27 June 2009 // 13:23

31st Moscow International Film Festival. Day Eight.

On June 26, 2009 at the 31^st MIFF they spoke about family relationships in the East, discussed women’s rights in the Islamic world and said how death can return love. Friday was the day of the so called developing countries – Iran, Mexico, Turkey and South Korea. And at the same time recalled the cinema veterans.

The Mexican film from the Main Competition “Five Days Without Nora” (“Cinco dias sin Nora|) – is a full-lengths debut of the film director Mariana Chenillo. In spite of her youth, Mariana managed to shot a perfectly sincere, intimate story of a family reuniting after the mother’s death.  As the director confessed, the film would not be that sincere if she would not say about her own family life. Mariana Chenillo was pretty much open with the journalists: “My grandparent divorced as well and for many years lived in the same street in the houses standing opposite one another. Many times tried my mother to kill herself. My grandfather said she did just to attract the family’s attention. And only after her death his attitude changed. When he stayed alone with the boxes full of her photos and things from their mutual past he realized he loved her and put her photo on the piano.” No doubt the film got a lot of advantages thanks to the acting of Fernando Luján, the leading actor of the movie.  Fernando is the starring actor of the film “Nobody Writes To the Colonel” by the famous Mexican director Arturo Ripstein.  He also came to Moscow to represent his new product. It was very interesting and unusual to work with Mariana. I have recently played in the theatre very often but it is something different. The role in “Five Days Without Nora touched my indeed. There are multiple reasons but all of them are very personal and are connected with the age,” – said the actor to the journalists. “I’m very pleased that there emerges a vast row of young talented female film directors in my country, which is newly to us, actors of the previous generation. Mariana stays in avant-garde. She is very smart and talented indeed.” “Five Days Without Nora” would not be that remarkable if not the unique Latino-American know-how to laugh at the death. In the film by Mariana Chenillo the grim humor perfectly combines with the exposure of the religious tradition overcoming the common sense and with the melodrama of the beautiful life-story of an average Mexican family.

Another participant of the Main Competition presented on Wednesday was a South Korean film “Today and Always” (“Jeo Nuk Ui Game”). The movie was represented at the MIFF by the film director Choi Wee-An and the leading role actress Ha Hee-Kyung. The film gives and unusual handling of a family: it is seen as a kind of prison with no escape possibility. Meanwhile it is meant to be a island of happiness. The film director wanted to depict show the severe consequences of family violence. “In this remainder of happiness violence can bring terrible grief. I shot the movie to prove this,” – said Choi Wee-An. The master said about the problem touched in the film. In the East it is traditional for a family to respect the older man, father, no matter what he does. It is a must to respect and support him. Recently women have become more emancipated and free. But the tradition of a man respect is still relevant. “I consider even one woman can compete with several men,” – the director said. The role of such a woman was played by the actress Ha Hee-Kyung. According to her words the role was not that easy for her: “I suffered indeed because my heroine has no way out.” “Some people dream of earning more money, others crave to love and want happiness,” – explained Wee-An. “The only dream of my heroine is that her father dies. But it is impossible to kill him. Thus she has to suffer and wait for his death.”

“Bibi” film is the only Iranian film represented at the 31st MIFF. It would be enough to say the film director is the famous Hassan Yektapanah, winner of the Cannes “Golden Camera” for his previous work called “Jom’eh”.  Muscovites like Iranian films. Thus, last year 2 MIFF awards went to Teheran: “Golden Georgy” and film critics award for the “As Simple As That” by Reza Mir-Karimi. Hassan Yektapanah is likely to follow into his footsteps – “Bibi” participates in the Main Competition of the festival. Besides the film director the film was represented to the Moscow audience by the producer Nikta Tayeban and actors Ali Farhad and Mohsen Emadipour. Similar to many other Iranian films “Bibi” touches the problem of the civil rights defense, full-fledged existence of a “small person” in the rather traditional toughly restricted by the powers and religion Iranian society. The title heroine – Bibi – once came to Teheran from Iraq. The story is all about the passport she is desperately trying to get, so when she dies they can write her name on the grave. She is old and often thinks about death. But she can not even die normally in Iran.  “My film is not for everybody. It is not a movie for pleasure and fun. “”Bibi” is a story about a lonely woman,” – said the film director Hassan Yektapanah. “May be this may sound wild but a lot of Iranians do not have IDs. I do hope the situation will change for better in the future but now thousands of the Iranians are deprived of the possibility to live normally. They can not get the driving license, can not travel abroad, their kids will not be accepted to schools. One can blame the powers for this but I don’t feel like touching political questions in my creative work. I’ve just tried to attract attention to the problem that really exists in the Iranian society.” The Iranian issue is especially relevant today due to the non-stable political situation in the country. That’s another reason why Hassan Yektapanah with his “Bibi” film has hit it, which is valuable for any movie-maker.

