Directors illuminate film fest with whimsy in the dark
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Kirsten Stevens
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 11, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Set in the aftermath of sectarian fighting in India in 2002, Firaaq is the directorial debut of well-known actress Nandita Das, who presents her film at the festival in Istanbul this week. Das is one of many female directors from outside Turkey with films in the festival, 14 of which are given the spotlight here by the festival director and the Daily News
From untying the meaning of life in stop motion to a whimsical invitation to dance the Rumba, this year’s International Istanbul Film Festival includes a boatload of films by women.
Following last week’s examination of entries by and about Turkish women, this week’s Women in Sight page offers a glimpse into 14 of the festival’s films directed by women being shown Saturday, April 11 Ğ Sunday, April 19.
Competing in the festival’s international category with a stop motion film, Tatia Rosenthal directs the superb comedy "$9.99" based on the short stories of Etgar Keret, the voice of Israel’s young and socially conscious. Festival director Azize Tan lauds Rosenthal’s achievement on the film’s merits and for breaking into the male-dominated field of animation. In the story, an ad promising the answer to the meaning of life pairs unemployed Dave with an old man, a magician in debt and a little boy who sets his piggy bank freeÉ Cast includes Geoffrey Rush and Anthony LaPaglia. April 15, 4 p.m. Yeni Rüya / April 16, 9:30 p.m. Atlas / April 18, 1:30 Rexx
Another entry in the coveted international category, "Rumba" is directed by a husband and wife team, Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon. Also the film’s main actors, Fiona and Dom are as in love with each other as they are with Latin dancing. The festival calls the movie "an extremely stylized, unusual, colorful, joyful, at the same time funny and melancholic invitation to dance; a Tatiesque film with minimal dialogue that captures the spirit of the burlesque actors of the silent era." April 17, 11 a.m. Emek / April 18, 4 p.m. Emek / April 19, 4 p.m. Rexx
Indian directors shine
Set one month after a carnage that resulted from sectarian fighting in Gujarat, India in 2002, Firaaq is the directorial debut of well-known actress Nandita Das, who will present her film at the festival. The story follows the emotional journeys of multiple characters over a period of 24 hours: A Muslim musician living in a Hindu neighborhood is hopeful until his faith is rattled. Muneera returns after the riots to find her home ransacked. Married to a Hindu wife, Sameer is torn between fleeing and staying.
Released in India last month, the film has won top honors at festivals around the world. Das says she is more gratified by the ability of audiences everywhere to empathize with the film’s characters. She said she chose an ensemble structure because "I wanted to explore the fierce and delicate emotions of fear, anxiety, prejudice and ambivalence in human relationships during such times." April 15, 4 p.m. Atlas / April 17, 7 p.m. Yeni Rüya
Festival Director Azize Tan praised another female-directed Indian film "Heaven and Earth" for the universal themes it represents for women, "especially for those who emigrate". Well-educated in India, Chand’s new husband and his family in Ontario soon begin to treat her like a slave. Deepa Mehta's film also explores universal desperation; Chand resorts to magic, merging fantasy and reality. April 14, 7 p.m. Atlas / April 16, 11 a.m. Rexx / April 17, 11 p.m. Yeni Rüya
The ties that bind
Tan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that the festival was honored to welcome Peruvian-born documentary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann, whom Tan calls "a tough woman and a very important filmmaker." Honigmann will present her film that takes viewers to the streets of Lima to meet characters such as a shoeshine boy who views history with humor and irony. April 11, 9:30 p.m. Beyoğlu
Poet-filmmaker Claire Denis' latest film "35 Shots of Rum" traces the working underclass of France but centers on a father-daughter relationship: Lionel and Jo. When she befriends a young taxi driver and he meets a middle-aged woman, conflicts ensue. The award-winning score is by British rock band Tindersticks. April 13, 7 p.m. Emek / April 14, 11 a.m. Emek / April 15, 9:30 p.m. Yeni Rüya
Directors from Argentina and Iran tackle intimate bonds and boundaries between young people. Lala, a teenage girl from the exclusive suburban neighborhood in Argentina falls in love with Guayi, the Paraguayan maid working in her home. In Luc’a Puenzo’s "The Fish Child" which is adapted from her own novel, the two young women rob the house to fulfill their dream of living together in Paraguay, but their "score" is ravaged by desire, jealousy and rage. April 11, 1:30 p.m. Atlas / April 12, 7 p.m. Rexx / April 13, 11 a.m. Yeni Ruya
In "Two-legged Horse" acclaimed Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf explores the limits of an unusual friendship in Afghanistan. Following a contest, the extremely poor Mirvais wins an unusual job: carrying a disabled boy on his back like a horse. April 14, 4 p.m. Atlas / April 15, 7 p.m. Yeni Rüya / April 16, 9:30 p.m. Rexx
One of the major figures of the Nouveau Roman movement and post-war cinema, 80-year-old Agns Varda presents her latest autobiographical work "The Beaches of Agns" sharing moving statements about her time, life and memory weaved from photographs, vintage footage, scenes from her films and present-day sequences. April 11, 4 p.m. Rexx / April 12, 9:30 p.m. Atlas / April 17, 1:30 p.m. Emek
Other notable films by female directors in the festival explore the darker realms of humanity. Albertina Carri’s "La Rabia" is a disturbing study of adultery, emotional isolation and the brutality of rural life told through the eyes of two children. The terrifying climax engulfs everyone. April 11, 7 p.m. Rexx In Ursula Meier’s film "Home" a lonely house with a little garden is inhabited by a father, a mother and their three children.
