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Paul Risker

While technically an English-based film critic and interviewer, Paul shows his political disgruntlement towards his homeland by identifying instead as a European writer. You’ll often find him agreeing with the late great French filmmaker, François Truffaut, preferring the reflection of life to life itself – he’ll even tell you that the cinema is more important than life. Often mistaken for a cynic, he prefers to think of himself as a disappointed idealist. Unsurprisingly he likes skulking in the sanctuary of the dark confines of the cinema.

Described as 'philosophically inclined', Paul has a broad taste in cinema. His film writing has been published by academic and non-academic publications, including, amongst others: PopMatters, Little White Lies, Cineaste, DMovies, VideoScope, Eye For Film, Film International, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and Filmmaker Magazine. He’s also on the advisory board of Mise-en-scène: The Journal of Film & Visual Narration (MSJ), the official film studies journal of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he serves as interview editor. He regularly contributes to the Arrow Films blog, the FrightFest festival programmes and online blog.

Latest Film Reviews

Is This Thing On?
An ageing financier faces divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife confronts sacrifices made for their family, and they are forced to navigate co-parenting.

The Choral
A Yorkshire village’s choral society finds its ranks depleted as men head off to war... leaving it forced to change its rules.

Jay Kelly
Famous movie actor Jay Kelly and his devoted manager Ron embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey. Both are forced to confront choices they've made, their relationships with loved ones and the legacies they'll leave behind.

H Is For Hawk
After a woman's father dies, she takes solace in training a goshawk.

Cicadas
A woman whose marriage is crumbling and is struggling to care for her ageing parents has an encounter with a single mother that leads to an unexpected bond.

Bad Attitude: The Art Of Spain Rodriguez
Legendary underground cartoonist Spain Rodriguez is profiled in this intimate portrait by his wife, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Susan Stern.