New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

All content by Mick Gaw
An upside-down shot of actor Leslie Cheung, his face covered in white face paint, and pink-and-black makeup. He is wearing an orange-and-blue, jewel-covered outfit, a matching headpiece and pearls.

Review: ‘Farewell My Concubine’ restoration upholds film’s undying legacy

In celebration of the film’s 30-year anniversary, Film Movement’s uncut, 4K restoration breathes new life into a modern classic.
Mick Gaw, Film & TV Editor Sep 21, 2023

Thirty years after “Farewell My Concubine’s” triumphant showing at the Cannes Film Festival — where it took home the coveted Palme d’Or prize — a new, uncut 4K restoration...

A collage of a copy of Either slash Or by Elif Batuman, a long playlist of “BELEZA PULA” by Masayoshi Takanaka and various black vinyls lay against a purple background.

Staff Recs: How to romanticize the start of a new term

WSN’s arts editors spotlight a range of media to help you fight those back to school blues and start your semester right.

We know what the first days of school are like. Whether you’re a first-year trying to navigate living in New York City for the first time or an overwrought senior ready to wrap...

A doctor wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, a blue mask and scrubs.

Review: ‘De Humani Corporis Fabrica’ cuts deep into the human body

In their latest documentary feature, Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor bring viewers on a transformational journey of human anatomy. “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” is currently showing at the IFC Center. 
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer May 1, 2023

The intrusive lens of the micro camera burrows through cavernous organs and once unseen crevices of the human body in “De Humanis Corporis Fabrica.” First premiered at the...

An illustration of a silver and black laptop with an image of a prisoner wearing a mask in a dimly lit room.

Off the Radar: 6 minutes of masks and fascism in ‘The Fall’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The Fall” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Apr 28, 2023

Jonathan Glazer’s short film “The Fall” depicts a spiraling descent into a macabre dimension of human barbarism and fascistic mob violence. Released in 2019, six years after...

A black-and-white image from the film “Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters,” with three women holding swords in different postures.

Old School Kung Fu film festival returns to NYC

A collaboration between Subway Cinema, Metrograph and the Taipei Cultural Center, the Old School Kung Fu Fest is a curated series of rare and iconic films in the Taiwanese wuxia genre. Tickets are available on the Metrograph website.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Apr 21, 2023

On April 21, the annual Old School Kung Fu Fest makes a triumphant return to the Lower East Side’s Metrograph cinema, bringing a flurry of clashing steel and costumed vigilantes...

Actress Joely Mbundu standing next to actor Pablo Schils, holding a microphone. They are looking at each other and smiling. The image is from the film “Tori and Lokita.”

Review: The sobering reality of exile in ‘Tori and Lokita’

In their latest film, the Dardennes bring attention to the tragic reality of the European immigration crisis and its effects on a young generation of exiles fighting for a new life.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Apr 12, 2023

In Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s latest film, “Tori and Lokita,” the two award-winning directors turn their camera toward the unjust struggles faced by immigrants in contemporary...

An illustration of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto against a black background. He has long, white hair and is wearing a black suit.

Remembering sonic pioneer, cinematic legend and outspoken activist Ryuichi Sakamoto

Ryuichi Sakamoto had one of the most influential runs in the global music industry, establishing himself as an iconic film composer and a luminary in the electro-pop genre.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Apr 12, 2023

With the recent passing of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto on March 28, generations of fans and artists alike are mourning the loss of a beloved industry legend. While Sakamoto’s nearly...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a pair of binoculars with text that reads “High and Low.”

Off the Radar: Searching ‘High and Low’ for common humanity

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “High and Low” is available to stream on Kanopy and NYU Stream.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Mar 31, 2023

In Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” (1963), samurai heraldry and clashing swords are replaced by the aesthetics of midcentury modernity. While best known for his epic period...

An illustration of a laptop placed on a bed with blue sheets. The laptop displays two people wearing white T-shirts sitting together.

Off the Radar: Lessons on how to film ‘The Act of Killing’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The Act of Killing” is available to stream on Kanopy and NYU Stream.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Mar 10, 2023

The documentary film genre is often treated as the simple presentation of facts — a journalistic investigation that reveals answers to real-world phenomena. A passive camera...

A soldier wearing a helmet in a trench.

Review: Carnage and cannon fire in ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’

Nominated for nine Academy Awards, Edward Berger’s adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front” laments the lives lost to the folly of war. “All Quiet on the Western Front” is available for streaming on Netflix and is showing in select theaters.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Mar 8, 2023

Award season favorite "All Quiet on the Western Front" (2022) masterfully builds immersive visual scale and emotional depth, delivering an unfiltered elegy to the Lost Generation....

A close-up shot of two men dressed in formal attire sitting behind a wooden desk in a chamber with wooden walls. There are microphones placed on the desk. The man on the left points toward the camera.

