Audience Member
I've lived in Los Angeles for 30 years and never realized what a rich history East LA had. This film is beautifully shot, directed, and edited and a must-see for anyone living in Los Angeles. Betsy Kalin has done a beautiful job of bringing out the best in her interviewees, with such depth and clarity. there is so much detail, beautiful graphics, and insight. She also explores the systemic racism that still runs deep and how a community bands together. We need more films like these that show communities trying to come together and the forces, politics, and corruption that tries to pull them apart. A really wonderful watch worth your time.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
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Audience Member
So great to see a documentary show us a real community as opposed to the mainstream media's version of it. The emotion in this film is palpable as we see the people of Boyle Heights talk about their love for their community and their fear of gentrification. Highly recommend!
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
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Audience Member
As a native San Diegan now living in Denver, I've been able to see firsthand how the physical and economic expansion of cities can change their dynamics - inclusive of their ethnic populations - but often at the expense of culture: I love where I'm from, and I'm informed by it every day I'm alive...but did the community that shaped me then get better over time simply because "growth" happened to it? If not, do I love it any less now?
These nuanced themes are at the heart of the wonderful documentary East LA Interchange. The film's specific focus is the Boyle Heights community in Los Angeles. You likely don't know it by name, but don't need to: The abiding love and the keen observations of those still living in the community or are still tied to it will resonate with you in their application to your own experiences. Boyle Heights is in their DNA to stay, just as where you're from is in yours.
The truths shared here by director Betsy Kalin are universal, and the filmmaking itself is as technically excellent as it is emotionally truthful. There are abundant takeaways for the viewer after consuming this one, but like any great film, they're crafted so that they seep into the bloodstream in thoughtful and seamless ways. Educational and informative, yes, but artfully and gracefully so. An understated triumph.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The Rough Detective, The Femme Fatale and The Mysterious Murder Cases
by Wong Hc
INTERCHANGE is an intricate conflict, metamorphosis and interchange between urban and rural, modern and traditional values, antropomorphism and zoomorphism, imprisonment and liberation, and ultimately: life and death. It is rich with metaphor and subtext, and is intellectually stimulating and visually pleasing. It is visual artwork of Malay Achipelago in the truest sense.
Director Dain Iskandar Said skillfully brought the neo noir story to life, with a blend of supernaturalism. The opening crime scene hooks the audience to the story, where Detective Man (played by Shaheizy Sam) investigates serial murder cases involving victims who died in mysterious way. The corpses look like they are victims of infinite tsukoyomi dangling from some sort of branches. This seemingly uncrackable murder frustates Man till the point of tearing up his psyche, so he persuades his reluctant forensic photographer buddy Adam (played by Iedil Putra) to help him, probably because Adam has some sort of detective sense that might lead the cases to somewhere.
While being engrossed in his voyeuristic photography of people living in opposite apartment, fate ties Adam up with Iva, the attractive femme fatale (played by Prisia Nasution), through the telescopic lense, and he gets deeply involved in the turmoil till the point of being forced to make difficult decision that propels him to the point of no return. The story reaches the climax in the chase scene, where all main characters rush against time to accomplish their own goals that conflict with each other, until they reach the epic ending.
The look and feel of the movie is brilliantly crafted by cinematographer Jordan Chiam with lights, smoke, and shadows to bring vitality to the story telling. The use of colours and reflection reveals so much about the turbulent state of mind of the characters. A lot of sodium vapour lamp look with a hint of neon lights makes the urban scenes mystifying and mesmerizing. The orange sodium vapour lights with a splash of green seems to foreshadow our reality where sodium vapour streetlamps are gradually replaced by LED lamps with green tint, a state of change in time that will eventually make this movie a nostalgia in near future.
The production design is brilliant, especially in the transformation of Belian (brilliantly played by Nicholas Saputra) into a bird-like creature and the terrorizing corpses of the victims. The antique shop, the old photography shop and the back alleys bring strong nostalgic emotion to the aesthetics.
The corpse is dangling at the murder scene, and we tend to judge it as "victim", but the story will reveal that there is something far more than that. Follow the story and you will be rewarded greatly as the truth unfolds to you gradually. I can only encourage you to enjoy the journey.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
Full Review
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