Then, unexpectedly, the highway opens and madness ensues. April 12, 11 a.m. Rexx Lucrecia Martel’s "The Headless Woman" plays with emotions and perception after Veronica ignores something she has hit on the highway and later fails to connect to objects or people. April 15, 11 a.m. Yeni Ruya "The Countess" directed by Julie Delpy is the story of the real 16th century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory who killed some 650 girls and bathed in their blood. April 18, 7 p.m. Emek / April 19, 7 p.m. City’s
All films listed here are in original English language or with English subtitles. Bypass the Biletix service fee at Emek, Atlas and Rexx box offices. www.iksv.org/film/english (0212) 334 07 00
MEN TAKE ON WOMEN IN CINEMA
Several male directors with films in the festival engage the complexity of womanhood with complex female roles. Andrzej Wajda's latest film, "Sweet Rush" departs from the great Polish director's previous political films and returns to psychological drama "centering on the woman as subject." The film tells the story of Marta, a middle-aged woman married to a small town doctor, who searches for happiness in the arms of a much younger man, Bogus. (April 11 Sa. 1:30 p.m. Emek)
Recognized as the first major feminist director and one of the three masters of Japanese cinema, Kenji Mizoguchi’s 1952 classic "The Life of Oharu" examines the issues of class and hierarchy in the Japanese society in the Edo period through the story of Oharu, a geisha struggling to escape the stigma of having been sold to prostitution by her father. (April 12 Su. 4:00 p.m. Rexx) Carl Theodor Dreyer's final silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" in 1928, the most famous of all Jeanne d'Arc films, depicts her trial, imprisonment, torture and execution. (April 12 Su. 1:30 p.m. Atlas)
ANATOLIAN VIEWS ON RIGHTS
In "A Long Journey to Liberty: A Human Rights Journey on the Rails", directors Mehmet Binay and Beirut-born Armenian documentary filmmaker, Ani King-Underwood tell how the train journey organized in 2008 by Hürriyet Newspaper reveals perceptions about the state of human rights in Turkey. Through workshops, performances and public discussions, for forty five days, a different city every day, the journey meets more than 100,000 people. (April 14 Tu. 9:30 p.m. Pera)
Following last week’s examination of entries by and about Turkish women, this week’s Women in Sight page offers a glimpse into 14 of the festival’s films directed by women being shown Saturday, April 11 Ğ Sunday, April 19.
Competing in the festival’s international category with a stop motion film, Tatia Rosenthal directs the superb comedy "$9.99" based on the short stories of Etgar Keret, the voice of Israel’s young and socially conscious. Festival director Azize Tan lauds Rosenthal’s achievement on the film’s merits and for breaking into the male-dominated field of animation. In the story, an ad promising the answer to the meaning of life pairs unemployed Dave with an old man, a magician in debt and a little boy who sets his piggy bank freeÉ Cast includes Geoffrey Rush and Anthony LaPaglia. April 15, 4 p.m. Yeni Rüya / April 16, 9:30 p.m. Atlas / April 18, 1:30 Rexx
Another entry in the coveted international category, "Rumba" is directed by a husband and wife team, Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon. Also the film’s main actors, Fiona and Dom are as in love with each other as they are with Latin dancing. The festival calls the movie "an extremely stylized, unusual, colorful, joyful, at the same time funny and melancholic invitation to dance; a Tatiesque film with minimal dialogue that captures the spirit of the burlesque actors of the silent era." April 17, 11 a.m. Emek / April 18, 4 p.m. Emek / April 19, 4 p.m. Rexx
Indian directors shine
Set one month after a carnage that resulted from sectarian fighting in Gujarat, India in 2002, Firaaq is the directorial debut of well-known actress Nandita Das, who will present her film at the festival. The story follows the emotional journeys of multiple characters over a period of 24 hours: A Muslim musician living in a Hindu neighborhood is hopeful until his faith is rattled. Muneera returns after the riots to find her home ransacked. Married to a Hindu wife, Sameer is torn between fleeing and staying.
