Film fever grips Islamabad, Karachi

European and Indonesian Film Festivals grip attendees with inspirational stories and a discourse on history .

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD:

The Kara Film Festival may have stopped taking place in Pakistan, but the recent occurrence of back-to-back film festivals in the country is reflective of the audience’s undying interest in films. While the Lyari Film Festival brought forward storytellers from the notorious area in Karachi, the recently held European and Indonesian Film Festivals enchanted the audience with inspirational stories and discourse on history. 

Showcasing post-World War Europe

German filmmaker-author Wim Wenders once said, “A film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever, but in its form and language can tell people that they can change their lives and contribute to progressive changes in the world.” The European Film Festival, which opened to audiences on Friday, epitomised these words with the selection of films screened at day one of the festival hosted by Habib University (HU).

‘The Century of Upheaval’ festival ran for three days and aimed to provide audiences with a wider exposure to the arts and culture of Europe.



“This festival is very much in line with the vision and mission of HU, which strongly believes in providing our students wider exposure to arts and culture, for their greater and personal development and we welcome everyone to be a part of it,” said Wasif Rizvi, the president of Habib University.

Day one of the festival featured two films followed by a panel discussion on Christopher Clark’s book The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to war in 1914.

The first film screened was Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) which depicted the World War I Christmas truce of December 1914. The events in the film are depicted through the perspective of Scottish, French and German soldiers.

The second film, Good Bye, Lenin! was a German tragicomedy centering on a son’s efforts to shield his mother from any fatal shock, after waking up from an eight month long coma to the news that East Germany has reunified with West Germany. What follows is a series of comic events that transcend the barrier of German language.

“I have developed a recent fascination with history pertaining to the World War events and how despite all the damage it has done throughout history, it is not looked upon with the same reverence as it should be,” said the well known literary figure Zahida Hina, who was present at the event.

Indonesian Film Festival: Ode to Joko Widodo

Many people familiar with the incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo may be unaware of his life story. But it is interesting enough to portray in a feature film. And it has been in a glorious tribute to his struggle and success through adversity. To celebrate the new government, the second Indonesian Film Festival 2014 opened at the Indonesian Embassy on Friday evening.



Jokowi, the first film to be screened at the festival, narrates the true story of the newly-elected president of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo who will officially assume office on October 20. Opening in the small city of Surakarta of the early 1960’s, the film traces Widodo’s humble roots. Unlike the presidents who preceded him, he belongs to the working class of a rural area and is gaining popularity among ordinary Indonesian citizens.

The film follows Widodo through his love for the soft-spoken Iriana, who plays a pivotal role in his life and motivates him in the face of challenges along the way. When tragedy strikes in the form of Widodo’s father’s death, the couple is driven to take greater responsibility to uplift their status and that of their family.

Perhaps the subtle, slow pace of the film is intended to make the viewer relate with the plight of a spirited Widodo through his early year. Offering fleeting moments of light humour and dry wit, the story has strong emotional undertones, punctuated by simple yet thought-provoking dialogue and fluid transitions through different stages of the protagonist’s life.



Merging history and drama, the film chronicles the story of a man who is in many ways, self-made. The film festival that features two other films namely Obama Anak Menteng, a film on the early childhood days of the US President in Indonesia and Tanah Surga…Katanya (Land of Heaven) will continue till September 28. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2014.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.