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Ever wish you were a happenin’ hepcat in the 1960’s? There’s something about that era of filmmaking, and that style, particularly the European cinema… it’s so interesting and atmospheric. Every now and then a film comes along thatrecaptures, or at least pays homage to those sensibilities. Shot on 16mm, the Sundance Selects movie THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE! looks to be just that kind of picture. Check out the retro-styled poster above and trippy trailer below. There’s definitely a lot going on here, and I have a feeling this will be a film worth making time for. In the studio e-mail I received, they note it opens in NY on April 15th and with be available on VOD Nationwide, so look for it. Tell us your thoughts on what you see here in the comments.
About THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE!: A successful visual artist working in post-9/11 Manhattan, Asya (Elodie Bouchez) lives the life of the hip and glamorous, replete with exclusive art parties, supermodels, and stretch limousines, while she carefully follows the situation in the Middle East on television. Out partying one night, Asya learns that her childhood friend, Faisal, has disappeared-the victim of a purported CIA abduction. That same night, she meets Javier, a sexy Mexican PhD student, and romance blossoms. Javier finds Asya’s conspiracy theories overly paranoid-but nothing in Asya’s world is as it seems.
Zeina Durra’s atmospheric debut feature is a splendidly alluring and intelligent look at the way the war on terror seeps into the texture of everyday American life. Gorgeous 16 mm grain imbues the film with an anachronistic feel that interestingly evokes times past. THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE! is an exceptional work and heralds the arrival of Durra as an exciting new directorial talent.
Directed and written by Zeina Durra
Starring Elodie Bouchez, Jose Maria de Tavira, Karim Saleh
Executive Produced by Rami Makhzoumi, Matthew Chausse
Produced by Vanessa Hope
Cinematography by Magela Crosignani
Edited by Michael Taylor
Production Design by Jade Healy
Co-produced by Joel Blanco
91 minutes | U.S.A.| Spanish/French/Arabic/Korean/English with English subtitles | Color | 16mm
THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE! will now be in NYC theaters on April 15th with a nationwide expansion to follow
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