Review: ‘Argentina, 1985’ and the legacy of a landmark anti-fascist trial

Nominated for best international feature film, Santiago Mitre’s “Argentina, 1985” depicts a monumental event in Argentine and international legal history. The film is showing in select theaters and streaming on Amazon Prime.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Mar 7, 2023

In “Argentina, 1985” director Santiago Mitre captures a rare moment in global history — the successful civilian persecution of a tyrannical government. Nominated for best...

A woman wearing a black jacket looks back, illuminated by street signage at night. Other people are behind and walking past her in front of various-colored blurry storefronts.

Review: ‘Return to Seoul’ explores the tragic reconciliation of adopted identities

Initially released at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Davy Chou’s film is a moving drama that captures the thrills and confusion of navigating adulthood through the eyes of a Korean adoptee.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Feb 27, 2023

In his recently released film “Return to Seoul,” Davy Chou takes audiences through a search for lost identities with scenes of nightlife, hedonism and awkward family meals....

A dark blue bedsheet with a laptop on it showing a man’s face hidden between leaves on the screen. A white teacup with blue details and a tea bag draped over its side sits in front of the computer.

Off the Radar: Jungles, love and phantoms in ‘Tropical Malady’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Tropical Malady” available to stream on Kanopy and NYU Stream.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Feb 24, 2023

A sweltering labyrinth of flora and fauna, the jungle has often symbolized the hostile unknown in modern cinema. In the last 50 years, films centered on the American experience...

Chinese actress Zhou Xun, who plays the dual role of Moudan and Meimei in the film Suzhou River. She has long, blonde hair with bangs, blue eyeshadow and red lipstick.

Review: The 4K restoration of ‘Suzhou River’ enhances a fleeting urban fairy tale

Strand Releasing’s 4K restoration of Lou Ye’s arthouse romance “Suzhou River” gives new life to a modern classic, while retaining the film's gritty essence. ‘Suzhou River’ began its theatrical run at Film Forum this Friday, Feb. 17.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Feb 22, 2023

Director Lou Ye’s urban fairy tale “Suzhou River” (2000) captures a short-lived love affair amid the thick smog of ‘90s Shanghai. Neon-lit debauchery, underworld criminal...

A woman wearing a pink silk robe while holding a sword in her right hand pointing towards the left with her left hand high in the air.

Review: ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ restoration immortalizes a masterpiece

The 4K restoration of Ang Lee’s monumental martial arts classic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” by Sony Pictures Classics further cements the film’s indelible legacy. The film will be playing in select theaters starting Feb. 17.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Feb 17, 2023

Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), revitalized by a new 4K restoration, remains one of the most timeless and transformative entries into the canon of martial...

A cup of coffee and a laptop screening a monochrome image of building compounds on fire in a desert on top of a gray blanket.

Off the Radar: ‘Lessons of Darkness’ in the chaos of the Gulf War

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Lessons of Darkness” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Feb 3, 2023

Werner Herzog’s 1992 film, “Lessons of Darkness,” is a blazing symphony of destruction and trauma in the aftermath of human conflict. Over the course of 54 minutes, the documentary...

An illustration of Malcom X wearing a black suit, a gray hat and a pair of glasses with black frames against a red background.

Celebration of Black cinema and civil rights in America: ‘Malcolm X’ turns 30

Three decades ago since its release, the Brooklyn Academy of Music hosted a screening for Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” to commemorate the legacy of the film and the enduring memory of the civil rights activist. 
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Dec 9, 2022

Over one thousand New Yorkers gathered at the opulent Howard Gilman Opera House to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”  biopic on Nov. 22. The Brooklyn...

An illustration of a silver laptop and a cup of tea placed on top of a dark blue cushion. The laptop is displaying two people walking alongside each other. On the left is a man wearing a blue shirt and pants while carrying fish nets. On the right is a woman wearing a green dress while carrying a basket.

Off the Radar: ‘Manila in the Claws of Light’ dissects a city under the pressure of tyranny

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Manila in the Claws of Light” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Dec 2, 2022

“Manila in the Claws of Light” takes viewers on a tragic cinematic odyssey. Director Lino Brocka’s masterpiece is a visceral indictment of the moral corruption, economic...

A donkey wearing a strap and a wreath of carrots around its neck stands on a grass field.

Review: ‘EO’ and a donkey’s odyssey across Europe

“EO” centers around a donkey’s experience in captivity, interactions with various sects of society, and eventual journey to liberation. “EO” is currently playing at Film Forum.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Nov 21, 2022

In acclaimed Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski’s latest film “EO,” a wandering donkey moves from one place to the next as the viewer bears witness to some of the darker...

An illustration of a cup of coffee in a white cup and white plate next to a gray laptop. On the screen of the laptop is an image of an elderly Black woman dressed in a light blue dress sitting on a chair on a sidewalk at night.

Off the Radar: ‘News from Home’ captures urban solitude and fleeting memories  

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “News from Home” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Nov 11, 2022

New York City is no stranger to the silver screen. Time and time again, it has set the stage for gritty crime dramas, sappy rom-coms and billion-dollar superhero blockbusters....

A man wearing a checkered blue shirt and beige pants leaning on the shoulder of a woman wearing a white shirt and black dress. They sit under a large tree with more greenery in the background.

Film Forum hosts ‘New Waves,’ a retrospective of New Taiwanese Cinema

“New Waves: Rediscovering Taiwanese Cinema of The 1980s” is a curated series of rare gems and classic films from this revolutionary period in film history. Tickets are available at the Film Forum box office and on their website. 
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Nov 9, 2022

In partnership with the Taipei Cultural Center and the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, Film Forum, an independent repertory cinema, will be hosting “New Waves: Rediscovering...

A black and white still image from a film depicting a man and a woman walking past each other against a sign filled with propaganda posters in Mandarin.

NYU’s 10th Reel China Biennial envisions promising future for independent Chinese cinema

The Tisch Cinema Studies Department, the Asian Film & Media Initiative, and the Center for Religion and Media co-presented the first Reel China festival since the start of the pandemic.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Nov 8, 2022

Hosted from Oct. 28-30, NYU’s 10th Reel China Biennial was the festival's first post-pandemic iteration and celebrated a two-decade-long mission to showcase some of the most...

An illustration of two figures displayed on a laptop placed on top of dark blue bedding with a cup of tea nearby. The first figure looks to be screaming, the other has a stern look.

Off the Radar: Black vampire myths and addiction in ‘Ganja & Hess’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Ganja & Hess” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Nov 4, 2022

“Ganja & Hess” (1973) opens with a somber, gospel-inspired opening song that cryptically refers to crucifixion and blood thirst. A set of intertitles introduces the protagonist,...

An illustration of a house with a gray exterior and blood soaking through its walls, displayed on a laptop.

Off the Radar: ‘The House That Jack Built’ attacks the cultural cult of the serial killer

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The House That Jack Built” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Oct 28, 2022

A highly divisive film from a director that is no stranger to controversy, Lars von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built” (2018) uses the serial killer genre to delve into...

An illustration of a cup of tea and a laptop on a bed in a dark bedroom with the film “Lucky Grandma” playing.

Off the Radar: ‘Lucky Grandma’ and the spirit of Chinatown

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Lucky Grandma” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Oct 21, 2022

In “Lucky Grandma” (2019), an archetypal chain-smoking Chinatown curmudgeon is tossed into the chaos of archaic superstitions, organized crime and strained familial relationships....

A cup of tea and a laptop placed on dark blue bedding with the laptop displaying a screenshot of the animated film “Belladonna of Sadness.”

Off the Radar: ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ paints a vivid feminist nightmare in watercolor

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Belladonna of Sadness” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Oct 7, 2022

In Eiichi Yamamoto’s “Belladonna of Sadness” (1973), elegant watercolor vignettes of medieval life — reminiscent of gothic stained glass paintings — are juxtaposed by...

A laptop and a cup of tea lay against a dark gray blanket. On the laptop screen is a picture of a boy riding a bike in a forest.

Off the Radar: ‘The Kid With a Bike’ tackles the violent consequences of abandonment

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The Kid With a Bike” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Sep 30, 2022

“The Kid with a Bike” (2011) is a gripping and painfully honest entry to the coming-of-age genre. Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present childhood through a lens of...

Lau Kin Ming, played by Andy Lau, and Chan Wing Yan, played by Tony Leung, stand off in a gun duel while standing on top of a skyscraper near Victoria Bay in Hong Kong. Both are dressed in black suits.

Review: ‘Infernal Affairs’ trilogy restoration reinvigorates a Hong Kong classic

Even two decades later, Janus Films’ restoration of the iconic “Infernal Affairs” trilogy reminds audiences that its messages are pertinent more than ever.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Sep 28, 2022

“Infernal Affairs” (2002) directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau use gang wars, police surveillance and political history to examine identity crises in the new millennium. Beneath...

A blue-and-white cup with tea inside sits in front of a computer screen with a man in a yellow suit jacket displayed on it.

Off the Radar: “Tokyo Drifter” reinvents the Yakuza Film

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Tokyo Drifter” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Sep 15, 2022

Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 “Tokyo Drifter” is a samurai spaghetti western dressed in a striking pop-art palette and slathered in excessive ’60s Americana. The film is filled...

A silver and black laptop shows a scene in a desert with a man squatting. A white and blue cup of tea is in front of the laptop.

Off the Radar: ‘Breaker Morant’ shatters illusions of benevolent empires and noble wars

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Breaker Morant” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer Sep 8, 2022

“Breaker Morant” opens to an orchestra of men, all dressed in military khakis with their pith helmets, playing their brass instruments under the Union Jack. The film then cuts...

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