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WINNER
WINNER
February 2024
“Unflinchingly Brave and Pro-Justice”: Nisha Pahuja Discusses ‘To Kill a Tiger’
Directed and produced by Toronto-based filmmaker Nisha Pahuja along with producers David Oppenheim, Anita Lee, Cornelia Principe, Andy Cohen, and executive produced by a group including Mindy Kaling, Dev Patel, and Rupi Kaur, To Kill a Tiger enumerates an electrifying true story of a father–daughter duo from the Indian state of Jharkhand, and their battle to seek justice in the aftermath of a brutal sexual assault. The story also brings forth complex ideas of masculinity in India, entrenched village life, and more. Lauded for its universal yet subtle storytelling, the film recently had a successful theatrical release at New York’s Film Forum.
International Documentary Association
Nilosree Bilswas
February 2024
‘To Kill A Tiger’ Director Nisha Pahuja On Telling A “David And Goliath” Story – Contenders Film: The Nominees
Five international-themed films are competing for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards this year, stories set in Uganda, Chile, Tunisia, Ukraine, and India. To Kill a Tiger, which has brought director Nisha Pahuja the first Oscar nomination of her career, centers on a poor couple in the Indian state Jharkhand who bravely fought for justice after their teenage daughter became the victim of a brutal sexual assault.
Deadline
Matthew Carey
February 2024
Toronto filmmaker receives Oscar nomination for best documentary feature film
“To Kill a Tiger” follows the story of Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, India, who takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the survivor of sexual assault. CBC’s Ramraajh Sharvendiran sits down with Toronto filmmaker Nisha Pahuja to talk about the film’s Oscar nomination and the significance of bringing the story to life.
CBC
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February 2024
Deadline’s Doc Talk Podcast: Oscar-Nominated Documentary Filmmakers Mstyslav Chernov And Nisha Pahuja On What Academy Recognition Means To Them
Chernov joins the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss what the Oscar nomination means for his film and Russia’s efforts to sow a false counter-narrative to the carnage he documented. We also welcome another first-time Oscar nominee, director Nisha Pahuja, recognized for her gripping film To Kill a Tiger.
Deadline
Matthew Carey
January 2024
‘To Kill a Tiger’ Director Says Oscar Nomination Will Bring Important Attention to Survivors of Sexual Violence
Nisha Pahuja, whose film To Kill a Tiger received a nomination in the best feature documentary category for the 2024 Oscars, says she learnt about the honor along with the rest of the world while watching the live announcement.
The Hollywood Reporter
Etan Vlessing
January 2024
Sundance 2024 Review: Little Death – “Innovative visuals”
Sometimes a film can be as confused as its misguided subjects. Not every answer needs to be laid out, and even if the filmmaker does not have all the answers themselves there is still a welcome invite to anyone who would rather try their best at tackling the questions versus dropping a bomb and running away.
January 2024
Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In the Summers’ and ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
The Sundance Film Festival welcomed a new class of indie film stars on Friday, handing out its annual awards in Park City, Utah.
January 2024
‘Little Death’ review: David Schwimmer’s new movie is messed up
David Schwimmer has never been known for his movies. Perusing the “Friends” star’s film resume is quick — and painful. There’s “Six Days Seven Nights,” “The Laundromat” and “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” among other screen non-classics. But the actor’s undeniable charisma and uniqueness are finally put to proper full-length use in the demented “Little Death,” which has its world premiere Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival.
New York Post
January 2024
Jena Malone and cast try not to spoil their Sundance film | 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Loneliness and despair in the modern world feels like a good book to the cast of ‘Little Death.’ They talk about this and more at the L.A. Times Studios at Sundance Film Festival presented by Chase Sapphire.
Los Angeles Times
Cody Long, Mark Olsen
January 2024
Academy Crosses Borders To Deliver Varied List Of Best Feature Documentary Candidates
Oscar documentary branch voters can’t be accused of parochialism. They ventured far and wide to select their shortlist of feature documentaries for 2023, tapping films from countries as varied as a U.N. roll call: Ukraine, Uganda, Poland, Denmark, Tunisia, Canada and the United States.
Deadline
Matthew Carey
December 2023
Matt Carey’s Top Documentaries Of 2023
To Kill a Tiger. Director Nisha Pahuja follows the story of Kiran, a 13-year-old girl, and her family in a small village in India, who dared to demand justice after Kiran became the victim of a brutal sexual assault by three young men. The context of the documentary is the disturbing reality that most sexual crimes in India go unreported.
Deadline
Matt Carey
December 2023
‘To Kill a Tiger’ Depicts an Indian Father as a Model for Male Allyship
Nisha Pahuja’s documentary chronicles a farmer’s unprecedented battle against a patriarchal culture and his daughter’s resolve after a brutal sexual assault.
Hollywood Reporter
Stacey Wilson Hunt
December 2023
‘Jackie the Wolf’ : un profondo sguardo sul suicidio assistito
Jackie The Wolf è in concorso al Rome Documentary Film Festival. Il film è presentato nella sezione World – Doc del festival.
Taxidrivers
Nicolo Pollachini
December 2023
2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected for the Feature Films, Episodic, and New Frontier Lineup for 40th Edition
It's time to turn the calendar over and start the new film year with the announcement of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival program. This year's roster, which will be covered here by Brian Tallerico, Robert Daniels, and Marya Gates, includes new projects by Steven Soderbergh, Richard Linklater, Jesse Eisenberg, Dawn Porter, Chris Smith, and hundreds more. We can't wait to cover it and wanted you to know about what's coming. The full press release with all the details is copied below.
Roger Ebert
The Editors
December 2023
Sundance Announces Line-up for 2024 Festival
Sundance announced the feature line-up today for this year’s festival, which is getting back to normal with a full theatrical experience and online components. The festival reported 91 titles drawn from a whopping record 17,435 submissions from 153 countries or territories.
POV
Pat Mullen
December 2023
The 2024 Sundance Team Already Has Some Favorite Films to Share
The festival team, including Eugene Hernandez, Joana Vicente, and Kim Yutani, tells IndieWire about their own favorite discoveries — and some likely hot titles.
Indiewire
Anne Thompson
December 2023
What to Know About the Films—And Stars—Of Sundance’s Landmark 40th Festival
We peek inside the lineup of next year’s film festival, which features A-list actors and beloved directors, at a pivotal turning point in the industry.
Vanity Fair
David Canfield
October 2023
‘To Kill a Tiger’ Review: The Survivor Who Refused to Be Shamed
In this unflinching documentary, a young girl in rural India and her father fight an entrenched village culture to seek justice for her brutal rape.
New York Times
Devika Girish
August 2023
2024 Oscars: Best Documentary Feature Predictions
This year, fall festivals play a more significant role in determining the shortlist of 15.
Indiewire
Anne Thompson
July 2023
“La Mort du loup” sur France.tv, l’euthanasie comme choix de vie
Jadis militante pour le droit à l’IVG, Jacqueline Jencquel a décidé d’en finir avec la vie pour échapper aux aléas du grand âge. L’un de ses fils, qui réalise ce documentaire, questionne sa décision avec intelligence et retenue.
Télérama
François Ekchajzer
May 2023
HOT DOCS 2023 REVIEW: JACKIE THE WOLF
Built around a subject some would describe as complex at best and insufferable at worst, the documentary Jackie the Wolf is a layered, deeply personal profile piece built around a controversial, sometimes hard to like person who still shows a great deal of compassion and love for those around them.
The Gate
Andrew Parker
February 2023
‘To Kill a Tiger’ is a journey of love
To Kill a Tiger chronicles the efforts of a simple Indian villager’s pursuit of justice for his beloved daughter, ‘J,’ in a world filled with misogynous customs and traditions.
Rabble
September 2022
TIFF 2022 Women Directors: Nisha Pahuja – “To Kill a Tiger”
Nisha Pahuja is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker based in Toronto and Bombay. Her credits include the critically-acclaimed “Diamond Road,” “Bollywood Bound,” and “The World Before Her,” the latter of which won honors from Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs Film Festival. Pahuja’s short film for Global’s “16/9” about the Delhi Gang rape was the recipient of an Amnesty International media award for Canadian journalism in 2015.
Women and Hollywood
Annie Colao
September 2022
Mindy Kaling endorses Toronto filmmaker Nisha Pahuja’s doc at TIFF
Pahuja’s poignant film shares one family’s devastating story and an urgent message about the staggering violence against women and girls in India.
In a small village, Ranjit wakes up to find that his 13-year-old daughter has not returned from a family wedding. A few hours later, she’s found stumbling home. After being dragged into the woods, she was raped by three men. Ranjit goes to the police, and the men are arrested. But Ranjit’s relief is short-lived, as the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force the family to drop the charges.
She Does The City
Jan Mcneely
September 2022
A film that strikes you at your core Nisha Pahuja’s harrowing and uncomfortable To Kill A Tiger shows us that hope can always grow, even in the most hopeless of situations -utterly fantastic.
Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill A Tiger is such a brave film. Brave due to the story it is telling, brave for Ranjit and his daughter to be a part of the film and brave for those to square up to almost clashes to show us that this type of horrible thing happens. This fight for justice for a daughter is as compelling as they come, with Pahuja’s observation filmmaking allowing us to have access to comments and situations you forget still exist in the world.
Upcoming On Screen
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December 2021
‘Beijing Spring’ Review: The Politics of Aesthetics
Can art effect real change in the world? To this ever-urgent question, “Beijing Spring” — a new documentary about the titular movement for democratic expression that exploded in the wake of the Cultural Revolution in China — responds with a resounding yes.
New York Times
Devika Girish
April 2021
"Heroic artists shine in ‘Beijing Spring’"
You’ve probably heard of the protests and liberalization of the Prague Spring in 1968. A similar but not nearly as well-known movement of Chinese artists and democracy activists took place in the late ‘70s – and is the subject of a fascinating documentary, Beijing Spring, which will be shown as part of the Epos Art Film Festival (www.filmart.co.il). Epos will run from May 1-8 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, with some screenings at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
The Jerusalem Post
Hannah Brown
March 2021
Beijing Spring : la naissance de l’art dans la censure
À la croisée des chemins entre un cours magistral, une exposition et un film, Beijing Spring nous fait parcourir un pan méconnu et pourtant si riche de l’histoire de l’art en Chine. Présenté actuellement au Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA), ce long-métrage d’Andy Cohen et Gaylen Ross nous tient en haleine, nous éduque et nous émerveille en mêlant images d’archives et témoignages des artistes qui ont élevé leur voix contre la censure à la fin des années 70.
