Pune’s one of the most revered fests, Pune International Film Festival (PIFF), kick-starts tomorrow
Cinema lovers long for this time of the year. For watching cinema becomes an enthralling community experience for them all. The wait is over! The 16th Pune International Film Festival will start tomorrow, January 11.
So, pull up your socks, get ready for your winter wear, and head to one of the venue theaters for Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) film screenings. You are up for a treat. The theme this year is Youth. After going through the exhausting job of watching 1008 entry films, the selection committee is out with about 200 films for screening.
This year Pune International Film Festival – jointly organized by the Pune Film Foundation and the Maharashtra Government – will last from January 11 to 18. In the World Competition Section, there will be about 14 films. In the Retrospective Section, you have Ingmar Bergman and Raj Kapoor’s films. The other sections include Student International Section, Just Juries, Global, Asian, Indian Cinema, Country Focus on Argentina and Italy, Kaleidoscope, Retrospective, Youth, Documentaries, Marathi Cinema Today, and Tribute.
Appreciating a film
Festival director, Jabbar Patel, shares an interesting message for the cinephile, “In any film, the first 10 to 15 minutes are crucial because they tell us about its subject. In a film, one should look out for: the subject; the kind of experimentation if any by the director; the technical treatment by the director; a play of the pace of the film; technical aspects such as sound and camera; and finally how the story is unfolded.”
On this note, for the next eight days drown yourself in the mesmerizing world of cinema, brought to you from across the world. The films selected for screenings are all brilliant in their own ways. Most of them have received acclaim at international film festivals. Some have even won prestigious awards. However, to give you an idea of what gems you can witness at PIFF, we list down only 10 films here.
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Muskarci koji ne placu (Men Don’t Cry):
This Bosnian film, directed by Alen Drljevic, throws light on the gloomy results of the Yugoslavian wars, much after 20 years. The story revolves around a group of war veterans, who are all a part of a counseling workshop in a hotel, in the mountains of Bosnia. So, it’s about how these macho men are helped to go beyond hatred, brokenness, and other distressing feelings of the wartime through the various activities and counseling.
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Napadid Shodan (Disappearance)
Director Ali Asgari’s debut feature film Disappearance is set in Qatar, Iran. The Persian film comments on the sad state of Iranian society, through the heartrending circumstances in the lives of a young unmarried couple. The young lovers are viewed through the harrowing eyes of moral standards set by the society. This is as they walk through one hospital to another after their first sexual intercourse for urgent medical attention. Consequently, their condition only worsens as the fellow hospital staff detests them for their taboo act.
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Geu-hu (The Day After)
Hong Sang-soo’s directorial has made rounds at some of the most esteemed international film festivals. Although the plot is not out-of-the-box, it is the treatment of the film and Sang-soo’s style of direction, called the Woody Allen of South Korea, that makes it impressive. The story follows the miserable state of love-stricken Bongwan, a married publisher who broke up with a previous employee.
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Rekvijem za gospodju J (Requiem for Mrs. J)
Against the backdrop of social and political transition in Serbia, a widow is trying to plan her suicide. Director Bojan Vuletic’s Serbian melancholic comedy is sprinkled with some cheer into the otherwise miserable life of the grieving widow, Mrs. J.
Read Also: Remembering Fearless Nadia
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Women of the Weeping River
The Filipino film is based on real circumstances in Zamboanga. It’s about the blood feud between families. The plot of Sheron Dayoc’s directorial revolves around a conflict between two clans on either side of a river. It weaves together the lives of two women from a Muslim community determined to break the feud dating back generations.
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Daha (More)
Onur Saylak’s directorial debut has been critically acclaimed in the international film fest circuit. The poignant Turkish drama weaves the story of father and son duo, set in today’s harsh times. It portrays how young boy, Gaza, cannot escape the ruthless world of human misery and exploitation.
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A Fabrica de Nada (The Nothing Factory)
In this three-hour-long fiction film, director Pedro Pinho brings to you the ugly face of capitalism. Thus, it brings forth the lives of poor blue collar workers. This Portuguese film revolves around their misfortunes as they are left amidst a half-empty factory.
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Belinda
The documentary film takes us through the life of young Belinda, spanning over two decades. Marie Dumora’s French film simply travels through the troubled life of the protagonist. Belinda has to deal with separations, heartbreaks, and hopeless events on personal front, especially within the family.
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They
With a dainty plot, director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh tells the story of 14-year-old J, who is exploring ‘their’ gender identity. The story sees J in a critical phase of having to make a decision about what gender to choose. However, at this crucial time in their life, J has their sister and her boyfriend around, who are fighting their own issues.
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Grimsey
Co-directed by Richard Garcia and Raul Portero, this multilingual film portrays the life of Bruno, who is in search of his ex-boyfriend. As he lands in the Icelandic island of Grimsey, he discovers the true meaning of love.
So, Let’s Enjoy Pune International Film Festival
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