DAY 6 AT MAMI: and that is it for me! Until Next Year...

My day 6 at MAMI although the second last of the festival was going to be my last/ I had some commitments i could not get out of and thus had to make do with seeing a total of 15 films this time around.

My first film was “TILL THE DAY WE MEET AGAIN”, Directed by Tadashi Imai. This film is about the love of Sujoru and Kieko that blossoms and fetters under the fear of the ongoing war. I had not seen as much Japanese cinema as I could have in this fest and thus picked this one randomly. The film was a simple story of a boy- Sujoru- who is not in as excited by the war as his friends and elder brother. He infact is a more gentle persona who is fond of poetry and peace. He falls in love with Kieko the moment he see’s her for the first time while they are hiding in a bunker during air raids. A couple of more such coincidental meetings later they both get drawn to each other and get lost in their dreams of future fostered by their love for each other. Then the inevitable happens as Sujoru gets drafted and has to go for war...I stayed engaged in the film and liked it.

The next film to watch was going to be a tough to choose task. Out of the five films playing simultaneously at the 5:30 pm I wanted to see four!!! That was however impossible and thus I had to prepare my priority list.

My list was:-

1) “Iti Mrinalini” directed by Aparna Sen starring both herself and her talented daughter Konkana Sen Sharma.

2) “Somewhere” directed by Sofia Coppola, the director of “Lost in Translation” and daughter of the legendary Francis Ford Coppola.

3) “Harud” (Autumn) directed by the Indian actor turned director Aamir Bashir about present day Kashmir, a film that has been talked about extensively in the international Indian media.

4) “South of Border” directed by Oliver Stone. What can one say to introduce Oliver Stone? However being a nonfiction film I had this last on my last.

My plans however went haywire because first the unexpected happened- The Japaneese film that i was sitting in lasted a good twenty minutes longer than what its running time proclaimed in the brochures! And then the expected happened- The queue for both my top two choices from my list had spiralled way beyond any reasonable chance to get to see either of the films. Alas... it had to be Harud.

I was extremely dissapointed to see Harud. Directed by the actor turned director Aamir Bashir the film left me with a headache on account of its pace and pain for the kind of hype it had generated. I do applaud the effort of the team if thats what its all about but otherwise i will not recommend it to anybody. A lot of people will not say this because it would be insensitive or unintelligent to say it out loud but thats the fact. The film did not reveal anything new that has not been hammered in our minds by the news channels and other reports. The camera work was not as outstanding as it is claimed to be. I have seen far better frames than a much less raved about film that i saw in this festival that was directed by Dr. Biju called “On the way Home”. That too was shot in Kashmir.

People were laughing at the wrong places, there were restless shifting and whispers but the film was endured. After the screen i asked a few how they felt about the film. Each one gave me the head bob until i told them what i felt and the next moment i had them crooning in chorus with me!! Sorry to bust the bubble but- NOT RECOMMENDED.

The last film of the day and ‘of the festival for me’ could not have been more apt and beautiful. Directed by Yoshinari Nishikori “Railways”, a film from Japan tells you to “find work that you love”. The two hour ten minute film is the story of Tsutsui Hajme who is a high flying corporate honcho. He has all the luxuries in life but is not very happy and is all the time busy in work with no time for family.

His teenange daughter is unhappy with him and in one of many such gems in the film we have her say that her father never speaks without consulting the watch! Tsutsui has to rush back to his village when his mother who lives alone in the village falls ill. During his stay there he recollects his childhood dream of becoming a train operator/ motorman!! and he thus decides to give up his high flying life and job to pursue his dream at the age of 50!

The jounrey from here on is so magically narrated that i could not help but clap on multiple occasions.

The dialogues are so simple yet so deep, the character are so well matured and well defined that it was an amazing experience. When the ailing mother is told what her son is upto by the nurse, she says, "I dont care what he does as long he love it. As long as he is happy, I am."

I am dying to watch this film again. I hope you’ll watch it too. I forgot to mention the back ground score that elvates every moment bringing a tear to your eyes when necessary and a smile where its apt. Magical. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

“Somewhere” directed by Sofia Coppola- which i missed in the evening- was to be shown again at 10:30 pm and i would have seen it but “Railways” had carried me to another zone which i did not want to get out off. It was a perfect climax to the wonderful and extensive fair of cinema provided by MAMI 2010.

Until Next MAMI...