Similar problems are raised in the Turkish film “Dilber’s Eight Days” (“Dilber'in Sekiz Günü”). The director Cemal Şan examines “identity vs. society” conflict in the film.  The “Dilber’s Eight Days” is a sequel of the “Soul, Mind and Heart” trilogy.  Before that the director shot “Seinap’s Eight Days” and “Ali’s Eight Days”. All the films are united by one topic – love. To be more precise about impossibility of love in the Turkish orthodox religious society. The leading role of a woman struggling for her right to love and by happy was played by the actress Nesrin Cevadzade.  She was born in Baku but at the age of 11 moved to Istanbul with her mother. Nevertheless Nesrin considers the Russian language her native one: “I met Cemal Şan when we were shooting some television series. At that time we worked in the South-East of Turkeyand I fell in love with the region, the people living there, the women… When the director offered my to play one of those women I agreed immediately – we show the problems they go through, the difficulties they suffer from daily. They are literally in prison… And Turkey needs the people similar to my heroine Dilbet – there are not so many women now who can show their character, rebel against the manners and laws.” We are familiar with two images of Turkey – a carefree Mediterranean resort or Istanbul packed with people. But the landscape of the Turkish province drawn by Cemal Şan in the film contrasts with the usual picture. “The question of interaction between the traditions and contemporaneity in Turkey is very complicated,” – explained the director his viewpoint. “It has both advantages and disadvantages. Old rules form discipline, character and manners. But at the same time they arise oppression, humble interests, annihilate personal freedom of the people.”

On Friday, June 26, 2009 in the Next Door restaurant the National Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Science held the traditional dinner in the frames of the 31^st Moscow International Film Festival. The dinner was visited by the MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, the 31^st MIFF Jury Chairman Pavel Lungin, the Academy President Vladimir Naumov, producer Leonid Vereschagin, film directors Vladimir Menshov, Svetlana Druzhinina and Vladimir Hotinenko, actors Konstantin Habensky, Sergey Makovetsky, Sergey Shakurov, Leonid Yarmolnik, actresses Inna Makarova, Zinaida Kirienko, Natalia Belokhvostikova, Inna Churikova, Maria Shukshina, Irina Bezrukova and many more.  The Academy members (by the way the Academy is the organizer of the “Golden Eangle”) discussed the MIFF and the novelties of the local and international cinematography. Within the frames of the dinner they held a row of events. First it was the “Mobile Cinema Festival” awarding ceremony. This is an international competition of short films shot by mobile phones. The organizers are MTS company and Russian Movie-Makers Union with participation of Universal Pictures Rus. “I believe this new genre – mobile cinema – is very promising… It is up to an artist what to shoot. How to shoot – depends on technique and possibilities. I’m glad that we hold this competition,”- announced the MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov. More than 700 films participated in the competition. On Friday they announced winners. “Faster than a train” was called the very best film, “Kinovecha” – the most creative one, the best male role was the one in the film “Truck Driver”, the best female role – in the film “Hijackers”.  The winners also got prizes from Universal Pictures Rus and “Empire” magazine.

After the official ceremony they proceeded with the report by the “Urga – Love Territory” cinema veterans support fund which opening was announced on the previous jubilee 30^th MIFF.  The fund was opened by Viktor Vekselberg’s “Dobry Vek” charity foundation.  The fund gives direct support to the veterans of the cinematography. From February 1, 2008 to June 24, 2009 the fund spent  21,173,722 rubles for the charity, 538 movie-makers got the support needed. “Only a man of humane character can realize that when crisis comes, production stops, the amount of unemployed increases, there are the things that have no right to stop,” – said the MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov. “The fact that at this time the Fund works is in my opinion proves the fact that we deal with the people who act not for plain PR or gratitude but are driven by the inner duty and gratitude to the God that He gifted them with more than what others have. It is very important feature for a human-being.” Movie-makers thanked the Fund President Viktor Vekselberg for what he does. “What you’ve said, your applauses, your faces and eyes – that’s an invaluable and very sincere gratitude for the small things we are trying to do… What we managed to do and the plans that I have make me believe in the project. I want to assure you that in spite of all the difficulties we do love you, respect you, remember you and will do everything we can,” – said the businessman.  

Also during the dinner Nikita Mikhalkov announced that the book fund of the National Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Science was gifted to the Moscow-city. The funds which have been collected since 1934 counts now over 10,000 books on cinematography, 20,000 editorial scripts by cinematography maestros and unique antique books of the 18^th-19^th centuries. The total price of the collection exceeds 30,000,000 rubles.