Ian Barr
Name: Ian Barr
Age: 28
Twitter handle: @ianbarr
City I call home: Sydney
Area of cinema I am most passionate about: A cop-out cliché answer, but exploring all areas of the medium is what I’m most passionate about; I like the feeling of always being at the tip of an iceberg. That being said, I’m particularly fond of films that have a good on-foot chase sequence and/or are 70–80 minutes in length.
A film that changed me/my mind: The Shining. I saw it at the age of 12, unaware of the film or Kubrick’s reputation, and it was the first time I recall being engaged with a film for reasons other than narrative/entertainment value – namely, formal qualities. I consequently stopped trying to land a kickflip, and started exploring classic/canonical cinema.
MIFF film I’m most looking forward to: Hands down, Jacques Rivette’s rarely-screened, 13-hour 1971 opus Out 1, which has been at the top of my cinematic bucket list for nearly as long as it’s runtime. Of new films: Aleksei German’s swansong Hard to be a God – I’ve watched its amazing trailer about ten times.
I’m looking forward to Critics Campus because: Meeting the other members and the mentors, improving my writing and critical thinking, and because the word “campus” promises a debauched, prank-filled romp.
Cinema excites me because: It’s inexhaustible.
A publication I’d one day like to write for: Whichever one pays the best (only half-kidding)!
Favourite Critic and why: Adrian Martin, for his clarity, passion, historical grasp, and that I share his tastes more often than not (which shouldn’t be an important factor, but is).