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That’s a Wrap: Movie releases you might’ve missed in April
Emily Bi/File
Awards season ripens in April. With the buzz around the Academy Awards, this month’s new film releases are likely pushed to the mental back burner. Yet, there’s no need to fret film beat reporters Dominic Marziali and Maya Thompson are here to help you stay up to date on the movies that might otherwise be swept beneath the Oscars’ red carpet.
“Cher and the Loneliest Elephant”
How long can a gimmick carry a film? Approximately 46 minutes, proves the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary “Cher and the Loneliest Elephant.” The film chronicles the rescue of an Asian elephant named Kavaan and the surprising celebrity support that furthered the initiative. Kavaan was held in captivity in an Islamabad zoo for nearly 20 years in isolation and poor living conditions. The elephant’s dire condition inspired veterinarian Dr. Samar Khan to launch an online campaign, and in the internet’s mystifying
Kai Luke Brummer in a scene from “Moffie.” (Courtesy of IFC Films)
The main character of Oliver Hermanus’ shattering “Moffie,” set in 1981 South Africa, is a handsome, white 18-year-old. In the country’s system of apartheid, he is a member of the ruling class, but he’s no insider.
Shy, timid and closeted, Nicholas van der Swart (Kai Luke Brummer) is conscripted into the army as part of regulated military service for white males over 16. There, the film’s title – an Afrikaans anti-gay slur – isn’t directed at him, but it’s hurled all around – an ever-present threat of ostracism and abuse. In brutal basic training, it’s as if bullets were already flying perilously close to Nicholas.