I watched two films so far today: Boarding Gate and The Lost Empire, all in New Theatre. The first one was a Hollywood style lifeless flick. But the second one, a straight from-the-heart account of 1970s Soviet Union, more than made up for it.
I do not have nothing much to say about Boarding Gate, which is an English speaking French film directed by Olivier Assayas. I blame only myself for selecting to watch this film when other films were available.
Next I saw The Lost Empire, directed by one of the “contemporary Russian masters” (this is the official IFFK phrase describing the director), Karen Shakhnazarov. The director made an appearance at the venue and delivered a brief speech in thickly Russian-accented English. But the film spoke the universal language of cinema. It tells the story of a fatherless youth growing up in Russia in 1970s, surprisingly amidst Beatles and Rolling Stones. His romantic adventures, friendships, love failure, and coming of age are portrayed in the background of subtle political humor.
As the second day unfolded, delegates’ patience with the police frisking began to wear thin. Also, boos and claps started to make their appearance just after the signature film. Perhaps boos were provoked by a self-congratulatory article about the signature film in today’s daily bulletin. Well, the boos-and-clap affair after the signature film may become an annual event like Open Forum.
Next I am going to stay at new Theater for watching the Venezuelan film Postcards from Leningrad. It is a film in the competition section, directed by Mariana Rondon.
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