India at International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2010 article
Year 2010 has begun on a positive note for Indian cinema. It’s time for the 39th edition of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (27th Jan-7th Feb) and Indian cinema has a considerable presence in it. Kutty Srank (Sailor of Hearts) by renowned Malayali filmmaker Shaji N. Karun has found a place in the section called ‘Spectrum’. Spectrum comprises work by experienced or debutante film makers and artists who provide, in the opinion of the IFFR, an essential contribution to international film culture.
Kutty Srank is the story of three young women, from different backgrounds and religions, different mind sets and life aspirations, claiming a dead body as their husband's. The commendable photography in this lyrical tale that is very realistic was done by a female director of photography, a first in Malayali cinema. Umesh Kulkarni’s debut feature film Vihir( The Well) will also be screened in this section. Vihir is a light-hearted mosaic of family troubles changes to a moving reflection on life and death. Vihir will be screened in the Generation 14 Plus section of Berlianle 2010. Both Vihir and Kutty Srank were screened in Pusan International film festival 09.
India has a stronger presence in the Short film scenario of the festival . IFFR has selected 210 short films, including thirteen ‘short features’ with durations between forty and sixty minutes, for its section ‘Spectrum: Shorts’. This section includes premieres of medium length films by Geetu Mohan Das of India.
A Short Gaarud (The Spell)directed by Umesh Kulkarni is one among the many films that have been selected for IFFR's VPRO Tiger Awards for Short Films Competition 2010. The lineup comprises of first or second feature films which will compete for three equal top prizes of each 3,000 euro. This Competition for short films was founded in 2005. Interestingly, the panel of judges for this competition too comprises of an Indian. Shai Heredia, festival director of Experimenta India festival, Bangalore is a part of the jury along with Jeremy Rigsby (programmer of Media City Festival in Windsor, Canada)and Albert Wulffers (filmmaker, writer, visual artist and teacher, The Netherlands).
In Rotterdam 2009, Adoor Gopalakrsihnan’s Climate for Crime and Gulabi Talkies by Girish Kasaravalli had been screened. Debutante director Satish Manwar was also discovered through his film Gabhricha Paus. This year’s Indian participation in Rotterdam is a leap forward though the fact that it could have been better is undisputed. We certainly miss the presence of any Indian film in the competition section for feature films. Hope Rotterdam paves the way for many other achievements for Indian Cinema in months to come.
