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Articles by Orla Smith

Orla Smith is the former Executive Editor of Seventh Row, a regular contributor at The Film Stage, and a freelance writer with bylines at JumpCut Online, Cinema Year Zero, and Girls on Tops. In her free time she makes movies.

A still of filmmaker Quinn Armstrong in front of a still from his film, Survival Skills. The text on the image says Interview.

Orla Smith / November 4, 2020

Quinn Armstrong on his bizarre police training parody, Survival Skills

Quinn Armstrong’s Survival Skills parodies ’80s VHS police training videos to explore the police’s relationship to domestic violence. Somehow, it completely works.

Stills from Raindance films Survival Skills, Now, The Dilemma of Desire, and No More Wings.

Orla Smith / November 3, 2020

Survival Skills, The Dilemma of Desire, and more at Raindance 2020

Discover four highlights from Raindance 2020, all of which are available to watch online for free in the UK.

Greta Thunberg sits at a climate conference in the documentary Now.

Orla Smith / November 2, 2020

Raindance Review: Young climate activists provide a rallying call in Now

Jim Rakete’s documentary Now is both a celebration of inspirational young climate activists and an informative rallying call for change.

A woman holds up a sign that reads 'Democracy without cliteracy? Phallusy.' The image is a still from The Dilemma of Desire.

Orla Smith / November 2, 2020

Raindance Review: The Dilemma of Desire will change the way you think about sex

Maria Finitzo’s documentary The Dilemma of Desire uses Sophia Wallace’s art as a jumping off point to explore how patriarchy has shaped women’s relationship to sexual desire.

An older man and his daughter sit at a bar in Sofia Coppola's On the Rocks. The text on the image says, 'Review'.

Orla Smith / October 22, 2020

On the Rocks is a retrograde disappointment from Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola’s latest, On the Rocks, is a vague and out of touch depiction of a working mother’s relationship crisis.

An image collage of stills from groups of characters in Mangrove and Ultraviolence.

Orla Smith / October 21, 2020

Mangrove and Ultraviolence are two angles on UK police brutality

Films about police brutality in the UK are sorely lacking, but this year’s London Film Festival gave us two: Ken Fero’s mishandled Ultraviolence and Steve McQueen’s brilliant Mangrove.

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