Wie en wat zijn de Young Critics?

Carlos Kong

Carlos Kong is a writer and researcher based in London and Berlin. He is currently the Michael G. Wilson postgraduate scholar at The Courtauld Institute of Art, specializing in photography and film. Carlos holds a BA in Comparative Literature and History of Art from Cornell University, and was previously a Baden-Württemberg-Stiftung Fellow at Universität Heidelberg. He researches questions of sexuality and desire, historical memory, intercultural encounter, and testimonial genre across contemporary European and American literature and visual culture. He has published academic texts and art criticism internationally, and was recently commended by the Art & Culture Art Criticism Prize.

Cinephiliac Moment

His favorite “cinephiliac moment” is the image of the woman’s face at the end of the jetty in Chris Marker’s La Jetée, over which the narrator speaks: “Nothing tells memories from ordinary moments. Only afterwards do they claim remembrance on account of their scars.”

Top three anticipated FFG Films

• Jonathan
• Glory
• I, Olga Hepnarová.

Zosha Millman

Zosha Millman is the editor of legal news publication LXBN by day, and writer of pop culture things by night and other times around day. You can always find her in Seattle, and you can frequently find her on the internet, including Pulp Diction and Bright Wall/Dark Room (where she also copy edits).

Cinephiliac Moment

There's something so disarmingly honest about the scene where Armand mends fences with his partner Albert in Mike Nichols' The Birdcage. Plunked in the middle of a frenzied sequence of preparation and kerfuffles, the camera slowly moves in on the quiet conversation between the pair, as if allowing us peer in on this private moment. Say what you will about Robin Williams' dramatic turn in Good Will Hunting, but the way he professes his love as both a bygone conclusion and a serious divulgence in this peaceful, pastel moment is the best case for why Williams never missed a laugh.

Top three anticipated FFG Films

• Le secret de la chambre noire (The Woman in the Silver Plate)
• Sieranevada
• Paterson

Jonah Simanjuntak

My name is Jonah Simanjuntak. I am a 24-year-old Belgian, born and raised in the city of Antwerp. At a very early age, I became intrigued by the medium of cinema through my older brother, which later resulted in me deciding to study English and Theatre, Film and Literature at the University of Antwerp. For obvious reasons, my favorite pastime is going to the cinema and I also volunteer for a lovely movie house in my hometown. To top it all off, I have a blog, for which my girlfriend and I write all kinds of articles about film.

Cinephiliac Moment

Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is nothing short of a masterpiece, but one scene will stay with me for the rest of my life. Sheila Vand’s character puts on a White Lies record while hosting Arash. The song plays over nearly the entirety of the scene, with the two characters very slowly joining in an embrace. It is an incredibly pleasing duo of shots, perfectly utilizing character movement, lighting and music to create a breathtaking scene.

Top three anticipated FFG Films

• A Monster Calls
• Grave (Raw)
• Creepy

Sofie Steenhaut

I am a 21-year-old master student in New Media. From Broadway to Broad City, I love everything cultural. If I haven't seen a movie already, I probably did read two reviews about it. On my first day of class, I joined the university magazine where I became Chief of Culture last year. To explore the cultural scene even more, I joined the Subbacultcha Belgium-team - a cultural membership and magazine - as an online editor and contributor. I am currently looking for an internship in London, the Valhalla of independent cultural magazines.

Cinephiliac Moment

I will always remember the debut film of Tom Ford, A Single Man. In the beginning and near the ending, there’s a scene of George floating in water. This is not only a great way to capture the atmosphere of the film but also a beautiful visualisation of the feelings of the protagonist. The music, the sound of his breathing, the floating body in the water, the shot of his wedding ring, and then in the end coming up for air and waking up. He finally sees things clear, instead of floating in his dreamlike yet frightening and choking world.

Top three anticipated FFG Films

When I visit the Film Festival in Ghent, I tend to look for the experimental films because it is a great opportunity to discover new forms of film and gain new insights and inspiration. This year I’m looking forward to Arianna, a film exploring what it means to be a woman or a man. Perhaps the most experimental film on the festival this year is Voyage of Time: Life’s journey, which is literally about the history of time and the universe. A must see, according to me. As a new media student, I’m also interested in the role of social media in our lives. Therefore, the third film on my list is Facebookistan, about how Facebook frequently violates basic human rights such as freedom of speech and privacy.

Michaël Van Remoortere

A young artist on the verge of a nervous breakthrough who believes realism is a refuge for those who lack imagination. I’m a rich man because I have seen the sunrise in more countries than I ever could imagine and met some of the most interesting people alive and dead today. I am currently working on the following theatre projects; OEAAEAA (ode aan de aars), Paradise Now, Welcome to Belgium! and WIR SIND AUSCHWITZ (#1 das Hohelied). In springtime 2017 my first poetry collection will be published under the title Hooglied voor een Hoer (Song of Songs for a Whore).

Cinephiliac Moment

At the tender age of thirteen I snuck downstairs after my bedtime to watch what was advertised as ‘an erotic masterpiece’ on late-night television. Instead I got Eyes Wide Shut; a movie about estrangement, loneliness and the quest for redemption in a demystified world. That night I lost my innocence and became a cinephile.

Top three anticipated FFG Films

• Voyage of Time by Terrence Malick: He might be the greatest living director and there should be rumors he will attend one of the screenings at the festival. Those rumors might as well start here.
• The Ornithologist by Joao Pedro Rodrigues: My Tinder profile reads: ‘catholic choirboy with sadomasochistic tendencies’.
• Home by Fien Troch: She’s the new David Lynch.