News

The fifth edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival will hold retrospectives of Girish Kasaravalli and Jahnu Barua among others. Five of Kasaravalli’s films: Tabarana Kathe (1986), Kraurya (1996), Thaayi Saheba (1997), Dweepa (2003) and Hasina (2004)will be screened. While Barua’s Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (1987), Banani (1990), Firingoti (1992) and Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door(1995) will be screened.

Besides, three other sections are dedicated to Indian cinema. Chitrabharathi – Indian Cinema Competition, Kannada Cinema (competition and screening of films in other dialects in Karnataka) and 100 years of Indian Cinema (screening of 14 films).

Complete line up:

Retrospective

Chan-Wook Park (South Korea)

1. J.S.A.: Joint Security Area (Chan-Wook Park/110/2000/South Korea)

2. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park/129/2002/South Korea)

3. Old boy (Chan-Wook Park/120/2003/South Korea)

4. Lady Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park/112/2005/South Korea)

5. Thirst (Chan-Wook Park/133/2009/South Korea)

Fatih Akin (Germany)

1. Short Sharp Shock (Fatih Akin/100/1998/Germany)

2. In July (Fatih Akin/99/2000/Germany)

3. Solino (Fatih Akin/124/2002/Germany)

4. Head On (Fatih Akin/121/2004/Germany/Turkey...

[Our thanks to Michel Thein for the following review.]

Considering Fatih Akin's catalog of films, one might not think that he could write and direct a comedy that wouldn't  feel bleak like Head-on or excessively passionate like Solino. One might go as far as to say that it might turn out to be not that much of a funny movie. Then came the trailer  and it looked exactly like the man's films always look, a sense for detail in composition of frame and a sense for color and colorfulness of life and sure enough there were some laughs in the trailer that looked clever and natural but would he be able to pull it off for 99minutes?

Going into the movie the cast list is already impressive; it's a real who's who of Akin's previous movies. We follow Adam Bousdoukos and Moritz Bleibtreu as Greek brothers from Hamburg as they transform their snack shop into a real thriving hot spot for music,...

• Could Fatih Akin be softening up? While not courting controversy for his political views (and holocaust sugarcoating), the Turko-German filmmaker is best known for his struggle-obsessed dramas like Solino and The Edge of Heaven. So when news of him taking on a comedy hits one can’t help but do a double take. So when news hits that the director will be taking on a comedy for his next project, one can’t help but do a double take. Then again I had the same reaction when I saw his name pop-up as a contributor in the upcoming romantic omnibus New York, I Love You so perhaps I shouldn’t be too surprised. Soul Kitchen is a Hamburg-set comedy that THR says 'centers on a restaurant owner whose life has entered a rough patch.' Not much to go on there. We do know that Akin regular Adam Bousdoukos

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