Readers Write In #659: Readers Write In – Chennai International Film Festival

By Bharath Vijayakumar

The 21st Chennai Internation Film Festival was held last month (14th December to 21st December 2023). This annual ritual is a definite and wonderful opportunity for those in Chennai to get a taste of cinema from around the globe. Film festivals are like multicuisine buffets. The menu is varied, and you get all options. You probably aren’t going to like all that is served. But the experience of going around and savoring the aroma of the dishes on display, selecting few to taste, loving some, liking some and even hating some is an experience to behold for cinephiles. Following are some thoughts on the films that I watched at the festival in no particular prder.

Movie: Das Lehrerzimmer (The Teacher’s Lounge)Language: German

Set mostly within the premises of a school, this gripping drama is one of the better films that I got to see at the festival. The film starts off like a drama, but almost veers into a thriller zone midway. The tension between the characters is extremely palpable and all the actors are excellent. The leading lady playing someone who is empathetic but also someone who cannot let go off her ideals is terrific. The film that kicks off with a theft, doesn’t reveal the person behind the incident, but uses it to discuss a whole lot of topics ranging from racism, immigration, privacy, student rights and what not!

Movie: Inshallah Walad (Inshallah A Boy)Language: Arabic

About the struggles of a young woman who just lost her husband and is made to run all around to fight for her inheritance, Inshallah A Boy is both tender and gripping. You feel as though you are watching the scenes unfold right before you. The film holds a mirror to showcase the kind of injustice that is meted out to women without battling an eyelid. And all this being done in the name of justice is what comes as a rude reminder to the kind of inequalities that exist. The film talks about sex, abortion, morality and sin among other topics. But everything is expertly woven around the main narrative and there is absolutely no feeling of contrivance. The leading lady puts up a brilliant performance. The brother-in-law character in the film is terrific and superbly performed.

Movie: Kuolleet lehdet (Fallen Leaves)Language: Finnish

Not sure what genre this film would fit into. Looked up and saw that few have referred to it as a tragicomedy. It is in a way. Fallen Leaves is about two lonely people falling for each other. There is an undercurrent of sadness, but this film is packed with laughs. The deadpan humour in this film is priceless and the style of this film is so distinct. There is a reference to Chaplin in the climax. I am not familiar with Chaplin’s works apart from few clippings but maybe there is a similarity. The period that the film is set in is also left ambiguous on purpose. You see a HP Laptop, but you also see a whole lot of things that are not in vogue today. People aren’t even carrying mobiles around. It is a unique world created by the director and you really wished the film went on for some more time. One of the best films screened at the festival and that it is actually so simple is a real puzzle! Looked up and realized that the director is an auteur and seen as a master by many.

Movie: Footprints on WaterLanguage : English (with some Malayalam)

This non linear thriller/drama set in the UK, chronicles the struggles of illegal immigrants. There is a shot of a car that is parked in a no parking zone. Kind of sums up the situation of these people. The non linear narration really helps in keeping the interest. The Indian actors are pretty solid. But the white actors playing the bad guys come across as ‘filmy’ bad guys. Adil Hussain is terrific. For a film dealing with macro socio political issues, it also talks about relationships and interpersonal issues. And these portions actually work a whole lot better. The equation between Adil Hussain and his wife Lena for example. Something is revealed about her, and the reason is disclosed towards the end of the film. It is probably because a female director is at the helm, that we get to see that it is not Lena who is at the wrong here.

Movie: Anatomie d’une chute (Anatomy Of A Fall)Language: French

The closing film of the festival was the terrific Anatomy of a Fall. A whodunit that works both as a thriller and a gripping courtrom drama, this one has terrific performances all around with the exceptional Sandra Hüller at the center. Clocking around 150 minutes and with the proceedings being mostly conversational, it has you glued right through. The film isn’t going to give you easy answers and leaves you with a whole lot to ponder about. One of those films where everything comes together seamlessly.

Movie: Il sol dell’avvenire (A Brighter Tomorrow)Language: Italian – French

This is a comedy about a veteran director whose outlook towards films and life itself changes during the filming of his new film. Surely there were a lot of references that I could not get as someone who isn’t accustomed to the director’s works. Some of the comedy did work. There is one ‘WTF’ moment centered around Netflix that left the audience in splits. And lest I forget, when the protagonist (Director Nanni Moretti himself) is left clueless seeing a young filmmaker celebrate joyously after filming an action sequence, one of the audience members screamed,’Lokesh Kanagaraj’! 

