FILCA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

[padmanabha]

The seventh FILCA International Film Festival begins tomorrow. The week long festival commences with the Tabu starred, The Namesake directed by Mira Nair. In the week long festival 35 films will be screened at Kalabhavan.

The Country Focus this year is on the Czech New Wave. The politics of the region had compelled the people to see only propagandist films made in the erstwhile USSR. Unable to find recognition and screening opportunities a few of the aspiring film makers left their home land and perched on Hollywood like Milos Forman for instance who directed “One who flew over the cuckoo’s nest.” Still others succumbed to governmental repression. Yet others made films which were banned from screening. Thus Czechoslovakian films - Jester's Tale-Karel Zeman, The Cry, Valerie and the Week of Wonders-Jaromil Jires, Romance for a Bugle-Okatar Vavra, Closely Guarded Trains are sure to offer a different experience for the film lovers. :P
Closely Guarded Trains received the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language film. The story revolves around Milos a railway employee at a small railway station staffed by an interesting assortment of characters. The film is set during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia but up to the climax the war remains in the background.

Sreevidya, P Bhaskaran, and Padmini were the three eminent film personalities we lost last year. FILCA in the tribute session screens, Daivathinde Vikruthikal starring Srividhya, Rarichan enna Pouran by P.Bhaskaran and Nokkethadoorathu kannum nattu starring Padmini. “Malayalam cinema now” features Ekantham by Madhu Kaithapram. In his debut film the director narrates the story of two brothers Thilakan and Murali. The elder Thilakan returns to his home after a long gap and the younger one Murali has been looking after the house.

Pulijanmam by Priyanadan also features Murali. It is for his debut film “Neythukaran” Murali bagged the National award for the best actor. Thakarachenda by Avira Rebecca is also screened in this session.

The Ingmar Bergman - Sven Nykvist films figure in the Retrospective. FILCA in its retrospective brings films made by this perfect pair. They worked together for more tha 25 years. In fact Nykvist replaced Gunnar Fischer another eminent cinematographer. It created marked difference in the Bergaman’s films. Critics say it was like the difference between Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Fischer’s was a study in light and darkness while Nykvist preferred naturalistic and subtle approach and resembled the light compositions of the many great Scandinavian painters. Wild Strawberries, Seventh Seal, The Rite ,So Close to Life, The Silence are the films that will be screened.
Iranian films have their audiences here and this time the package includes Poet of the Wastes by Mohd Ahmadi, Wet Dreams and Love without Boundaries by Pouran Derakshandeh, Mama's Guest by Dariush Mehrjui and The Insance Flew Away by Ahmad – Reza Motamedi.
“Contemporary Indian Cinema” features Dor by Kukunoor. The theme was earlier handled by Kamal in Perumazhakalam, but Kukunoor has not brought the man in the story to the forefront. The other films in the list are Traffic Signal, Corporate by Madhur Bhandarkar and Being Cyrus by Homi Adjania. Being Cyrus essays a Parsi family-the Sethnas. Cyrus(Saif Ali Khan) joints the sculptor Mr. Setana (Naseerudin Shah) as an apprentice. Mrs. Sethna (Dimple) makes advances to Cyrus who is a mysterious protagonist.
The seven day festival closes on 10 May with Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Inaugural Film (BOX)
“The Namesake” is an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel by the same name which deals with the identity crisis of second generation Indians who know little about their Motherland. Their parents cherish nostalgic memories of the Home. The crisis is one of identity, and assimilation.