Ticket to world cinema
NITA SATHYENDRAN
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Journey with the best of Third World films at IFFK 2009, which begins on December 11.
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In focus: Stills of some of the competition films of IFFK 2009. (below) ‘Jermal' from Indonesia, ‘Z'har' from Algeria/France and ‘Orada' from Turkey.
For the past 13 years, for a week in December, the best of world cinema has taken centre stage in Thiruvananthapuram; seven magical days of movie-viewing at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) that takes film buffs on a reel journey of discovery into worlds, peoples, cultures and lives. Over the years, IFFK has garnered a reputation for itself as a platform for Third World Cinema and this year's edition beginning on December 11 also emphasises this with films from Africa, Asia and Latin America forming the majority of the 175 or so films to be screened.
Unconventional packages
“As always the focus continues to be on cinema from the Third World,” agrees K. R. Mohanan, Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, which organises the festival. “Perhaps it is because this genre is something that gels with the sensibilities of our audience that makes it so popular. This time too we have brought in some excellent, rather unconventional film packages from across the world,” he adds.
Indeed IFFK 2009 has some fantastic packages on the anvil to suit the taste of even the most discerning of cinephiles. The contemporary package from Africa highlights cinemas that have been made by lesser known yet brilliant young craftsmen from the African continent such as Newton Aduaka from Nigeria, Wanuri Kahiu from Kenya and Zimbabwean Tendeka Matatu. The films are being shown in association with the Burkina Faso-based Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), the biggest film festival in Africa. In fact, it is the first time that FESPACO is associating with IFFK.
Every year the IFFK also takes a couple of contemporary filmmakers into focus. This year's edition will have award-winning Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, known for his intensely political films and the charismatic young Thai filmmaker and scriptwriter Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, known for his intensely personal style of cinema. “Raoul Peck will deliver the Aravindan Memorial Lecture, which we consider to be the centrepiece of the festival. It will be one to look out for because it is rare for a filmmaker to be articulate in his form and political position as Peck,” says Bina Paul Venugopal, artistic director of IFFK, adding that this year being the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, it is natural that the country in focus be Cuba. Seven films by Cuban auteurs such as Thomas Alia, Humberto Solas and Perez will be part of the package.
Retrospectives
This year's Retrospectives have also drawn gasps of delight. Featured in this section are Mexican filmmaker Arturo Ripstein and India's own legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen and Japanese auteur Mikio Naruse, whose films are rarely to be seen on the festival circuit. Another package that is sure to draw in the crowds include seven classics from the French New Wave made by the likes of Chabrol, Goddard and Agnes Varda. Of course the “surprise” package too supposedly will have many takers. “It will be an exciting thing for filmmakers and students of film alike,” says Bina adding that the package loosely revolves around the concept of “restoration.”
IFFK 2009's competition section too has some remarkable films from the Third World vying for the Suvarna Chakoram for the Director of Best Film and the Rajata Chakoram for the Best Debut Director. If in the years past Iran appeared to be the most exciting place for cinema, this year Argentina and Turkey seem to be the places to be. Included in the melee are two Malayalam films: ‘Sufi Paranja Katha' and ‘Madhyavenal.' Seven other Malayalam films will also vie for the FIPRESCI and the NETPAC awards. Besides, there is also an Indian cinema package, which includes ‘Harishchandrachi Factory,' India's official entry to the Oscars. There will also be tributes to the late filmmakers Lohitadas and Shobana Parameswaran Nair and actors Rajan P. Dev, Murali and Adoor Bhavani.
In all it appears that there's something for everyone at IFFK 2009.
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