CIFF - Notes from my diary

I thought not to go this time, but things didn’t turn up as expected, so I ended up in getting the pass at the last moment. For some reason, I kept self-abstaining from seeing non-Tamil-English films for past few months. There were times, when I would see 5-6 movies in a week and blog lavishly (!!!) about it. That’s like a machine, end-of-the-day I didn’t get a chance to empathize with the films I saw. Few social media interactions about the films, do fill the void, but it’s mostly a one-way communication or with no active interactions. I lost the hunger or interest. The much needed break (from seeing the films) made an impact to reboot it. Chennai International Film Festival is a place to start my innings again with a fresh guard.

Whenever someone ask me to recommend films to them, I give them few names with a word of disclaimer that I liked those films and it’s not necessary that you’ll like it as your tastes might be different. When a similar kind of discourse is seen in a film, then it is obvious that you have to like that film (assuming that I and the director\writer have the similar thought). I’m here referring to the movie- Taxi by Jafar Panahi. The crowd gave standing ovation. Jafar Panahi is a star in this year edition. The film mocks at the censorship, debates about capital punishment for petty crimes, women rights and cultural activity of pirated films. On total 82-minutes, the crowd was clapping once in 5 minutes. It’s a film which every film-lover has to see.

Swedish films aren't good only in their thrillers and psychology films, looks like they can make good black comedy films too. The title of this film created an interest in me to see it- The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. This must a European version of Forrest Gump. When I said it to an elderly film-lover the other day, he was surprised to see such a long title. I told him the story (time pass, since we were waiting for the next film to start). He felt bad that he missed the film. He said he is attending this festival for past 10 years. He asked the same question, gave me the schedule and asked to recommend good films to watch. I asked him you know Buster Keaton. He replied “who ?”.

Other notables will be Life Eternal and the biopic about Armando Reveron.

Most people felt or at least the people whom I talked felt Dheepan should have been screened in this edition. I’m sure the organizers don’t want any neighborhood political tensions to be discussed in public here. 

Venue – RKV Studio, Vadapalani is a good find. If you want to watch the film with the operator then you can head to it. People from west of Chennai can easily crash into it. Woodlands still has that creaking seats. 

RKV Studio

Rants – If people are blaming the volunteers, equally the audience should be blamed. Time and again, they are requested to silent the phones, but now-and-then an over enthusiastic business magnet’ phone rings.

Still three days left. I’ll see if I can get back with few more films.

***The heading picture is from the Bengali film, The letterbox. 50% of the crowd escaped half way through the film.