-Brian Mendonca
The weekend’s here – well almost – the first and last weekend of iffi54 here in Goa. Let’s look at what Friday brings tomorrow.
In the International Competition category we have Bosnian Pot, a film from Croatia. When a writer is asked to prove his artistic credentials to avoid being deported, he falls back on a theatre group to stage his play.
Festival Kaleidoscope features exceptional films from veteran filmmakers, emerging powerhouse talents, and critically acclaimed hits from reputed international film festivals of the year. When Samuel dies in the French Alps, his wife Sandra, a writer, is the prime suspect. Included in the Festival Kaleidoscope category, the film Anatomy of a Fall from France investigates their relationship.
Watch out for two exciting sessions in the ‘In
Conversation’ segment. In the first, listen to a discussion on ‘Crafting
Compelling Webseries for OTT. Speakers include Manoj Bajpayee, Raj Nidimoru and
Krishna D.K., Apoorva Bakshi, and Srikrishna Dayal.
In the second session titled ‘Dazzling the Screen’ we
get a glimpse of how costume design, production design, and make up, give the
film that particular nuance. In conversation are Dolly Ahluwalia, Vaishnavi
Reddy, and Preetisheel Singh D’Souza.
How would you like to enter the world of the book you are reading? Two sisters, Juliette and Carmen managed to do just that in the French animated film Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds. There is also an animation film from Hungary tomorrow. Toldi directed by Marcell Jankovics is about the adventures of Miklos Toldi who seeks the favour of the king after committing a murder. The Other Shape from Columbia is an animated silent film. A paradise on the moon is created. But you can only enter if you have a square head.
Three films tomorrow are competing for the ICFT
Unesco Gandhi prize. i) In A House in Jerusalem, Rebecca has a
lot of adjusting to do when they move to her granddad’s house in the new city
of Jerusalem after the death of her mother. ii) Inmates in an institution for
the disabled become subjects of a secret experiment in the Swedish film The
Sugar Experiment. iii) ‘Malikkapuram’ is the name given to a
female devotee who undertakes the pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple. This
journey by 8-year-old Kallu is depicted in the Malayalam film by the same name.
In the Film Package we have the Indian film Basaan
directed by Jitank Singh Gurjar. The film is based on the folklore of central
India about an unclaimed treasure which has powers of its own.
There is lots to view in the Cinema of the World section. Rita Lopez aspires to sainthood. To achieve this,
she stages a miracle in the Argentinian film Chronicles of a Wandering
Saint. Step into the world of amateur rock bands in Family Album – a
film from Uruguay. Cesar envisions a rock band with his teenage sons but it is
doomed. Commemorating the struggle for independence in Morocco in 1955 is the
film Fez Summer’ 55. Kamal (11) teams up with Aicha and her University
students to fight for freedom. If you are looking for eccentric characters make
a beeline for the German film Franky Five Star. This is a love comedy in
which Franky falls for her friend’s boyfriend.
The Kazakh film Goliath features a man caught between the desire for revenge and his abhorrence for violence. Catherine Corsini directs the French film Homecoming. Khedidja’s summer job minding children in Corsica reveals family secrets. In the Serbian film Lost Country Stefan has to confront his mother who is a spokesperson of the corrupt Government of Milosevic he is fighting against in 1996. From Tajikstan comes a music teacher who wants to compose a piece with the sounds of thirty different birds at a party for kids with cancer. It is called Melody and the language is Persian.
From Turkey is Mommy’s Lambie – a film about
Murat (30) a prisoner who has nightmares about his childhood days. Seagrass from
Canada is about Judith and Steve saving their marriage, during a retreat on a
remote island. Recovering from hangovers after bouts of drinking Rogerio spends
time watching ships at a port. He meets a young woman in the night who seems to
be running away from something. Rogerio is unaware of the consequences in the
Portuguese film The Drunk. A father has to face his estranged daughter’s
orientation as a trans in the Columbian film A Fisherman’s Daughter.
In the Restored Film Classics section, Hakeeqat directed by Chetan Anand in 1964 takes you back to the Indo-China war in 1962. Against the backdrop of Ladakh, a platoon of Indian soldiers need to be rescued. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a Ukrainian film about the love between Ivan and Marichka who belong to two warring clans.
There are two films lined up in the experimental category tomorrow. Scientist Sterling Pierce develops a serum called ‘Divinity’ in the US film by the same name. He Thought He Died, from Canada, is a meditation on the nature of art with the plot line of a painter planning to steal his own works of art from the museum.
Stone quarrying is endangering the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. The documentary film Changing Landscape is entered in the Indian Panorama – Non-feature section. It focusses on the destruction of wetlands near the sanctuary.
In the Turkish film About Dry Grasses, a
teacher is waiting for a transfer to Istanbul. When this does not happen, he
loses perspective on life.
Gathan, is about two brothers Kamlakar and Babulgo. Babulgo
disappears before he reaches for lunch to his brother’s house with his
daughter and son-in-law. Migration seems to be an enduring theme tomorrow.
Moving to a new country brings unexpected changes in the Albanian film Ocarina.
That's all from the iffi desk in Goa. Happy viewing.
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Broadcast on national hookup as part of iffi report by Akashvani, New Delhi from 10.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on 23 November 2023. Generated by Akashvani, Panaji, Goa. Received on 105.4 FM Rainbow, Panaji, Goa.
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