Atom Egoyan’s narrative mosaics . . . Plus: Radical visions from Med Hondo and Lizzie Borden

One of Canada’s most acclaimed filmmakers explores loss, alienation, and technology. NEWSLETTER - JULY 24, 2020 What’s Playing A guide to the Criterion Channel. If you haven’t already subscribed,[click here]( for a 14-day free trial and explore the more than 2,000 titles and thousands of supplemental features available to stream. [Directed by Atom Egoyan]( The formally adventurous, psychologically intricate films of renowned Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan unfold according to complex, time-scrambling structures that heighten their searing emotional impact. Exploring issues of identity (including Egoyan’s Armenian heritage), loss, alienation, and technology, these films—presented with a new introduction by the director—frequently revolve around people struggling to make sense of their own shattered sense of self in the wake of profound personal tragedies. Looking for a place to start? Considered among the greatest Canadian movies ever made, Egoyan’s twin masterpieces Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter are both built around virtuoso flashback structures, their complex narrative mosaics resolving into searing portraits of grief and longing. We’re Here to Help If you have questions, comments, or feedback about the Criterion Channel, please reach out to channelhelp@criterion.com! We’d love to hear from you. [Soleil Ô]( Exclusive streaming premiere: A landmark of political cinema, Med Hondo’s bitterly funny, stylistically explosive feature debut is a shattering vision of awakening Black consciousness. [The Hard-Boiled Way]( B-movie master Joseph H. Lewis turns the ingredients of dime-store pulp into existentialist poetry in these essential noirs, two of the most stylish examples of the genre ever made. [Born in Flames]( Presented with a new interivew with director Lizzie Borden, this postpunk provocation is a DIY science-fiction fantasia that’s both an essential document of its time and radically ahead of it. [12 O’Clock Boys]( Lotfy Nathan’s stunningly kinetic documentary plunges into the thrilling, dangerous world of Baltimore’s urban dirt bikers through the eyes of a young adolescent. [A Day in the Life]( Filmmaker Myna Joseph and actor Lucy Owen present their short film alongside the Agnès Varda classic whose sensitive portraiture of a woman’s everyday experience inspired it. EDITION #155  [Tokyo Olympiad]( A spectacle of massive proportions and remarkable intimacy, Kon Ichikawa’s influential documentary remains one of the greatest sports films ever made. SUPPLEMENTAL FEATURES: Over eighty minutes of additional material from the 1964 Tokyo Games, commentary by film historian Peter Cowie, and more. Leaving July 31  The clock is ticking on a number of great movies we’ve programmed on the Criterion Channel. Here are some of the most popular titles: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963) Down in the Delta (Maya Angelou, 1998) But I’m a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit, 1999) West Side Story (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961) Gloria (John Cassavetes, 1980) [Click here]( for a full list of films leaving the service July 31. For further information on Criterion and our products, please visit our website at [criterion.com.]( To start streaming the Criterion Channel, please visit [criterionchannel.com.]( If you are not already on our mailing list and would like to be added, please [click here]( to register at [criterion.com.]( To unsubscribe, [click here.]( © 2020 The Criterion Collection :: 215 Park Ave S. New York, NY 10003