The Mumbai International Film Festival will be held at the NCPA from Feb 3 to Feb 8. The festival will have simultaneous screenings of films at the Godrej Theatre and the Tata Theatre. The MIFF is one of the few festivals conducted by filmmakers and is only held once every two years. The festival will also feature various master classes and seminars with filmmakers and festival jury members, including classes and workshops on subjects such as script and commentary writing and how to use the HD-SLR camera as a filmmaking tool. The workshops will be held at the Experimental Theatre and Little Theatre and the schedule can be downloaded here. Check out the screening schedule here. Since it will be difficult to navigate through the astounding number of films being screened at the festival, NH7 has compiled a list of movies that we feel should not be missed.
Saturday, Feb 4
Bit Of Both – The Disappearing Horizon (India) 11am, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Merajur Rahman Baruah
Directed by a National Award winning director, this documentary is an exploration of how hard-line views can spread through ill-conceived ideas of religious revival.
Tales From Napa (India) 11.30am, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Lalit Vachani
A documentary that works as a companion piece to the one stated above, the film tells the story of Napa, a village in Gujurat that stood as a single, united community during and after the riots that took place in Godhra in 2002, and how the relationship between religious communities has endured.
Eer… Stories In Stone (India) Noon, Tata Theatre
Dir: Shriprakash
The film explores the linguistic and historical folk traditions of tribal communities in India. Their traditions have survived for a long period of time and the way these traditions are passed on is documented in this film.
Music In The Blood (Romania) 4pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Alexandru Mavrodineau
A short film from Romania about a father’s expectations from his son and what occurs after that. The film has been awarded honours at many film festivals and has received wide critical and public acclaim.
Masai On The Move (Denmark) 5.15pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Morten Vest and Robin Schmidt
A documentary exploring what indigenous people of Africa are going through as the environment they have always been used to is slowly disappearing under a cloud of globalisation and industrialisation.
Sunday, Feb 5
The Boxing Ladies (India) 3:15pm, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Anusha Nandakumar
With all the focus on boxing and boxers in recent times (we’ve also been in on the game), there is very little known about women boxers from India. The Boxing Ladies follows the life of three sisters from Kolkata who defied traditions and went on to become national boxing champions.
Pink Saris (UK) 2.30pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Kim Longinotto
In Uttar Pradesh, men are afraid of the colour pink because of Sampat Pal’s ‘Pink Gang’. Pal, a woman who suffered abuse at the hands of men, decided to fight back and now administers her own brand of justice, fighting violence against women. This is her story.
Jai Bhim, Comrade (India) 5pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Anand Patwardhan
Jai Bhim Comrade explores the atrocity of caste and how caste is still an issue in the oft-abused definition of ‘developed’ India. Shot over a period of 14 years, the film follows the traditions and music of poet Vilas Ghogre, who hung himself after witnessing caste related riots in 1997. A compelling documentary that reveals a face of India not often seen.
Inshallah, Football (pictured inside) (India) 7pm, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Ashvin Kumar
The Kashmir issue is highly controversial and what occurs in Kashmir is usually not well-known to people outside it. This controversial, often censored film explores, through the journey of a young Kashmiri footballer, what is wrong in and with Kashmir and why Kashmiris are up in arms against the government.
Monday, Feb 6
Panda Farnana, A Disturbing Congolese (Belgium) 5.50pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Francoise Levie
The path of reformer is not an easy one, especially when they are considered disturbed by their own countrymen. The story of the first Congolese nationalist and anti-colonial, it also provides insight into what it means to have ideas that do not conform with society at that time.
Partners In Crime (India) 11am, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Paromita Vohra
This excellent documentary about copyright, plagiarism, music, films and crime in India deftly handles all the subjects and at the same time makes us realise how much of the culture we consume is stolen or unearned.
All Rise For Your Honour (India) 7pm, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Sumit Khanna
The idea that courts are for justice has long been abandoned in India. More often than not, people are of the opinion that courts are corrupt and a drain of money. How deep seated this notion is and what justice means to people in a larger context is explored in this documentary.
Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha (Japan) 11am, Tata Theatre
Dir: Kozo Morishita
Osamu Tezuka is considered one of the most influential manga artists Japan has ever produced. This is the anime adaptation of his critically acclaimed manga about the life of Gautama Buddha.
Tuesday, Feb 7
Will There Be A Theatre Up There? (Georgia) 7.40pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Nana Janelidze | Cast: Kakhi Kavsadze
An interesting feature from Georgia, the director follows a family of actors and singers who have been performing in the folk traditions of the country and what they have gone through before and after the integration and disintegration from the USSR. It also provides an insider view of Georgia and its culture.
Anothny Gonsalves: The Music Legend (India) 4.45pm, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Ashok Rane
One of the most influential music directors and arrangers in Bollywood passed away recently, his name was Anthony Gonsalves. Anthony Gonsalves was not only India’s first music arranger, but he also coached and mentored some of the greatest musical talents to ever grace the film industry, including Pyarelal and RD Burman. A brilliant biographical feature about a person who may have been one of the greatest influences on the Hindi film music industry.
The Real Millionaire (India) 3.15pm, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Piyush Thakur | Cast: Somnath Nimkar, Madhav Abhyankar
A Marathi short fiction about a man from a small village who gets the opportunity to appear on the popular TV show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and how it affects his relationships with the other villagers.
Mahasweta Devi Close Up (India) 7pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Moni Bency, Joshy Joseph | Cast: Mahasweta Devi
Mahasweta Devi is one of India’s most important writers and activists. Films such as Rudaali have been adapted from her work. Her stories have routinely dealt with controversial issues such as Naxalism. Considered one of the most important people in Indian literature, there is very little known about what kind of a person she is. This film provides us with an intimate picture of who she is and what drives her.
Wednesday, Feb 8
Journey To Nagaland (pictured outside) (India) 11am, Godrej Theatre
Dir: Aditi Chitre
A short animation feature about a girl who follows a mysterious woman in a red shawl to journey through Nagaland, exploring Naga traditions and music. This small feature is a window into the North-Eastern state, its art forms and culture.
Between Border And The Fence On Edge Of A Map (India) 11am, Tata Theatre
Dir: Ajay Raina
A documentary that focuses on what the border dispute has done for the people that stay around the border. The families live in a strained normalcy around the border, barbed wire fences running through their shrines and death and violence following marriage. The film questions the necessity of the LOC (Line Of Control) and the long running war in Kashmir by showing what the war has done to the communities living around the LOC.
Dancing With Dictators (Australia) 7.15pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Hugh Piper | Cast: Ross Dunkley
An interesting feature documentary about an Australian newspaper publisher from Myanmar who invites the filmmaker to shoot a documentary but ends up in jail. The film is a reflection on free speech in Myanmar.
Temple Rider (pictured outside) (Hong Kong) 5.40pm, Tata Theatre
Dir: Joe Kwun & Miles Cheng
Temple Rider looks like something that might have come out of the mind of Terry Gilliam. ’nuff said.
The awards ceremony for the competing films will be held on Friday, Feb 9 at the Tata Theatre. We’ll have more from the Mumbai International Film Festival 2012 soon. Stay tuned.
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