Le Culte
Marius Gellner
March 2021
CAPITAL THAW: BEIJING DISSIDENTS ON FILM
The title of Beijing Spring (2021) -Andy Cohen and Gaylen Ross’s heartfelt, candid, and well-crafted documentary - refers to a brief, tumultuous watershed in Chinese history that began with Mao Zedong’s death in September 1976 and ended with the crackdown on Beijing’s Democracy Wall (a public forum of sorts where citizens put up big-character posters critiquing societal issues); the arrest of activist Wei Jingsheng, who racked up 18 years in Chinese prisons; and the shutdown of the avant-garde Stars Art Group’s open-air exhibition in late 1979.
Art Asia Pacific
Don J. Cohn
July 2020
Lors de cet entretien, Andy Cohen revient sur ce qui l’a amené à réaliser «Beijing Spring». A travers un film d’archives 16 mm caché aux autorités chinoises pendant plus de trois décennies, il nous fait découvrir l’histoire censurée des « Étoiles »,
un group d’artistes underground
chinois dont les membres, à la mort de Mao Zedong, ont cherché à tout prix à librement s’exprimer et à protester - non sans lourdes conséquences ultérieures.
utopia3
Davide Rodogno, David Brun Lambert, Martial Mingam, Julie Noyelle
December 2019
Ximei : An affecting portrait of a fierce social justice fighter
“Ximei, directed with a combination of in-the-moment grit and great sensitivity by Andrew Cohen and Gaylen Ross, follows this no-nonsense justice warrior through her often mundane days”
Spiritual Practice
Micah Bucey
November 28, 2019
Film Review: A Hero Comes Alive in AIDS Documentary “Ximei”
“Ximei focuses on one brave woman who is redefining the cultural perception of the (AIDS/HIV) condition.[…]The documentary develops a rare empathy for them (the subjects) that manages to seep off the screen.”
Film Festival Today
Hannah Tran
October 27, 2019
Ximei (2019) Film Review
“The film looks rough and sometimes footage has been recorded on phones or filmed at odd angles on cameras hastily concealed, but this gives it a certain authority”
Eye For Film
Jennie Kermode
April 28, 2019
Ximei, la activista que desafía al gigante
“ Se llama Ximei y padece sida. En una zona rural china le transfundieron sangre contaminada con VIH. A partir de entonces se ha dedicado a decirle al mundo que en las áreas rurales de su país hay cientos de miles de personas que sufren lo mismo que ella y no cuentan con clínicas, medicamentos ni los tratamientos que requieren… una denuncia que a Beijing le irrita…”
PROCESO
Gabriela Sotomayor
March 19, 2019
Ximei documentary premieres at Geneva Human Rights Film Festival
“Amongst the highlights of this edition of the festival is the world premiere of the documentary film _Ximei,_ which is about an AIDS-infected peasant woman from rural China's Henan Province. Lui Ximei got AIDS infected in the late 1990s, when the Chinese government encouraged poor villagers to sell their blood plasma.”
Euronews
Wolfgang Spindler
February 2024
In 'To Kill a Tiger,' a father stands by his assaulted daughter. Oscar, stand by them.
Nisha Pahuja’s powerful documentary “To Kill a Tiger” offers an unflinching look at a father’s search for justice after three men abducted his 13-year-old daughter and sexually assaulted her in a small village in India. Pahuja, who also directed the 2012 News & Documentary Emmy-nominated doc, “The World Before Her,” says making the movie was one of the most difficult things she has ever done.
USA Today
Isha Sharma
February 2024
‘To Kill a Tiger’ chronicles an Indian family’s battle for justice for their daughter
Nisha Pahuja’s powerful documentary “To Kill a Tiger” offers an unflinching look at a father’s search for justice after three men abducted his 13-year-old daughter and sexually assaulted her in a small village in India. Pahuja, who also directed the 2012 News & Documentary Emmy-nominated doc, “The World Before Her,” says making the movie was one of the most difficult things she has ever done.
Los Angeles Times
February 2024
February 2024
Oscar-Nominated Documentary ‘To Kill A Tiger’ Returning To U.S. Theaters This Week
Nisha Pahuja’s Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger is returning to theaters this Friday, extending through the end of the month.
The film will be showcased in select specialty theaters across the U.S., according to a release, including (but not limited to) Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Washington DC, and Dallas.
Deadline
Matthew Carey
January 2024
MOVIE REVIEW : Little Death (2024)
Weird California strikes again in "Little Death," Los Angeles being the natural home of stories about scriptwriters strung out on drugs while cracking up, or of young adults on a night-time quest to find both stolen property and in a very real sense themselves.
January 2024
SUNDANCE BREAKDOWN REVIEWS: “TENDABERRY” & “LITTLE DEATH
Sometimes a film can be as confused as its misguided subjects. Not every answer needs to be laid out, and even if the filmmaker does not have all the answers themselves there is still a welcome invite to anyone who would rather try their best at tackling the questions versus dropping a bomb and running away.
January 2024
‘Little Death’ Review: Separate Storylines Highlight Character Explorations in Jack Begert’s Lingering Debut | Sundance 2024
“No one wants to watch another white guy with problems, not in this climate.” That’s the feedback Martin (David Schwimmer) gets on the film script, yet Little Death still manages to be all about him – at least for part of the time. This Sundance NEXT selection doesn’t initially feel all that experimental as it covers the film industry, relationships, and society’s dependence on pills, but halfway through, it abandons all its characters and begins an entirely new story. Both halves of this intriguing amalgam are worthwhile and engaging, but figuring out how they relate to each other remains a confounding question even after the credits roll.
January 2024
“A Section of the LA River Which Is Often Overlooked” | Jack Begert, Little Death
Films are made of and from places: the locations they are filmed in, the settings they are meant to evoke, the geographies where they are imagined and worked on. What place tells its own story about your film, whether a particularly challenging location that required production ingenuity or a map reference that inspired you personally, politically or creatively?
Filmmaker Magazine
January 2024
‘Little Death’s Gaby Hoffmann On Her Draw To Genre-Bender “Exploding With Absurdity, Smart And Cutting Critiques, And Deep Humanity” – Sundance Studio
When setting out to make his feature directorial debut with Little Death, a surreal genre-bender premiering tonight at Sundance, Jack Begert looked to synthesize “two very powerful influences” — a love of “surreal” cinematic stylings, carried over from his work in high-profile music videos, as well as a much more “grounded, authentic, humanistic” mode of filmmaking.
Deadline
Matt Grobar
January 2024
‘To Kill a Tiger’ Review: A Heavy, Resilient Documentary About Justice in Modern India
The rare documentary that opens not just with a content warning, but with a request not to share identifying images of its child subject, To Kill a Tiger is a heavy but necessary work about the legalese and cultural attitudes surrounding sexual violence in rural India.
Yahoo! Lifestyle
Siddhant Adlakha
December 2023
Sexual violence in India: One family's pursuit of justice for their daughter
Christiane Amanpour speaks with the director of the documentary film "To Kill a Tiger," Nisha Pahuja, and Executive Producer of the film, Dev Patel, about the realities of sexual violence in India.
CNN
Christiane Amanpour
December 2023
How the Documentary ‘To Kill a Tiger’ Found Its Hero in a 13-Year-Old Rape Survivor
In a village in the Indian state of Jharkhand, Ranjit and his wife Jiganti keep vigil at night over their home, a simple dwelling with packed-earth floors. If they don’t, anything could happen: Their neighbors have threatened to kill the couple and their children.
The Wrap
Missy Schwartz
December 2023
First look at Friends star David Schwimmer's new movie Little Death
Upcoming dramedy Little Death has just released a first-look image of protagonist David Schwimmer.
The Friends star features in Jack Begert's debut feature co-written with Dani Goffstein and produced by The Whale's Darren Aronofsky. The film is set to premiere at Sundance Film Festival in late January next year.
Digital Spy
Stefania Sarrubba
December 2023
Sundance 2024 Lineup Features Saoirse Ronan, Kieran Culkin and Aubrey Plaza
The Sundance Film Festival has announced its initial lineup for the 40th annual festival, and highlights include films featuring Saoirse Ronan, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg and Aubrey Plaza.
MovieMaker
Margeaux Sippell
December 2023
Soderbergh, ‘Freaky Tales’ and a Kristen Stewart double bill headline Sundance 2024
As last year’s treasures — among them “Past Lives,” “Passages,” “Birth/Rebirth,” “Mami Wata,” “Eileen,” “A Thousand and One” and “Kokomo City” — continue to garner awards attention, the Sundance Film Festival, established in 1984, hits a new milestone this year: the big 4-0. Organizers are planning to celebrate accordingly with a lineup of 82 U.S. and international films and eight episodic titles that balance big names and star power with the indie discoveries the festival prides itself on.
Los Angeles Times
December 2023
Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun
The 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival unveiled the aorta of its lineup which runs from Jan. 18-28 in Park City, UT, with movies about AI being a running theme in the politically and socially conscious event as well as 80% of movies up for grabs for distribution.
Deadline
Dominic Patten
November 2023
‘To Kill A Tiger’: After An Indian Girl Is Sexually Assaulted, Her Father Takes Extraordinary Action – For The Love Of Docs
In a guest essay for the New York Times earlier this year, Indian journalist Vidya Krishnan wrote, “[T]here is no escaping India’s rape culture; sexual terrorism is treated as the norm.” She cited a study that found more than three quarters of Indian women “who have experienced physical or sexual violence never tell anyone… Prosecutions are rare.”
Deadline
Matthew Carey
September 2023
Here Are the Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2023
New films by Martin Scorsese, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher and Bradley Cooper lead a select list of the season’s highlights.
New York Times
Ben Kenigsberg
August 2023
Mindy Kaling, Dev Patel to Executive Produce Sexual Assault Documentary ‘To Kill a Tiger’
Mindy Kaling and Dev Patel have signed on to executive produce the documentary “To Kill a Tiger,” a gripping story about a father’s pursuit of justice in rural India.
