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Tag: World Cinema

  • Past Lives: A Poignant Painting Of Relationships, Identities & Possibilities!

    Past Lives: A Poignant Painting Of Relationships, Identities & Possibilities!

    Past Lives: A Poignant Painting Of Relationships, Identities & Possibilities!

    One of the year’s best and a must watch movie! A slow burn movie that touches your heart! A though provoking movie that spans time and continents!

    Celine Song’s debut movie beautifully captures the lives of two childhood friends over a two decade period where they explore their relationships in the backdrop of life events. Nora & Hae Sung are academic rivals and friends who once go on a parent brokered ‘play date’. The boy is in awe of the girl but she emigrates to Canada.

    Thanks to social media and digital world, they reconnect after twelve years but begin to drift apart again as Nora is committed to her ambition and explores the life she desires. Hae Sung finally meets Nora after another twelve years, as he plans a vacation to New York to meet the established playwright Nora, who is married to writer Arthur. How the meeting unfolds and unravels the nostalgic emotions is what makes Past Lives a brilliant and reflective piece of art!

    The Korean concept of “in-yeon” is central to the movie.

    The movie thrives in the power of saying the unsaid – eye contact, silence, stillness, music, backdrops etc. Watch the powerful ending…..soul moving!

    The movie is a master class in story telling, cinematography, music, acting and direction. Hae Sung (Yoo Teo) wins your heart as a handsome, sweet, dignified, mature and totally romantic protagonist. Nora (Greta Lee) is confused, vulnerable, practical and emotionally torn. Arthur (John Magarro) makes a great impact as Nora’s husband. Celine Song’s direction is truly amazing – full marks to her for a perfect debut.

    Past Lives – A movie about love, loss, marriage, career, culture, diaspora, nostalgia, relationships and destiny! How our relationships affect our lives!

    A must watch movie!

  • Avatar – The Way Of Water: Breathtakingly Immersive Experience Of A Disappointing Movie

    Avatar – The Way Of Water: Breathtakingly Immersive Experience Of A Disappointing Movie

    Avatar is one of the greatest cinematic experience. A game-changing visionary movie. Apart from pathbreaking technology, it introduced us to the blue bodied Na’vi of Pandora moon, raised our environmental consciousness way before Greta Thunberg and made us feel ‘I see you’. It reigned as the highest grossing movie for a decade since its release in 2009.  

    Avatar 2 is called Avatar – The Way Of Water. It is second of the five instalments that will continue to be released every 2 years till 2028. 

    Jake Sully and his family flee the forest to take refuge with amphibian tribe Metkayina. The green canvas turns to turquoise Maldives like pristine waters. After the initial tense proceedings, things settle down and they together fight the common enemy – sky people – the humans. 

    The aquatic flora and fauna is the best part of the movie. Dazzling and enchanting! The whale like tulkun is the showstopper – gentle giant that is bigger than Mumbai flats. The climax is a return to Titanic world for James Cameron – even Kate Winslet joins the reunion! 

    Avatar 2 is a beautiful spectacle but too long and has no gripping plot to speak of. New owner Disney add family dynamics to the environment and imperialism themes. One can give James Cameron the credit to be singularly focused on the simple narrative. 

    Avatar – The Way Of Water is a one time big screen watch. It is debuting in more 50,000 screens at the same time across all major countries. If you do not watch it, our hearts will still go on….

  • International Film Festival Ahmedabad – Rejoice !

    International Film Festival Ahmedabad – Rejoice !

    Cinema is an integral part of our lives. Apart from enjoying movies with our dear ones over Popcorn Tubs, we learn, understand ourselves and cherish values. Cinema is our passport to the great culture, principles and living of our brethren across the globe. Cinema is a unifier. It is a celebration of human endeavor and spirit.

    One of the things I missed the most in Ahmedabad was world-class cinema and special screenings of foreign movies. I had to feed my hunger for quality cinema through DVDs. But my dear friend Shiladitya Bora was a beacon of hope for discerning movie fanatics in Ahmedabad. He clubbed his passion with organizational expertise and brought the First Short Films Festival, International Film Festival and the weekly movie screening through Sunset Boulevard. Of course, there will be a movie on the struggles and times of Shila to make this Film Festival and Film Culture a reality !

    And finally the new avatar of Film Festival is here – The International Film Festival Ahmedabad.

    Visit the Site www.ifilmfest.in for more details.

    Let me share the quick overview:
    – Gala Opening Ceremony on August 4, 2010 evening.
    – Opening Film: Harishchandraschi Factory
    – Special Screening of AISHA with Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Cyrus Sahukar, Lisa Haydon & Ira Dubey
    – Film Appreciation workshop by Kuhu Tanvir, India Editor of WideScreen Journal.
    – Filmmaking workshop in association with Whistling Woods International by Anjum Rajabali & Somanth Sen
    – Special screening of The White Elephant with Mr. Aijaz Khan, Piyush Mishra, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Prashant Narayanan
    – An exhibition of rare film posters & show cards of past 50 years.
    – Best of National Institute of Design(NID) Live Action & Animation Short Films
    – Best of Whistling Woods International Short Film Package
    – Best of World Cinema
    -Independent Feature Film competition
    – 23 award winning film screenings across 5 days at PVR Cinemas, Acropolis Mall, the festival venue.

    Check The Video Report on the last year’s festival: