Award: Bafta

Published: November 23, 2023

I, Daniel Blake

“I, Daniel Blake” is a drama film that tells the story of Daniel Blake, a 59-year-old British man who struggles with health problems and a bureaucratic labyrinth.

The story begins when Daniel has a heart attack, and his doctor prohibits him from returning to work. He applies for sickness benefits but encounters a complex and unforgiving social security system that seems to not understand his situation. The bureaucratic labyrinth forces him to navigate through many difficult obstacles to get the support he needs.

At the same time, he meets Katie, a single mother with two children, who are also at the mercy of the system. Daniel and Katie form a strong friendship, helping each other survive with their difficulties.

The film explores the challenges people face in today’s society, particularly the bureaucracy of the social security system and the disregard for human needs. It also examines the strength of community and solidarity during tough times.

The movie was awarded a BAFTA for “Outstanding British Film of the Year.”

Published: September 14, 2023

Ghostbusters

“Ghostbusters” is an American comedy film released in 1984, which follows the story of a company founded by four men specialized in paranormal phenomena, known as Ghostbusters.

The story begins with Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), a former professor at the New York University’s Department of Parapsychology, working alongside his colleagues Raymond “Ray” Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). When they lose their jobs at the university, they decide to start their own business called Ghostbusters, with the purpose of investigating and capturing paranormal phenomena.

Ghostbusters equips themselves with unique proton beams and traps to capture ghosts and other supernatural entities. The business starts to thrive when they are hired for their first job, investigating paranormal activity at the New York Public Library. From then on, they encounter many ghosts and other supernatural threats in the city.

The plot of the film also introduces the threat of Gozer The Gozerian, an ancient Sumerian deity. To prevent Gozer’s return, the Ghostbusters must join forces and confront great danger to save the city.

“Ghostbusters” is a comedy that blends humor, horror, and supernatural elements, and it has become a classic thanks to its hilarious plot and the iconic theme song, “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. The movie was a massive hit and remains popular over the years.

In 1985, the film won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Song.

Published: June 19, 2023

101 Dalmatians

“101 Dalmatians” is a classic Disney animated film that was released back in 1961. The story revolves around two Dalmatians, a male named Pongo and a female named Perdita, who live a happy life in London with their owners Roger and Anita.

One day, dogs’ owners discover that Pongo and Perdita are expecting puppies. However, the joyful news spreads quickly, attracting the attention of the wicked Cruella De Vil, who is notorious for her obsession with fur. She decides to steal the puppies to make fur coats out of them.

Devastated by the loss of their puppies to Cruella De Vil, Pongo and Perdita embark on an exciting rescue mission with the help of other animals. They receive assistance from Siamese cats and a loud-mouthed fox, among others. Their journey takes them through the streets of London and the perils of the countryside, leading them to Cruella’s gloomy mansion. Once there, they join forces to combat Cruella’s wicked schemes and strive to save the puppies safely.

“101 Dalmatians” is a heartwarming and adventure-filled movie that emphasizes the importance of family, as well as the power of friendship and courage. It is a timeless classic that has captivated audiences worldwide for over six decades.

The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film.

Published: May 19, 2023

Elvis

The film about the iconic Elvis Presley tells how a little boy became a well-known rock star in the 1950s. In particular, the relationship between Elvis and his manager Tom Colonel Parker is examined more deeply.

The film was awarded two BAFTA awards: Best Actor and Best Costume Design.

Published: April 5, 2023

The Shape of Water

The events take place in 1962 and in North America, where Elisa and Zelda are cleaners and friends in a research laboratory. Speechless Elisa discovers a top-secret object in the laboratory, which is a human-like, aquatic creature worshiped by the citizens of the Amazon rainforest. Agent Strickland of the laboratory performs torturous experiments on the creature, as a result of which the creature almost perishes. An unexpected love story develops between Elisa and the utopian water creature and Elisa decides to release the creature.

The film was significantly awarded four Oscars: best direction, cinematography, music, and set design. Movie was also awarded at the Bafta Gala.

Published: April 4, 2023

Slumdog Millionaire

The film’s main character is an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, named Jamal Malik, who gets to participate in the “Do you want to be a millionaire” quiz. To everyone’s surprise, Jamal does amazingly well on the quiz. The description of the episode of the format ends at the point where the last question is yet to be asked and due to suspicion, the authorities arrest Jamal. No one can understand how he can know the answers to all the questions. Is it fate?

The film won a whopping eight Oscars (e.g. best film, direction, screenplay, and soundtrack) and was awarded also at Bafta Gala.

Published: March 31, 2023

Moulin Rouge!

The film is based on the well-known Parisian nightclub Moulin Rouge and the events take place at the beginning of the 20th century. Satine (Nicole Kidman) is a well-known courtesan of a nightclub, who aims to succeed in her career and become an actress. Christian (Evan McGregor) is a young American poet who arrives with his friends at a nightclub to plan a new show. A romance develops between these two main characters, and the focus of the film is the development of their love story.

Moulin Rouge has used many well-known pop songs, such as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl”, The Beatles’ “All you need is love”, Elton John’s “Your Song”, the theme song from The Sound of Music and Nirvana’s ” Smells Like Teen Spirit”. It took almost two years to get the rights to the songs.

The film was successful at the Oscars and received two awards: best art direction-set Decoration and best costume design, and was awarded also at Bafta Gala.

Koulukino’s learning materials deal with postmodern cinema, the position of women in the Moulin Rouge community, and the musical as a type of film genre, and offer a preliminary task before watching the film. The materials are aimed at middle schools and high schools.

Published: October 19, 2022

WALL·E

In an imagined, but not-so-unrealistic world of the future, a small robot, WALL-E, is left to clean up an Earth filled with garbage. He is completely alone except for a small pet cockroach. Surprisingly, one day another robot named EVE appears on Earth, and WALL-E falls in love with her. As the story unfolds, WALL-E drifts into an unprecedented destiny and ultimately fights against human extinction.

The film was awarded the Oscar for best-animated film and the BAFTA award in the same category.

Published: October 19, 2022

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

When a little hobbit named Frodo accidentally discovers an ancient ring, it binds him to an incredible destiny. He presents the ring to the wizard Gandalf, who instructs him to destroy the Ring of Power, as it contains evil magical powers. According to Frodo, Gandalf, a group of hobbit friends, an elf, a dwarf, and other citizens of the world go on the voyage. Together they form the Fellowship of the Ring. Along the way, the travelers experience dangerous and challenging situations – only the destruction of the ring can stop the evil started by the Black Prince Sauron.

The film was significantly awarded four Oscars: best cinematography, best makeup, best music, and best effects.
At the BAFTA gala, the film won the following awards: best film, best special visual effects, and best make-up/hair.

Published: October 18, 2022

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

In the first Narnia film, four children find a way to a completely new world in a wardrobe: Narnia, where there are, among other things, giants, fauns, and centaurs. The White Wizard has conjured eternal winter into the world. Together with a lion named Aslan, the children decide to free the inhabitants of Narnia from the curse.

The film has been awarded with an Oscar for best make-up masking and three BAFTA awards: best make-up masking, best sound mixing, and best visual effects.