American movies in Indian cinema halls are as commonplace lately as, say, a sardar on the streets of Toronto. You do not should look past Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the most recent providing, to corroborate that. But it isn’t the identical case with arthouse European motion pictures. There is an entire wealth of cinematic work from the continent that we miss out on in these components. Sure, a number of filter by way of in sporadic screenings. But in any other case, it is solely hardcore movie connoisseurs who trouble to dig up data on-line and watch such motion pictures sitting in the consolation of their properties.
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) is geared toward altering this example, although. It will culminate in Mumbai this week after having travelled to eight different Indian cities. The packed line-up entails a various bouquet of flicks from 24 member nations of the EU. None of those are potboilers designed for mass enchantment. Instead, they encourage discerning viewers to place their considering caps on and give up to the flood of human feelings.
A nonetheless from the Bulgarian movie, King of the Belgians
Take Backstage, the opening movie. It offers with a gaggle of gifted younger dancers from a small Slovak city who’re hungry for fame. But then cracks develop in their hunky-dory relationship after they’re chosen for a TV actuality present, earlier than their shared ardour for dancing ensures that the fissures ultimately fizzle out. The story entails themes of affection, jealousy, anger and happiness, and all these emotions are uniformly explored throughout the remainder of the road-up.
Raimund Magis
Raimund Magis, chargé d’affaires, Delegation of the European Union to India, who’s organised the pageant, tells us, “Some of the films we have chosen make you laugh, while others make you think a lot — this is cinema that doesn’t leave you indifferent. It’s cinema that moves your heart.”
Magis additionally says that based on him, the cultural hole between India and European international locations is now narrower than ever earlier than. Thousands of individuals from the nation journey to locations like Germany, The Netherlands and France to review yearly. Millions of others go to as vacationers. Even the truth that quite a few Bollywood movies have been filmed in that continent has introduced it nearer to folks right here. And now, EUFF is a step ahead in the identical direction. At its core, the pageant is geared toward giving Indians a window into the cultural framework that governs European movies. So, as an alternative of catching the following American blockbuster on a display screen close to you, spend time as an alternative taking in the narrative in movies from much less-uncovered places like, say, Lithuania or Cyprus.
ON September 20 to 26, 12 pm onwards
AT National Museum of Indian Cinema, Pedder Road, Cumballa Hill.
Call 23551301
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