DIFF to offer diverse films – ‘AN’ heart-warming

This news has been read 4801 times!

‘Sunset Song’ is driven by a young farmer’s daughter, Chris, as she dreams of a life outside of her homeland. Swept away by the local farmer, Ewan, Chris’ dreams and intense passion for life, her husbandand the unforgiving land are pushed to their limits as World War I takes its toll on her community.

French writer, scenarist, actor and director, Samuel Benchetrit joins the line-up with his latest directorial piece, ‘Macadam Stories’. A compelling tale of six chance encounters, the feature catches a glimpse of moments of compassion shared between a disabled old man and a night nurse; a troubled actress and a latchkey teen; and an American astronaut and a doting mother as shared moments reveal the essential humanity in everyone.

Winner of two awards at the prestigious Locarno International Film Festival 2015, Indian director Raam Reddy presents his feature film ‘Thithi’. A realistic comedy about three generations of sons living in a village in South India, ‘Thithi’ depicts the clans’ reactions and goings-on after the death of its eldest member, Century Gowda. Following Century Gowda’s “thithi” — the final funeral celebration 11 days after death – three stories materialise and the audience play witness as each of the sons pursue their own ventures in wake of their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather’s death.

Quest

Acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, award-winning director of ‘The Forsaken Land’, adds his spiritual tale of life and death, ‘Dark in The White Light’to the Festival’s programme. Journeying through the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, ‘Dark in The White Light’ follows a young Buddhist monk as he embarks on a quest for spiritual truth. Meanwhile, an organ dealer grows his business in a climate of general indifference and Colombo’s humidity. A surgeon, accompanied by a servant, who functions as his driver, heals by day, and rapes women by night. In the form of a philosophical tale, the film interweaves various stories of fraying bodies, on the threshold of pain, between life and death.

Esteemed Indian director, RinkuKalsy joins the line-up with her compelling biopic, ‘For The Love of a Man’ about the adored Tamil actor, Rajnikanth. Blurring the lines between real-life and cinema, Kalsy perfectly captures the frenzied love of Rajnikanth’s fans. ‘For The Love of a Man’demonstrates how fandom is about more than cinema; it is about togetherness and identity, portrayed through a star who provides fans with tangible reassurance through his on-screen immortality.

Bosnian director, Ines Tanovicis also set to showcase ‘Our Everyday Life’ which gives insight into the life of a very traditional Bosnian family. The Susic family lives a typical everyday life and all is great in the world for the family of four until, slowly but surely, their life begins to fall apart. As their problems grow they begin to appreciate what really matters in life: family.

New to DIFF is Indian director Anu Menon, best known for her short film ‘Ravi Goes to School’ and her previous feature ‘London Paris New York’. Coming to the big screen at DIFF, Anu Menon’s latest feature ‘Waiting’ is a story about a retired professor and a terrified young wife whose partners have fallen into a coma. By chance the two meet and in their time of grief they must support each other if they are to stop themselves falling apart.

After a three-year absence from the filmmaking industry, Jayro Bustamante makes his triumphant return to cinema with his seven-time-award-winning feature ‘Ixcanul Volcano’. Set in a coffee plantation on the foothills of an active volcano in Guatemala, the film is centred around Maria, a young 17-year-old Mayan girl whose future lies before her in the form of an arranged marriage despite her dreams of going to ìthe big city”. However, that all changes when she is bitten by a snake and she is forced to venture out into the modern world to cure the bite. Maria’s life is saved but at what cost?

Nashen Moodley, Director of the Cinema of The World programme, commented on the importance of representing the industry on an international scale: “The diversity of the Cinema of The World programme is a fascinating range of remarkable films from some of international cinema’s finest filmmakers and acting talent who continue to excite us with bold and exhilarating stories.”

This news has been read 4801 times!