DAY 5 AT MAMI: The best so far- for me!

Some days are simply better than the others. There is no logic to it and hence there should not be any analysis. Likewise, my Day 5 at MAMI was the best so far. Saw three films back to back and enjoyed each one of them not only from their content, treatment and experience but also because of the fact that I did not encounter any mayhem or chaos before any of the screenings!

The first film of the day was a German film called “Ayla.” directed by debutante director Su Turhan.
The first shot of the film itself blew me away! From behind a curve- comes a girl- running; running hard but in slow motion towards the camera as the camera back tracks. She is on the streets in the middle of the night. The streets are deserted and illuminated but the frame holds a somewhat eerie texture to it. The girls’ hair are left open and are thus flying as we see her gasping and running hard. A mystical Arabic kind of drum rhythm plays in the back ground, rising in tempo gradually until a strand of the girls’ hair begins to merge into the first letter of the title. The letters begin to form as the screen blacks out with only the title reading- “Ayla”. I was hooked. There was a whisper of applause to this effect as the film began.
The film was about this rebellious girl Ayla who is not the coy orthodox girl that every Turkish girl is expected to be. Through her, the film reveals the chauvinistic prejudice that the Turkish males hold towards their females. Her flamboyant and liberal ways have naturally strained her relations with her father. In the film, Ayla falls in love with a Turkish guy- Ayhan- whose sister-Hatice- has run away from her loveless marriage in Turkey and come to Germany along with her daughter. Such an act is unpardonable amongst the Turks and requires the elder brother of the family- i.e. Ahyan, in this case- to kill Hatice for the family’s honor! By the quirk of fate Hatice runs into Ayla to seek refuge and Ayla takes it upon herself to save Hatice even if it means standing against the man she considered her soul mate. Although Ahyan does attempt to convince Ayla that he does not intend to kill his sister, the pressures put on him by his family and a prejudiced narrow minded society allows Ayla to get a glimpse of Ahyan’s murderous instincts! She manages to send Hatice away safely and walks away from Ahyan back into her liberal unorthodox life.

The second film of the day was again with a female protagonist. This one was “Eine Familie” meaning “A Family”. This film from Denmark was directed by a female director Perniile Fischer Christensen. A very gripping drama about the conflict between your bonds and your dreams. Ditte is all gung ho and excited about moving to New York as she has got a job offer she has been dreaming about. Her boy friend is very happy for her and is supportive of her decision to move. He thus agrees to abort their child for the sake of Ditte’s career. Now, Ditte comes from a family of Bakers. Generations after Generations of her family have run the bakery set up by her great-great grandfather. The bakery has now become a very prestigious and sanctimonious enterprise for the family. Ditte’s father is detected with cerebral tumors and her shifting to New York means the end of the Bakery as she does not have any brothers eligible to take care of the Bakery!! She also does not wish to leave her ailing father although there are other people to take care of him. Her father too expresses his desire by asking her to stay back. Ditte is thus torn apart between her desire to chase her dreams and her desire to fulfill her father’s dream of her taking over the Bakery. The boy friend of course feels cheated to see Ditte not giving a thought at aborting their baby but now single handedly taking the decision to not move to New York.
The beauty of the film was how none of the characters can be labeled wrong in their own ways. Each one seems justified in asking for what they were and thus the conflict only seems more poignant and engaging.

The last film of the day was from Croatia-Serbia-Slovenia. Directed by Rajko Grlic “Neka Ostane Medju Nama” meaning “Just between us” can be best described in three words recently made popular by Dibakar Banerjee- Love, Sex and Dhokha. Although nothing like banerjee’s film Just Between Us has these emotions to the fullest. There was all three of it woven into one closely knit story in proportionate measures. Its quiet a task really, to capture the tongue in cheek flavor of this film. There are four primary characters: Nikola and his wife, Nikola’s brother and his wife. The sexual faux paus and history between them along with the present day developments resulting out of the fact that both Nikola and his brother have taken to their father’s way of sleeping around with women unfolds the candid tale of this film. I can only recommend you to watch it for any more of my attempt at sharing the film’s experience will either make it a fruit salad gone wrong or a dish without salt.

Until Day 6 then….