Variety
Rebecca Rubin
May 2023
'Jackie the Wolf': A son's intimate look at his mothers death, right-to-die laws
"I was hoping I would not have not do it, because I was hoping my mom would not die," filmmaker Tuki Jencquel said
Yahoo! News
Elisabetta Bianchini
April 2023
'To Kill A Tiger' Wins Top Salem Film Fest 2023 Awards
The all-documentary film festival screened more than 70 films over 11 days at Beverly and Salem locations.
Patch
December 2022
The Best Documentaries of 2022: A Year in Review
A project like To Kill a Tiger only comes along when filmmakers truly care about their subjects. After immersing herself in the work of activist Mahendra Kumar to understand the social factors that breed cycles of violence against women in India, Kumar introduced Pahuja to the story of Ranjit, his wife Jaganti, and their daughter.
Point of View
Pat Mullen & Marc Glassman
September 2022
Nisha Pahuja on her deeply challenging journey documenting one Indian family's fight for justice
It's hard to focus today. It's one of the last days of summer and I'm in the park. There's a wonderful young dad playing soccer with his little girl, and they're utterly delightful and distracting. And also, soccer balls have an uncanny way of finding my head...
I should move, but I'm a creature of habit, and this table under this tree is my favourite spot in the park — central enough to feel like I'm inside it but removed enough to observe. A safe distance. My friends tell me this is how I move through the world — but without any trace of elegant stealth.
CBC
Nisha Pahuja
September 2022
Daringly interrogates age-old customs in favor of human rights
The Scotiabank theater was packed at the world premiere of “To Kill A Tiger,” the latest in independent filmmaker Nisha Pahuja’s oeuvre. Though Pahuja is based in Toronto, her work has often ventured into the Indian subcontinent. Her debut documentary, “Bollywood Bound” (2002), follows four Indian Canadians in their pursuit of stardom. Her second, “The World Before Her” (2012) explores the feminine ideal in beauty pageants and Hindu nationalism. Now, in her latest, she takes a deep, hard look at local standards of masculinity. “To Kill A Tiger” daringly interrogates age-old customs in favor of human rights, questioning the very basis of fairness in a modernizing country.
Asian Movie Pulse
Grace Han
September 2022
With To Kill a Tiger, director Nisha Pahuja has crafted a documentary that grips the audience with the suspense and twists of a John Grisham thriller, only the stakes here are considerably higher.
To Kill a Tiger is set in the small village of Jharkhand, India. A 13-year-old girl collapses in the doorway of her home after surviving a brutal assault by three men—her cousin among the attackers. There is little doubt about the guilt of the accused, but in Jharkhand—as in thousands of villages across India—the crime is treated with the gravity of a domestic dispute and thought best to be dealt with within the community. The community advises Ranjit, the girl’s father, to marry his daughter off to one of her rapists because who else will want her now that she’s ‘stained’? But Ranjit does the unthinkable and stands by his daughter’s wishes to seek justice outside the village. Although his decision gains national attention, it ostracizes his family from their neighbours, garnering ridicule, scorn, and even threats.
Northernstars.ca
Thom Ernst
December 2021
BEIJING SPRING
Authoritarian regimes often serve as breeding grounds for serious artistic movements, creative souls inspired by imposed restrictions to rise above them, risk be damned. In Andy Cohen and Gaylen Ross’ new documentary Beijing Spring, the directors examine China in the year 1979, as new leader Deng Xiaoping appeared to be on the verge of opening up the country to a semblance of democracy. As an opening onscreen quote from the great 19th-century philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville reads, “The most perilous moment for a repressive government is when it seeks reform.” Perhaps, but what we witness ends up being more dangerous for the artists, themselves. Whatever Chairman Deng’s original intentions, he was not about to allow actual dissent to last for long.
Hammer to Nail
Christopher Reed
April 2021
专访《北京之春》导演：民主墙、星星美展、首曝光的现场镜头
1978至1981年的“北京之春”是随着中国改革开放应运而生的公民运动，魏京生等民运人士在西单民主墙及民间出版物上，率先呼吁表达自由和民主改革。一群诗人、画家、雕塑家、摄影师也踊跃加入，他们在1979年9月策划了一场未经批准的“星星画会”，被视为中国现代艺术的序曲。由独立电影制作人兼记者安迪·科恩（Andy Cohen）执导的纪录片《北京之春》近日在蒙特利尔国际艺术电影节（LEFIFA）等地放映，以西单民主墙抗争、“星星画会”被禁后的游行抗议为主线，首次公布了摄影师池小宁在现场冒险拍下的镜头片断。请听自由亚洲电台记者薛小山对该片导演科恩的专访。
Radio Free Asia
March 2021
«Beijing Spring»: Andy Cohen et Gaylen Ross racontent une Chine sans censure
En 1979, plaignants, artistes, poètes et activistes donnent vie au «Mur de la démocratie». C’est le premier «printemps de Pékin». Il fut filmé par un réalisateur Il faut sans doute être dans la peau d’un artiste chinois pour saisir tout le poids du mot « liberté ». Le documentaire Beijing Spring, présenté en ouverture du 39e Festival international du film sur l’art, le 16 mars, en fait la troublante démonstration. Les cinéastes Andy Cohen et Gaylen Ross ont construit leur film autour d’images d’archives inédites, mises à l’abri du gouvernement chinois pendant plus de 40 ans.Ils racontent l’essor, constamment contrarié par les autorités, d’un groupe d’artistes chinois, après la terrible répression de la Révolution culturelle et la mort de Mao Tsé-Toung.. Quarante ans plus tard, Andy Cohen lui redonne vie
Le Devoir
Caroline Montpetit
October 2020
Interview mit Andy Cohen, regisseur von "XIMEI" / FilmFest Osnabrück 2020
Interview of Andy Cohen about Ximei at the occasion of the FilmFest Osnabrück
FilmFest Osnabrück 2020
March 2020
«Beijing Spring», témoignage inédit d’une expérience démocratique
"Fin des années 70 à Pékin. Dans un éphémère espace de liberté, artistes et activistes (dont Wei Jingsheng, Xu Wenli et le jeune Ai Weiwei) se retrouvent autour du Mur de la démocratie, le réalisateur américain Andy Cohen retrace cette histoire inconnue."
