IFFI 2008 Diaries, Day 4: The Sweet Life article

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< ![endif]-->So far it has been my best day at IFFI. Four excellent films--Angel, Waltz with Bashir, The Journalist and The Jehadi and Late Bloomers, one after the other, one couldn't have asked for more. Late Bloomers, a Swiss film about dream hunting was my discovery of the day. It's a very sweet and warm film about four elderly pretty ladies in the Emmental region of Switzerland, who decide to fulfill their dreams and set up a lingerie shop.

Waltz with Bashir

The conflict between Israel and Palestine forms the core of may Israeli films but this one stands apart. More than anything else, sheer honesty and guts of the filmmaker touches one's heart. It gradually builds the moment to narrate the tale of the ghastly Lebanese massacre. More than exposing the role of Israel, it takes a humanist view of the whole scenario, that's extremely powerful and leaves everybody speechless by the end.

Angel

Francois Ozon's latest offering is his first English language film that's set in the Edwardian England. Angel, the young daughter of a grocery shop owner, is a gifted author, who lives in her world of dreams. Though she achieves success, wealth, fame and the man she loves, Ozon leaves us with the question if her achievements were really real? Quite enchanting since the very beginning but towards the end, I had a feeling that it goes on little too long.

The Journalist and The Jehadi

An extensively researched and well-informed documentary on Daniel Pearl's kidnap and subsequent execution. Ramesh Sharma and Ahmed Jamal trace the lives of two individuals: Daniel in the US and Omar Sheikh in Britain, whose lives intersect in Pakistan post 9/11. Daniel as the victim and Omar as the perpetrator. It's not often that you see an Indian documentary and say "WOW!" This one belongs to that rare category.

Late Bloomers!

This Bettina Oberli film is a true delight to watch. The film is set in a conservative village in the country side of Switzerland, where Vicar takes objection when girls aren't wearing their cardigans. The mother of Vicar, who has recently lost her husband becomes a musketeer of change when she decides to open a lingerie shop with the help of her three elderly friends. It was her teenage dream to set up a lingerie boutique in Paris that she had to leave behind in order to marry and raise children. A simple, life-like story, that unfolds slowly and leaves one with a sweet sore feeling.