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130 films to be screened at Kolkata festival

By Gautaman Bhaskaran

The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sushma Swaraj, lighting the traditional lamp to inaugurate the 8th Film Festival in Kolkata on Sunday. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (right), and the Bengali film actor, Soumitra Chatterjee, are also seen. _ Photo: Sushanta Patronobish.

KOLKATA NOV. 10.

The eighth edition of the Kolkata Film Festival began here today with a grim reminder that money was not flowing for the arts. The festival was poorer this year by Rs. 30 lakhs, and had to do with a budget of just Rs. 50 lakhs. Even these funds came largely from corporate houses and public sector undertakings, said the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and the chief guest.

Despite this budgetary cut, the festival plans to screen about 130 movies in eight sections. A centenary tribute to the German master, Max Ophuls, and retrospectives of the Greek director, Theo Angelopoulos, as well as India's Mani Ratnam (10 works) and Aparna Sen (with seven of her creations) are some of the highlights.

Describing these as some of the finest pieces of cinema, Soumitra Chatterjee, one of the most brilliant actors the world has seen, told the evening's gathering how important it was for governments to promote art and culture. "It would not have been possible to hold this show without the West Bengal administration's support,'' he said.

And the Government appeared in its full strength: the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, flew down from New Delhi to inaugurate the festival reaffirming once again her commitment to try and inject that essential dose of oxygen that film festivals need. In a very brief speech, she said she was happy that the country now had more than one festival. But her speech in Hindi, Mr. Bhattacharjee's and Mr. Chatterjee's in Bengali, were not translated into English for the pan Indian audience, and the sprinkling of foreign guests present at the function. Somewhere, Indian patriotism appears to be linked to language chauvinism. Mercifully, the films at the festival from all corners of the globe will be subtitled in English.

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