Heidi.News
Sophie Woeldgen
December 8, 2019
HRFF Premiere: Ximei
“she fights to raise awareness about the crisis and build a community with other victims. Shot over seven years, Ximei exposes a shocking history and the state oppression that Ximei continues to fight today”
JAYU Charity
HRFF
November 28, 2019
‘Ximei’ Review: An AIDS Activist Fights Medical Injustice in China
“It does pay its subjects the ultimate courtesy, treating them as officials have not: as fully rounded human beings."
The New York Times
Ben Kenigsberg
October 25, 2019
Review: ‘Ximei’ chronicles a Chinese woman’s fight for AIDS victims
“No wonder China was so concerned about the production of Ximei; the documentary shines a light on the government’s shameful treatment of its citizens with AIDS ...But this isn’t simply a damning indictment of the nation; it is a hopeful celebration of one woman’s activism and kindness in the face of her own struggle with AIDS."
Los Angeles Times
Kimber Myers
March 2019
XIMEI: Une lucarne poignante sur le scandale du sang contaminé et le stigmate du VIH en Chine
“Aujourd’hui, ce film traite d’un sujet plus que jamais actuel: près de 30 ans après la première épidémie, le sida continue de nécroser la Chine. En témoigne le scandale qui a éclaté en février 2019 sur les 12’000 poches de sang infectées et qui ont dû être retirées de la circulation par les hôpitaux.”
L'Agenda
Julia Jeanloz
February 2024
‘To Kill a Tiger’ chronicles an Indian family’s battle for justice for their daughter
Nisha Pahuja’s powerful documentary “To Kill a Tiger” offers an unflinching look at a father’s search for justice after three men abducted his 13-year-old daughter and sexually assaulted her in a small village in India. Pahuja, who also directed the 2012 News & Documentary Emmy-nominated doc, “The World Before Her,” says making the movie was one of the most difficult things she has ever done.
Los Angeles Times
Ramin Zahed
February 2024
RKS 2024 Film: “To Kill a Tiger”: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film
In a small Indian village Kiran, a 13-year-old, is savagely beaten and raped by three young men and then threatened with death if she tells anyone about the rape. Kiran tells her father Ranjit of the gang rape and he notifies the police. The lads are arrested and jailed. Given the prevalence of rape in India where it is estimated 90% of rapes are unreported and a woman is raped every twenty minutes Kiran is not alone. Kiran’s position is that she would fight to the death for justice and her father Ranjit pursues the case in the criminal courts with dogged determination.
A Little Bird Told
February 2024
“LITTLE DEATH”
Focusing on one main story in a film seems like filmmaking 101, but Jack Begert decides to throw that out the window with his directorial debut feature film “Little Death.” Most recently, Trey Edward Schultz split “Waves” into two distinct halves even though they were all part of the same story, so why don’t more people do it? Well, because it’s not easy to pull off, often because the stories end up being too disjointed or not equally engaging, and it doesn’t entirely work for Begert. Aside from some connections between the two stories in “Little Death,” such as the film’s overarching theme of drug use and addiction, it makes you wonder why we needed to spend time with an unlikeable character and why the film couldn’t have been dedicated to the far more exciting storyline.
February 2024
‘Little Death’ Review: David Schwimmer Takes A Risk In A Satirical Psychodrama With A Twist– Sundance Film Festival
David Schwimmer makes a bold choice with this ambitious, if not entirely seamless psychodrama. Starting out as a hyperactive life-in-crisis movie, like a more melancholy, introspective Fight Club, it swaps horses in midstream with a shocking twist that will likely alienate any viewers seduced by seeing the Friends star’s face on its promo imagery. Those willing to follow first-time director Jack Begert down the rabbit hole into the film’s surprising second half — which may seem completely unrelated at first, but soon reveals the film’s deeper themes of opioid use and the butterfly effects of addiction — will find it strangely satisfying.
January 2024
Sundance 2024: 10 Films From This Year's Fest to Put on Your Radar
Sometimes a film can be as confused as its misguided subjects. Not every answer needs to be laid out, and even if the filmmaker does not have all the answers themselves there is still a welcome invite to anyone who would rather try their best at tackling the questions versus dropping a bomb and running away.
January 2024
‘In the Summers’ Wins Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and Directing Award
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival winners are in, with films like “In the Summers,” “Didi,” and “Daughters” dominating across the categories. “In the Summers” filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza, whose film centers on a fractured family in New Mexico, also won the Directing prize in U.S. Dramatic.
