IFFR 2021: The June programme to open with ‘The World to Come’ and end with ‘Poupelle of Chimney Town’
The Hindu
With a spread of 139 features including short, mid-length and VR films, the closing section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021 boasts of a cocktail of genres and films
“Are we going back to cinemas?” was the question that was there on everyone’s mind during the recent virtual press conference of the 50th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2021. Given the circumstances and regulations in the Netherlands, festival director Vanja Kaludjercic had a more rational response. “It is hard to predict, now that things are changing every day. But if cinemas are open, then IFFR will be there. Even otherwise, we have made the festival available online with a 72-hour window,” she said, while announcing the plan for the closing section of this year’s festival, slated from June 2-6 both online and physical screenings in Netherlands. The June programme will open with The World to Come, an intimate period drama about two women directed by Norwegian filmmaker and actress Mona Fastvold.
A vacuum cleaner haunted by a ghost is the kind of one-liner which can draw in a festival audience looking for a little light-hearted fun to fill the time slots available between the “heavier” films which require much closer attention. A useful ghost, the debut feature of Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke being screened in the world cinema category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), even appears so in the initial hour. Until, the film becomes something more, with strong undercurrents of Thailand’s contemporary political history.
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Sustainability is not an add-on, but stamped firmly into the process: every piece is biodegradable, waste-free and unembellished, free from glitter or beads. “Products should be sustainable and biodegradable so that our planet is not harmed,” says Anu Elizabeth Alexander, a student of Sishya, Adyar. At a recent exhibition, the stars she made sold the fastest, followed by the small diamonds. “I would like people to know about the process, how it is created, and that it is sustainable,” says Anu. Infanta Leon from Kotturpuram developed an interest in crochet as a teenager. It was a hobbyhorse that evolved into a steed that would help her embark on a journey of identity-shaping creative engagement. She started making Christmas-themed decor two years ago, spurred by a desire to craft safe, eco-friendly toys for children. “With a toddler at home, and my elder child sensitive to synthetic materials, I wanted to create items that were gentle, durable and tactile,” she explains. Her earliest creations were small amigurumi toys which gradually evolved into ornaments that could adorn Christmas trees with warmth and charm.
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