THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, known for his unconventional movies highlighting humanitarian issues, has been chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which will begin at the state capital on December 9. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will present the award to Bela Tarr who is on his first visit to India, at the closing ceremony on December 16.
The Hungarian filmmaker has been using a unique cinematic philosophy, which was later followed as a cinematic concept by other filmmakers across the globe. The festival will screen a retrospective of his films including Werckmeister Harmonies and The Turin Horse - two of his finest works. A comprehensive book on the master in Malayalam written by C S Venkiteswaran, being published by the State Chalachithra Academy will be released during the festival.
As part of supporting individual voices and expressions of protest through art and cinema, the IFFK will honour Mahnaz Mohammadi with the Spirit of Cinema Award.
The festival will screen 184 films from over 70 countries. This year, the festival gives a special focus on films from the silent and early talkie era through a retrospective of one of the first masters of world cinema F W Murnau and silent films with a live music section.
The festival will have retrospectives of Serbian Master Emir Kusturica and Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky.
TORI AND LOKITA INAUGURAL FILM
Award-winning French film Tori and Lokita from Dardenne Brothers - Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne - will be the inaugural film at the 27th IFFK.