The DIFF Editorial.
DIFF’s Editorial Publication is an online journal devoted to the eclectic discussion and celebration of film. Our vision is a collective one: each of us believes film to be an art form, and believes art to be for everyone. We provide opportunities for casual cinephiles and prospective film journalists alike to cultivate a space in which discourse and serious engagement with film can flourish.
Evident in our body of work is the sheer diversity of the Duke student body: we feature works ranging from musing, critique, and ranking, to review, and even memoir.
Film Diary: The Half of It
Just 10 minutes into the 2020 coming-of-age film The Half of It (2020), director Alice Wu already gives away the ending. This isn’t a love story, and the characters don’t get what they want.
Monty Python Versus the Modern Cinephile
There are two categories of great movies. The first category are movies that are a brilliant demonstration of the director and actors’ craft, their skill at portraying raw emotion and resonant themes that stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.
Film Diary: Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig's 2017 film Lady Bird illustrates the stress of change, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the tumultuous relationship between a mother and her daughter.
Film Diary: In Defense of the Slasher
Over the second half of quarantine, I dove headfirst into horror. I had spent most of my life afraid to watch so much as World War Z (2013), but suddenly found a richness in terror that I had never known before.
Film Diary: Martial Arts and Femininity
The most joyful part of summer is watching movies with my parents. It’s how we fill our time together in the warmer months—watching 武功 (martial arts) films, seated on the edge of the couch or on the floor.
Film Diary: The Criminal Mind of Carol
Madysen dives deeper into the visual imagery, and artistry of Todd Hayne's Carol (2015), reflecting on its implications for queer and sapphic media as a whole.
Film Diary: We Need to Talk About Twilight
As the world gears up for Halloween Marina takes a look at an older tween series with fresh eyes, reflecting on the merits, flaws and consequences of the Twilight Saga. Who said Y.A. romance films were dead?
Film Diary: The Case for Silent Films
In the latest installment of our Film Diary series, Sophie makes a case for the value of silent films in modern times & gives a few recommendations along the way.
Film Diary: Children of Men And Dystopia
In the third of installment of our Film Diary series, Olivia deconstructs Children of Men (2006), using its themes and visual imagery to discuss the role of dystopian stories in modern times