January 2024
‘Little Death’ Cast & Director on Working With David Schwimmer, Revisiting ‘Friends’ | Sundance 2024
Dominic Fike, Jena Malone, Gaby Hoffman, Talia Ryder and Director Jack Begert stopped by The Hollywood Reporter’s studio during the Sundance film festival to chat all about their film Little Death. The film, which mark’s Begert’s first feature, sees David Schwimmer play a screenwriter on the verge of a breakthrough. Malone revealed that she rewatched the sitcom Friends to prepare to work with Schwimmer. Plus, Fike opened up about working with Begert on several music videos before shooting Little Death.
The Hollywood Reporter
January 2024
‘Little Death’ Review: Dominic Fike and Talia Ryder Steal the Show In Surrealist Hollywood Story
It’s easy to run with “Little Death” as a film starring David Schwimmer. After all, his “Friends” character Ross is an enduring pop culture fixture. But that’s not the whole truth.
The Wrap
Ronda Racha Penrice
January 2024
‘Little Death’s Jack Begert & Darren Aronofsky Discuss Their “Hyper Postmodern Whirlwind” Premiering At Sundance & How Hollywood Is “On The Edge Of A Defining Moment” With AI
When setting out to make his feature directorial debut with Little Death, a surreal genre-bender premiering tonight at Sundance, Jack Begert looked to synthesize “two very powerful influences” — a love of “surreal” cinematic stylings, carried over from his work in high-profile music videos, as well as a much more “grounded, authentic, humanistic” mode of filmmaking.
Deadline
Matt Grobar
January 2024
The Oscar-shortlisted To Kill a Tiger is a tender yet triumphant film about rape in India
Shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards, To Kill a Tiger is a documentary film about one teenager’s story of victory, grit and support from her father in a country where a rape is reported every 20 minutes
Vogue India
Akanksha Kamath
December 2023
‘To Kill a Tiger’ Review: A Heavy, Resilient Documentary About Justice in Modern India
One father risks it all to have his day in court, in Nisha Pahuja’s harrowing Oscar-shortlisted documentary feature.
Variety
Siddhant Adlakha
December 2023
Director Nisha Pahuja’s ‘To Kill A Tiger’ Follows An Indian Family’s Tenacious Fight For Justice After A Violent Sexual Assault; Dev Patel Joins Project As Its “Hype Man”
In a village in the Indian state of Jharkhand, Ranjit and his wife Jiganti keep vigil at night over their home, a simple dwelling with packed-earth floors. If they don’t, anything could happen: Their neighbors have threatened to kill the couple and their children.
Indiewire
Matthew Carrey
December 2023
Sundance 2024: The Movies We're Looking Forward to Most
Films from veteran directors like Steven Soderbergh and bold new visionaries like Jane Schoenbrun have us excited for this year's Sundance.
Collider
December 2023
Sundance 2024 Lineup Includes New Films From Steven Soderbergh, Chiwetel Ejiofor for 40th Edition
The full lineup for the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival was unveiled on Wednesday, including the titles that will compete in the narrative and documentary categories.
The Wrap
Jeremy Fuster
December 2023
2024 Sundance Film Festival Lineup: New Steven Soderbergh Film, Kristen Stewart Love Story and Devo Doc
Sundance will take place Jan. 18-28 and, like last year, select titles, including all competition titles, will be made available online.
The Hollywood Reporter
Mia Galuppo
November 2023
How a father’s love for his daughter challenged India’s ‘rape culture’
The story of girl’s refusal to be shamed by her gang-rape and a father’s fight for justice, defying a village’s hostility and the dead weight of patriarchy, is told in Nisha Pahuja’s film To Kill a Tiger
The Guardian
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
August 2023
IDA Announces FallDocs 2023 Film Lineup, Big Platform For Documentaries Seeking Awards Glory
The International Documentary Association announced the lineup for its prestigious FallDocs 2023 program, featuring a slew of Oscar contending nonfiction films as well as more than two dozen films that haven’t yet nailed down distribution.
Deadline
Matthew Carey
August 2023
Dev Patel & Mindy Kaling Board ‘To Kill A Tiger’ Documentary From Filmmaker Nisha Pahuja As EPs
Dev Patel and Mindy Kaling have signed on as exec producers of To Kill a Tiger, an award-winning documentary written and directed by Emmy nominee Nisha Pahuja (The World Before Her), which will hit Film Forum in New York on October 20 before expanding to theaters in other major cities.
Deadline
Matt Grobar
May 2023
The Final Chapter of Jackie the Wolf @Hot Docs 2023
Director Tuki Jencquel films his mother’s journey of calling it quits on life
FernTV
April 2023
Jackie the Wolf’s Tuki Jencquel Talks Sex, Death, and Mother
Director creates a portrait of his mother's activism for dying with dignity
Point of View
Jason Gorber
November 2022
Ximei review – inspiring Ai Weiwei-produced portrait of Chinese Aids activist
Liu Ximei, who was diagnosed with HIV at 10, is shown as a dauntless campaigner whose home provides a warm haven for patients still neglected in China
The Guardian
Phuong Le
September 2022
Nisha Pahuja: 'When you want to change something, telling someone that they are wrong is never the solution'
To Kill a Tiger provides a timely look at the dynamics of a village in Jharkhand, which could be similar to any rural region in India. While a steady stream of cases of violence against girls even today may prompt a discouraging conclusion that not much has changed, the story of Ranjit’s daughter is a pointer to how things could indeed change. Her trauma not only made “J” determined to bring her attackers to justice, but also sparked her aspiration to become a police officer and perhaps deliver justice to another victim herself. That’s change.
