2024-10-27T00:54:22+00:00
Another year another MAMI festival comes to an end. MAMI has become like an annual pilgrimage for me. This year was a reduced festival with only 2 theaters showing the movies - PVR Dynamix and Regal. This meant more competition for fewer shows as the process of booking starts at 8am and it is fastest finger first!
The festival is about experiencing watching movies from different cultures; stories from different parts of the world. I do no think movies selected are about being just great cinema. Yes, there are films like Santosh and All We Imagine As Light which have done well at other film festivals like Cannes.
I arrived at Regal 2.5 hours early but decided to sit at a café nearby. By the time I returned, the line had already grown huge. It was my first time attending an opening film. All We Imagine As Light is a good film, though it left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
The last frame of the film shows two guys looking towards the sky and feeling the snowfall. It captured so many emotions. I imagined that in this moment, both were able to feel joy and peace. It reminded me of my walks in Mumbai when rains are heavy; I like to get soaked and look towards the sky to feel the pouring rain. JOY! PEACE! The Damned is about a group of volunteers sent to western territories, with the task of patrolling the unchartered borderlands ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29296048/ ). Some of them have never fired a rifle; a 16 year old thinks he is doing god's work; another had signed up to earn money as he could not find another job. But, they showed trust in each other.
The Sharp Edge of Peace captures the struggle of Afghan women who try to retain their achievements and freedom which they have achieved in the last 10 years. The documentary tells the story through 4 women protagonists who are engaged in discussions with the Taliban. Unfortuantely they fail and the Taliban imposes draconian measures once again.
For the record these are the films I watched -