‘Kanopy’
A criminally underrated streaming platform
September 26, 2022
With a back catalog of diverse films, educational material and arresting documentaries, Kanopy is a criminally underrated addition to a stacked lineup of streaming platforms. Despite having a limited approach to how users can access the platform — using a public library card or through registration from a university — Kanopy deserves more attention.
Directed by D.W. Young, 2019. Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Used and antique bookstores are like time capsules, liminal spaces that exist to keep the timeless, printed word alive. A documentary that meanders in all the right ways, “The Booksellers” is a lovely dive into the world of rare book dealing in New York. The booksellers that make up this film are a diverse troupe of characters within this moving documentary narrated by Parker Posey.
Directed by Leonor Caraballo and Matteo Norzi, 2016. Runtime: 1 hour and 31 minutes.
A trippy, psychedelic venture into the world of hallucinogens and medicinal healing. With a tragic backstory involving one of the film’s directors — one can argue that the story inspired the arc of the film’s protagonist — “Icaros: A Vision” is mysterious. In the film, the protagonist, Angelina, retreats to the Amazon in search of a cure for an ailment that remains unnamed to the viewer. The film’s calm imagery couples nicely with the sound design of the film — a mix that highlights the natural sounds of the Amazon.
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, 1960. Runtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Jean-Luc Godard — a pioneer of new cinema techniques — passed away on Sept. 13, 2022. Godard is remembered among a revered group of French critics turned filmmakers who helped bolster the start of the French New Wave and changed filmmaking forever. “Breathless” follows a young, impressionable criminal who plans an escape to Italy with his American girlfriend. The film was Godard’s first feature-length work as a director. Godard revolutionized several new filmmaking techniques — jump cuts, on-location shooting and non-professional actors — which are now routine tools in modern moviemaking but were unique to Godard’s style at the time. This revolutionary debut is a must-watch for any fan of film.
Directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu, 2013. Runtime: 26 minutes.
This stunningly shot short film blends autobiography with the myth and folklore of Ghana as a young woman returns home for the funeral of her father. Similar to “Icaros: A Vision,” seeing the intersection of ritual with the real world is poignant. While the film’s runtime is short, its message is more important.
Directed by Wong Kar-wai, 2000. Runtime: 1 hour and 38 minutes
In the year 2000, Wong Kar-Wai delivered his seventh film to audiences — a seductive, richly-colored film. It follows a man and a woman who develop feelings for one another after their respective spouses have an affair.
Among a respectable presence in world cinema, Wong’s films are known for their deep-cut soundtracks and gorgeous cinematography. “In The Mood For Love” pairs Wong-regular Christopher Doyle with Mark Lee Ping-bin. The result is a luscious masterpiece.
Films across a variety of genres can be viewed through Kanopy’s website, which all UTSA students can access through the library’s databases page.