Released in India last month, the film has won top honors at festivals around the world. Das says she is more gratified by the ability of audiences everywhere to empathize with the film’s characters. She said she chose an ensemble structure because "I wanted to explore the fierce and delicate emotions of fear, anxiety, prejudice and ambivalence in human relationships during such times." April 15, 4 p.m. Atlas / April 17, 7 p.m. Yeni Rüya
Festival Director Azize Tan praised another female-directed Indian film "Heaven and Earth" for the universal themes it represents for women, "especially for those who emigrate". Well-educated in India, Chand’s new husband and his family in Ontario soon begin to treat her like a slave. Deepa Mehta's film also explores universal desperation; Chand resorts to magic, merging fantasy and reality. April 14, 7 p.m. Atlas / April 16, 11 a.m. Rexx / April 17, 11 p.m. Yeni Rüya
The ties that bind
Tan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that the festival was honored to welcome Peruvian-born documentary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann, whom Tan calls "a tough woman and a very important filmmaker." Honigmann will present her film that takes viewers to the streets of Lima to meet characters such as a shoeshine boy who views history with humor and irony. April 11, 9:30 p.m. Beyoğlu
Poet-filmmaker Claire Denis' latest film "35 Shots of Rum" traces the working underclass of France but centers on a father-daughter relationship: Lionel and Jo. When she befriends a young taxi driver and he meets a middle-aged woman, conflicts ensue. The award-winning score is by British rock band Tindersticks. April 13, 7 p.m. Emek / April 14, 11 a.m. Emek / April 15, 9:30 p.m. Yeni Rüya
Directors from Argentina and Iran tackle intimate bonds and boundaries between young people. Lala, a teenage girl from the exclusive suburban neighborhood in Argentina falls in love with Guayi, the Paraguayan maid working in her home. In Luc’a Puenzo’s "The Fish Child" which is adapted from her own novel, the two young women rob the house to fulfill their dream of living together in Paraguay, but their "score" is ravaged by desire, jealousy and rage. April 11, 1:30 p.m. Atlas / April 12, 7 p.m. Rexx / April 13, 11 a.m. Yeni Ruya
In "Two-legged Horse" acclaimed Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf explores the limits of an unusual friendship in Afghanistan. Following a contest, the extremely poor Mirvais wins an unusual job: carrying a disabled boy on his back like a horse. April 14, 4 p.m. Atlas / April 15, 7 p.m. Yeni Rüya / April 16, 9:30 p.m. Rexx
One of the major figures of the Nouveau Roman movement and post-war cinema, 80-year-old Agns Varda presents her latest autobiographical work "The Beaches of Agns" sharing moving statements about her time, life and memory weaved from photographs, vintage footage, scenes from her films and present-day sequences. April 11, 4 p.m. Rexx / April 12, 9:30 p.m. Atlas / April 17, 1:30 p.m. Emek
Other notable films by female directors in the festival explore the darker realms of humanity. Albertina Carri’s "La Rabia" is a disturbing study of adultery, emotional isolation and the brutality of rural life told through the eyes of two children. The terrifying climax engulfs everyone. April 11, 7 p.m. Rexx In Ursula Meier’s film "Home" a lonely house with a little garden is inhabited by a father, a mother and their three children.
Then, unexpectedly, the highway opens and madness ensues. April 12, 11 a.m. Rexx Lucrecia Martel’s "The Headless Woman" plays with emotions and perception after Veronica ignores something she has hit on the highway and later fails to connect to objects or people. April 15, 11 a.m. Yeni Ruya "The Countess" directed by Julie Delpy is the story of the real 16th century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory who killed some 650 girls and bathed in their blood. April 18, 7 p.m. Emek / April 19, 7 p.m. City’s
All films listed here are in original English language or with English subtitles. Bypass the Biletix service fee at Emek, Atlas and Rexx box offices. www.iksv.org/film/english (0212) 334 07 00
MEN TAKE ON WOMEN IN CINEMA
Several male directors with films in the festival engage the complexity of womanhood with complex female roles. Andrzej Wajda's latest film, "Sweet Rush" departs from the great Polish director's previous political films and returns to psychological drama "centering on the woman as subject." The film tells the story of Marta, a middle-aged woman married to a small town doctor, who searches for happiness in the arms of a much younger man, Bogus. (April 11 Sa. 1:30 p.m. Emek)
Recognized as the first major feminist director and one of the three masters of Japanese cinema, Kenji Mizoguchi’s 1952 classic "The Life of Oharu" examines the issues of class and hierarchy in the Japanese society in the Edo period through the story of Oharu, a geisha struggling to escape the stigma of having been sold to prostitution by her father. (April 12 Su. 4:00 p.m. Rexx) Carl Theodor Dreyer's final silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" in 1928, the most famous of all Jeanne d'Arc films, depicts her trial, imprisonment, torture and execution. (April 12 Su. 1:30 p.m. Atlas)
ANATOLIAN VIEWS ON RIGHTS
In "A Long Journey to Liberty: A Human Rights Journey on the Rails", directors Mehmet Binay and Beirut-born Armenian documentary filmmaker, Ani King-Underwood tell how the train journey organized in 2008 by Hürriyet Newspaper reveals perceptions about the state of human rights in Turkey. Through workshops, performances and public discussions, for forty five days, a different city every day, the journey meets more than 100,000 people. (April 14 Tu. 9:30 p.m. Pera)