Firstpost
Indira Kannan
September 2022
The Tiger Roars
Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill a Tiger is a powerful portrait of a family's strength
“Do you think it’s wrong that we involved the police?” Jaganti asks filmmaker Nisha Pahuja. The mother’s direct address to the camera in Pahuja’s new film To Kill a Tiger evocatively breaks the fourth wall. Jaganti, feeling the pressure put on her family by local villagers, worries that she and her husband, Ranjit, erred by coming forward. The crime they reported, however, is a parent’s worst nightmare. To Kill a Tiger observes as the parents wonder what to do after three men rape their 13-year-old daughter while walking home from a family wedding. One of the assailants, moreover, is her cousin.
POV Magazine
Pat Mullen
December 2021
Two documentaries distill the struggle of political dissent in China decades apart
The act of protesting in China is not to be entered into lightly considering the consequences: exile, imprisonment and worse. A pair of new documentaries takes us inside two of the more noteworthy, and globally recognized, stands against China’s authoritarian rule — an unsanctioned public art exhibit in 1979 organized by self-taught artists, their experiences fighting for individuality and democracy recounted in “Beijing Spring,” and, 40 years later, the citywide Hong Kong protests that challenged mainland China’s encroachment on the territory’s long-cherished autonomy, the subject of “Revolution of Our Times.”
Los Angeles Times
Robert Abele
December 2021
"Beijing Spring: Documenting the Thaw After the Cultural Revolution"
For Chinese artists, things could only get better when the Cultural Revolution ended—and they did—to an extent—for a while. During the thaw of the early Deng years, a group of artists emerged that pushed for liberalization in the artistic sphere and more democratic governance. Many of them are now living abroad (for obvious reasons). Andy Cohen and Gaylen Ross chronicle the “Stars Art Group and the related samizdat magazines that revolved around Beijing’s short-lived “Democracy Wall” in Beijing Spring, which opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles.
J.B Spins
Joe Bendel
March 2021
Beijing Spring, documentaire d'Andy Cohen et Gaylen Ross.
À visionner Beijing Spring, le documentaire qui ouvre la 39e édition du FIFA à Montréal, on sait la barre haut placée. Quelle émotion lorsqu’on suit Andy Cohen et Gaylen Ross retraçant l’histoire de la Chine autour du Mur de la Démocratie, où se sont fracassés les idéaux révolutionnaires.
Spirale Magazine
Guylaine Massoutre
March 2021
Le film secret du «printemps de Pékin»
En 1979, plaignants, artistes, poètes et activistes donnent vie au «Mur de la démocratie». C’est le premier «printemps de Pékin». Il fut filmé par un réalisateur chinois. Quarante ans plus tard, Andy Cohen lui redonne vie
Le Temps
Frederic Koller
October 2020
Andy Cohen on his film Ximei / VOX / Human Rights Film Festival Berlin 2020
Ximei (gesprochen Schimäy) hat AIDS. Und Schuld daran ist die chinesische Re-gierung. Die hat nämlich 1990 eine Blutspenden-Kampagne ins Leben gerufen, die hundertausende Menschen mit dem HI-Virus angesteckt hat. Die Doku "Xi-mei", läuft gerade beim Human Rights Filmfestival und macht einen tödli-chen Skandal endlich international be-kannt.
VOX Nachrichten Germany
March 2020
Andy Cohen on his film Beijing Spring
Filmmaker Andy Cohen spoke to Katt about his new film Beijing Spring. The film uses never before seen footage hidden from the authorities for 35 years and chronicles China's first democracy movement.
World Radio Switzerland
Katt Cullen
November 29, 2019
Stay Home: Ai Weiwei Document’s Ximei’s Life & Activism
«[…] Cohen & Ross’s Ximei (executive produced by Ai Weiwei) is very highly recommended as a profile in courage and an indictment of the CCP’s callous contempt for human life.»
j.b. spins
Joe Bendel
October 30, 2019
One woman’s AIDS activism rattles the People’s Republic in “Ximei”
"If the Chinese government isn’t careful, the world will give Liu Ximei the Nobel Peace Prize."
Movie Nation
September 2, 2019
China and the Golden Veins of Henan: A film-maker’s view documentary premieres at Geneva Human Rights Film Festival
“In the end, Ximei brings her patients a measure of dignity and humanity. By holding the authorities’ feet to the fire,speaking out against unfair treatment, the existence of every individual is validated.”
Global Geneva
The Editors
March 28, 2019
La Via della Seta ha un baco, i diritti umani
« Lo Stato cinese ha permesso che il virus dell'Aids si impossessasse del corpo di Ximei, una bambina di circa 10 anni della provincia rurale di Henan che, a causa di un intervento chirurgico, ha avuto bisogno di sangue, ma le hanno iniettato quello infetto. »
Huffington Post
Claudia Miccichè
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