Opera is new to me. It is not part of my culture or of those sitting near me in this dark theatre hall. But, fifteen minutes into the film, all of us are engrossed in the movie called The Don Juans , a Czhech Republic film. The film is about a small town opera company and presents the world of opera stripped of any glamour and glitz. It is packed with wit and humour. Womanising directors, eccentric singers and stern directors make up that world. But, one also gets a glimpse of the culture and lifestyle of a country that is miles away from ours.
This is precisely why a delegation of European Union and embassies of the member states, in association with Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, Chennai, European Union Film Festival has decided to screen 21 recent award-winning films from different European countries, including Latvia, Cyprus, Spain, Hungary, Luxembourg, Croatioan, France and others. The festival celebrates 20 years of the European Union Film Festival in India. Apart from Coimbatore, the festival also travels to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.
The auditorium at Hindusthan College of Arts and Science is filled with students. They have been on a movie marathon since the last two days. Says Andrea, a third year visual communication graduate, “It has been a great exposure for me. I meet so many interesting people. The festival is open to all. So, we also meet many film buffs from the city.”
She says that festival opened their eyes to new techniques and cinematic forms. “Our teachers told us to pay attention to cinematography and the use of sound. It opens up your mind to different possibilities in film making.” After the screening, a member from the audience can present his review of the film. These sessions have opened up thought-provoking discussions on cinema, says Andrea.
As a part of their film appreciation course, students of the visual communication department regularly watch films from across the world, says a faculty member, John Antony. “The aim of conducting the festival is to introduce them to varied cultures and languages. They knew they had to understand them in its cultural context.”
The teachers have encouraged the students to come up with their reviews of the films. Nirbhai, a third year visual communication student, says, “The best thing about the festival is that the movie watching experience does not just stop with just watching the film. We discuss the films in the classrooms the next day and some of us write about it too. This is a great exposure. Some of the Swedish and Polish films are extremely rare to find.”
This is the second year that they are bringing the festival to Coimbatore, says Thangaraj, the general secretary of Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation. “Last April, we conducted one in Chennai. The response was overwhelming. The halls were overflowing with people.” The foundation was set up in 2003 and since then, every month they conduct two to three film festivals. “We have been conducting Hungarian, Swedish and Mexican film festivals too.”
The foundation consists of people of age groups. Some of them are even members of the film industry. “There are around 500 members. Their age group varies between 18 and 75. These include many visual communication students as well,” says Thangaraj.
A retired bank employee, Thangaraj travels to Delhi, each time he plans to hold a festival. “The embassies in Delhi are very open and forthcoming while sharing their films.”
Film societies play a huge role in keeping alive the interest in serious cinema, he says. “And these kinds of niche festivals help us exposed to some of the rare gems of world cinema. However, we need more sponsors to invest in this field. The government can build small theatres within huge complexes in each city that would allow free entry to the public.” Thangaraj is planning to bring an Egyptian film festival to Chennai next year. Looks like his tickets to Delhi are booked.
The film festival is open till July 18 from at Hindusthan College of Arts and Science.
