Masters
» Al Massir / Destiny , Youssef Chahine, FRANCE / EGYPT, 1997 135′
In the twelfth century, in Cordoba, renowned philosopher Averroës (1126-1198) created a school of thought that reflects on the entire West, down to our times. The story opens in southern France, with a man being burned at the stake by the Christian Inquisition for having translated forbidden works by “the Infidel Averroës.” The man’s son watches him burn, then steals away across the border to Cordoba to the home of the great scholar. It is a totally different world than the one he has left – a world of culture, luxury and learning. Averroës’ household is full of life and love; an amazing variety of people come to visit: the Caliph’s brother and sons, dancer Manuela and her sister Sarah, poor and wealthy students, Averroës’ independent-minded daughter, his devoted wife, and many more.
» Memoria del saqueo / Social Genocide , Fernando Solanas, ARGENTINA, 2004 120′
Memoria del Saqueo starts and ends with footage of the momentous, spontaneous mass street protests which erupted across Buenos Aires in December, 2001, after the country effectively declared bankruptcy, causing the banks to shut down. Solanas takes us right to the start of the problems, when Argentina had a massive foreign debt in the 1800s, through the time of the dictatorship, to attempts at democracy. Electoral fraud and privatisation subsequently led to the formation of a “mafiocracy” under President Menem, in which bribery and corruption were daily practices. The richest ten percent of the country then literally sold out the nation’s public property to foreign companies. Despite rich oil and gas fields, a large group of Argentines found themselves living in dire poverty, while the world’s political elite persistently turned a blind eye to the consequences of Menem’s policies.
» Suite Habana / Havana Suite , Fernando Pérez, CUBA/SPAIN, 2003 84′
Dawn in Havana. The city wakes up and a new day and the film begin - with John Lennon. He is honoured by a life-sized statue sitting on a park bench in a square in Havana, and some people have held a vigil there. Suite Habana documents a day in the life of a dozen Cubans who struggle with the harsher side of life in revolutionary Cuba. It is a lyrical, profound reflection on a simple day in the life of ten ordinary people. Havana is a space, sonority, a light, and Havana is its people. Each of the 10 characters represents the curious diversity of the social groups found in the city. There are neither interviews, dialogues nor narration - only images, sounds and music to poetically express on film the everyday events of a peculiar and complex, intimate, controversial and fascinating reality called Havana.
» Theeviravaathi / The Terrorist , Santosh Sivan, INDIA, 1999 90′
A young woman, Malli, has no family, no education, and no future – her life is war. She adopts the same cause for which her brother gave up his life. The leader of the rebellion movement explains to her the assignment: the assassination of an important political figure. She is to wear explosives belted around her waist and detonate them at a public ceremony.Malli makes her way from the jungle to the city where the suicide bombing is to take place. A brave but war-shocked boy helps her to safety through woods planted with land mines. When Malli is safely aboard a boat, sailing towards the city, soldiers kill the boy standing on the shore. In the city she takes residence in the house of a farmer and pretends to be an agricultural student. The farmer’s wife has been in a coma ever since their son died. The farmer, though a little eccentric, is very kind to Malli. Malli and her two colleagues study thoroughly the course of the assasination. But when she discovers she is pregnant, she begins to have second thoughts. Her superiors tell her, “your sacrifice will inspire future generations,” but she doubts them. In the end, she proves incapable of pushing the button.
harvest| friends| masters| new shores| retrospective- the south of cinema
far east special | special occassion| short films and animation
» Al Massir / Destiny , Youssef Chahine, FRANCE / EGYPT, 1997 135′
In the twelfth century, in Cordoba, renowned philosopher Averroës (1126-1198) created a school of thought that reflects on the entire West, down to our times. The story opens in southern France, with a man being burned at the stake by the Christian Inquisition for having translated forbidden works by “the Infidel Averroës.” The man’s son watches him burn, then steals away across the border to Cordoba to the home of the great scholar. It is a totally different world than the one he has left – a world of culture, luxury and learning. Averroës’ household is full of life and love; an amazing variety of people come to visit: the Caliph’s brother and sons, dancer Manuela and her sister Sarah, poor and wealthy students, Averroës’ independent-minded daughter, his devoted wife, and many more.
» Memoria del saqueo / Social Genocide , Fernando Solanas, ARGENTINA, 2004 120′
Memoria del Saqueo starts and ends with footage of the momentous, spontaneous mass street protests which erupted across Buenos Aires in December, 2001, after the country effectively declared bankruptcy, causing the banks to shut down. Solanas takes us right to the start of the problems, when Argentina had a massive foreign debt in the 1800s, through the time of the dictatorship, to attempts at democracy. Electoral fraud and privatisation subsequently led to the formation of a “mafiocracy” under President Menem, in which bribery and corruption were daily practices. The richest ten percent of the country then literally sold out the nation’s public property to foreign companies. Despite rich oil and gas fields, a large group of Argentines found themselves living in dire poverty, while the world’s political elite persistently turned a blind eye to the consequences of Menem’s policies.
» Suite Habana / Havana Suite , Fernando Pérez, CUBA/SPAIN, 2003 84′
Dawn in Havana. The city wakes up and a new day and the film begin - with John Lennon. He is honoured by a life-sized statue sitting on a park bench in a square in Havana, and some people have held a vigil there. Suite Habana documents a day in the life of a dozen Cubans who struggle with the harsher side of life in revolutionary Cuba. It is a lyrical, profound reflection on a simple day in the life of ten ordinary people. Havana is a space, sonority, a light, and Havana is its people. Each of the 10 characters represents the curious diversity of the social groups found in the city. There are neither interviews, dialogues nor narration - only images, sounds and music to poetically express on film the everyday events of a peculiar and complex, intimate, controversial and fascinating reality called Havana.
» Theeviravaathi / The Terrorist , Santosh Sivan, INDIA, 1999 90′
A young woman, Malli, has no family, no education, and no future – her life is war. She adopts the same cause for which her brother gave up his life. The leader of the rebellion movement explains to her the assignment: the assassination of an important political figure. She is to wear explosives belted around her waist and detonate them at a public ceremony.Malli makes her way from the jungle to the city where the suicide bombing is to take place. A brave but war-shocked boy helps her to safety through woods planted with land mines. When Malli is safely aboard a boat, sailing towards the city, soldiers kill the boy standing on the shore. In the city she takes residence in the house of a farmer and pretends to be an agricultural student. The farmer’s wife has been in a coma ever since their son died. The farmer, though a little eccentric, is very kind to Malli. Malli and her two colleagues study thoroughly the course of the assasination. But when she discovers she is pregnant, she begins to have second thoughts. Her superiors tell her, “your sacrifice will inspire future generations,” but she doubts them. In the end, she proves incapable of pushing the button.
