Popular reviews

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  Review by Glen Grunau ★★★★

  Somehow what seemed so incredible the first time I saw this movie a few days ago, now seems not so far fetched when I open myself up just a little bit more to the possibilities of the heart.  Oh what a beautiful world this could be if we open up space for love to soften our prejudice, ease our discomfort, and calm our fears.

  Perfect love casts out fear.

  How does a film this special fly so low under the radar?  Thank you Gareth Higgins for serving up this movie and inviting all of us to meet on Zoom tomorrow with you and the director and screenwriter to explore in more depth this little gem.

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  Review by Glen Grunau ★★★★

  Dreaming the World: Seven Weeks of Seeing in the Dark
  Film #1 - New Zealand

  Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

  This story took a big credibility risk that I suspect alienated the occasional critic and prompted some viewers to shy away. After all, how much can you trust a crazy man?

  But if we get too hung up on how much this story fits into our tidy theories of mental illness and whether we can allow for miraculous insight into the mind of God, we will miss the beauty of this movie that embraces difference and values love and forgiveness and generosity over fear and judgement and greed.

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  Review by Andrew Johnson ★★★½

  Viewed as part of Dreaming The World.

  Rawiri Paratene is phenomenal.

  It doesn't quite cohere into something as emotionally satisfying as it could be; it made me want to read the book. That said, I find the premise and the first half pretty spectacular, even if the resolution (aside from the penultimate scene) strikes me as weak.

  This film is at its best when it's promoting empathy, not only for the poor and the mentally ill, but also for those we are quick to deem as "evil" and "irredeemable." There's a phenomenal moment that occurs during a funeral for a child molester that made me weep, and the payoff is one of the more honest examinations of transformation I've seen…