Movie: Dhai AakharLanguage: Hindi 

An elderly woman who has been in an abusive marriage all her life, falls in love with a progressive writer. This is a simple film talking about a relevant topic. It may even be too simplistic at times. I did not mind it though. The characters are painted either as black or white and I for one would have certainly liked a little more nuance in establishing them. But a neat film that achieves its purpose.

Movie:Como Nossos Pais (Just Like Our Parents)Language: Portuguese

This drama talks about the complexities of marriage and relationships. The protagonist comes to know through her mother that her father is not her biological father. This leads her to do a whole lot of soul searching and this starts impacting her own marriage. This is a film that keeps posing a lot of questions about relationships. Decently engaging with some good performances.

Movie: Alma Viva (Living Soul)Language: Portuguese – French

Set around the demise and funeral of the grandmother of a young kid, this drama/supernatural film is expertly staged, performed and filmed. It isn’t so much about the plot as it is about the geography that the film is set in and the topics it discusses.

Movie: Harvest Moon (Ergej irekhgüi namar)Language: Mongolian

One of those films that captures your attention right from the first frame. It is the image of someone in the middle of nowhere, standing atop a horse, and trying to leverage more height, to get signal in his mobile, by having it tied to a stick and holding it high. It leaves you with a smile but the message that he is trying to convey over the phone isn’t going to leave you with one. Harvest Moon is precisely that kind of film. It has enough laughter packed in through its running time but also leaves you weeping by the time it ends. The protagonist enters his village and returns by the end of the film and as the audience you feel that you were a part of this journey and very much amongst the characters of the village. The acting is terrific, and the little kid steals the show. There isn’t one false note all through.

Movie: Ai kaen seupikeu (I Can Speak)Language: Korean

One of the crowd favourites that had the audience cheering most of the time. Based on the true story of ‘comfort women’ who were forced to sexual slavery during World War II, this is a heartwarming film with a crowd pleasing performance from the leading lady. She convincingly comes across as the innocent granny who is hiding such a traumatic past.Both the humour and the emotions are spot on. The tone is a lot similar to our mainstream films. The lighter portions really work well. This is actually a comedy for the most part before getting all emotional in the climax.

Movie: Svar við bréfi Helgu (A Letter From Helga)Language: Icelandic

This film about a passionate affair outside marriage set in the 1940s is poetic and has some amazing aesthetic visuals. There is a tragic undercurrent right through. Looking at a lot of glowing reviews, a lot of the film probably went over my head. And sometimes, when you are catching back-to-back films, over a few days, this may happen in particularly slow-paced films that deserve your undivided attention.

Movie: Act Natural ( Seid einfach wie ihr seid)Language: German

Could not get myself to be engaged with this film which is shot in candid camera style. This set up is part of the premise itself and involves a young girl filming her family as part of a documentary for her final year project. There are revelations and a lot of comical situations, but the style probably isn’t my cup of tea.

Movie: Libertate (Freedom)Language: Romanian

Shot in documentary style and based on real events, Libertate is one gripping affair. The tension is palpable right through, and the entire cast is terrific. With no knowledge about the events, I wasn’t taking sides, but was thoroughly invested with the characters and cared for them. You feel very much a part of what is happening, and the chaotic space and events really get to you. Thoroughly gripping!

Movie: Die middag (That Afternoon)Language: Dutch

Entirely set in the corridor of an apartment, this 75 minute film is predominantly a conversation between two refugees, separated by a locked door. The music and some interesting visuals(dreamy?) keep us interested, as the conversation covers politics, philosophies and life. As someone who couldn’t grasp the topics being discussed, this felt like a short film that was stretched as a feature.

Movie: Tibetan HeartsLanguage : Tibetan

Introduced before the screening, by one of the executive producers, as a film made entirely with non-actors (by casting people of the village, the film is set in), Tibetan hearts is a love story based on real events. There are some exquisite shots of the scenic locations but that apart, the film did not work for me.

Movie: TotemLanguage: Spanish

This film makes the audience go through the events inside a household through the viewpoint of a 7 year old girl.The family is struggling to cope up with certain situations and we get to see the various members of the household and their frame of minds. The film is kind of heavy and is shot in candid style, making us even feel claustrophobic at times.

Movie: We Are Still HereLanguage: Indigenous Languages and English

This anthology film is a collection of stories about indigenous Australians and New Zealanders from various time periods covering the past, present and future. Some of them are really moving.

Movie: Le syndrome des amours passées (The (Ex)perience of Love)Language: French

A quirky plot about a couple who are unable to have children. The solution proposed to them is that they need to have sex with all of their past lovers once again. As outlandish as the plot may sound, the film actually tries to talk about relevant topics through this central plot. The closure of the film is what signifies the very purpose of this film.