THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Celebrated South Korean director and Keralites’ favourite Kim Ki-duk’s last film Call of God will be screened at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) starting December 9, under the category of Auteur Odes.The movie, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, showcases the tragic love story of two people who met at a crossroads. This is the first Indian screening of the film.
Kim passed away due to Covid related complications during the filming of the movie, which was completed by his friends. The movie was shot in Latvia, Estonia, and Kyrgyzstan and stars Zhabek Sergazina and Abylai Maratov in the lead roles. The festival will have Serbia as its country of focus. Serbian films are best known for their portrayal of mundaneness in life.
Regardless of genre, they produce quality films that primarily belong to the Serbian New Wave film movement. The festival category Country in Focus will feature six Serbian films. Ivan Ikic’s Oscar-nominated movie Oasis outlines the trials and tribulations of a triangular love.
The section includes the gripping drama Father by Srdan Golubovic. The Working Class Heroes by Milos Pusic had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. The movie discusses the struggles of construction labourers and their fight for deprived rights. IFFK will honour the eminent Serbian director Emir Kusturica by screening four of his films under the category Chaos and Control. After the Vision du Reel festival in Switzerland, the IFFK is the only international film festival that focuses on Serbia.
32 films by women directors to be featured
As many as 32 films by women directors from 17 countries, reflecting on the survival and lives of women, will be screened at the festival.Iranian director and activist Mahnaz Mohammadi will be honoured with the Spirit of Cinema award.Twenty-five films in the World Cinema category and two films in the Malayalam Cinema Today category will be screened.
Claire Denis’s Both sides of the Blade has been scheduled under the Auteur Odes category, Nandita Das’s Zwigato in the Kaleidoscope section, The Turin Horse and Werckmeister Harmonies co-directed by Agnes Rensky and Bela Tarr, will also be screened.Marina Er Gorbach’s film Klondike, which has been scheduled under the World Cinema category, focuses on the realities of Ukrainian women’s life.
Mia Hansen Love’s One Fine Morning, Maryam Touzani’s The Blue Caftan, Valentina Maurel’s I have electric dreams, Marie Kreutzer’s Corsage,Alli Hapazalo’s Girl picture, Carla Simon’s Alcarras, Julia Murat’s Rule 34 are the other films to be screened, among others.