Review: Durban International Film Festival
Our Durban D-Va keeps us up to date with what’s going down in this tropical paradise with a review of two screenings at the Durban International Film Festival. We love Durban people- they’re so chilled! Well I would be too if I started everyday with a swim in the Indian Ocean!
In Life as in Death?
Is it naff to want to die peacefully in your sleep?
Do ordinar…
y men typically dream of glorious deaths in order to add an aura of heroism and glory to their lives? And how often do people’s deaths reflect the way that they lived?
These were some of my thoughts after watching two of the flieks on show at the Durban International Film Festival; the Palestinian film Paradise Now and the Italian mafia movie, Consequences of Love.
Paradise Now
The film was shot in Nablus, the most populated city of Palestine, where human rights violations and war crimes are a daily occurrence. The film tells the story of a day in the life of two friends who have been chosen to perform a suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
During filming, the cast and crew were sometimes placed in dangerous situations – the location manager was even kidnapped for a day by a Palestinian group concerned about the script’s depiction of the situation in Palestine! All accounts I’ve heard confirm that the film offers a very fair and unbiased portrayal of the situation in the region.
Their plan of attack goes wrong as they cross over onto the Israeli side, and the friends are separated, still strapped with explosives. The drama becomes more like suspense, as we follow the two on their fast-paced journeys through the sandy streets of dilapidated Nablus.
In the end, we see the protagonist reconciled with his fate, which he chooses over returning to the oppressive conditions of the refugee camp. Living in Palestine, it seems a young man is left with two choices: become a conspirator, face execution and bring shame on the family you leave behind; or give your life to the cause, become a martyr, and bring honour to the family you leave behind.
Although the film does not engage with the ethical questions and ramifications of killing civilians for revolutionary causes, whether in the name of politics or religion, the film puts a human spin on what has become an everyday news item. Director Hany Abu-Assad’s intention with this film was to “open debate and to make the stories of those who are invisible, visible”.
With exceptional performances, a gripping storyline and fascinating insights into the physical space that is Palestine, this powerful film is a must.
The Consequences of Love
This is the first Italian made mafia film I’ve seen, and it was very well-received in Italy, where it won prestigious awards. Described as “an ice-cool existential thriller”, the sophisticated styling and production design alone provide enough reason to watch it.
Titto is an aging man living alone in a hotel room in the Italian sector of Switzerland. His life is a mystery to those around him, and gradually (very gradually&warning to all entertainment seekers) clues reveal that he is involved with the mafia. The film is about boredom, the tedium of everyday life, growing older, watching rather than living and it is unrelenting in making the viewer feel the physical heaviness of these themes.
Without wanting to give too much away, the ending is as grey and heavy as the texture of the entire film, but the character’s actions redeem him enough to leave the viewer with a sense of hope. Essentially, the film is about refusing to give into fear and resignation. Great soundtrack, too.
Other films that have received good word of mouth reviews:
Howl’s Moving Castle (animated)
Steamboy (animated)
2046 (Hong Kong)
Nobody Knows (Japan)
The Ballad of Jack and Rose (USA)
For more info: DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
