Something Different (O něčem jiném) - Věra Chytilová

For those who are familiar with 'Daisies' - the more famous film from the Czech director Věra Chytilová, this is an earlier and more accessible film. It juxtaposes two women with very different lives - one is an international gymnast and the other is a simple housewife. Both grapple with existential questions.

It would have been very easy to fall into the trap of making yet another polemical feminist film, but Chytilova tackles the subject brilliantly. A must watch for anyone who thinks a film with a political message cannot be fun to watch. The black and white images are beautiful and the performances lovely. Here is the beginning of the film to whet your appetite -

More about the film - http://www.kinoeye.org/02/08/cieslar08.php

Recommended Films at the Mumbai Film Festival

Here is a list of recommended films from the Mumbai International Film Festival.
For the complete selection and schedule, visit http://mumbaifilmfest.com


International Competition:

• Las Acacias Pablo Giorgelli (Argentina-Spain / 2011) - selected this year at Cannes Critics week 
• My Little Princess Eva Ionesco (France / 2011) - stars Isabelle Huppert, one of the most important living actors today. 
• She Monkeys (apflickorna) Lisa Aschan (Sweden / 2011) (Special mention at Berlin)

World Cinema:

• Pina Wim Wenders (Germany-France-UK / 2010)
• The Turin Horse (a TorinÓi LÓ) Béla Tarr (Hungary-France-Switzerland-Germany / 2011)
• We Have A Pope ( Habemus Papam ) Nanni Moretti (Italy-France / 2010)
• Almayer’s Folly ( La Folie Almayer ) Chantel Akerman (Belgium-France / 2011)
• Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da) Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey / 2011)

French Cinema:

• The Snows of Kilimanjaro (Les Neiges du Kilimandjaro) Robert Guédiguian (France / 2010)

Cannes Critics Week:

Almost every film here is worth watching, but here are a select few:

• The Hour Of The Furnaces (la Hora De Los Hornos) Octavio Getino & Fernando Solanas (Argentina / 1970)
• Esther Amos Gitai (Austria-Israel-UK / 1986)
• See How They Fall ( Regarde Les Hommes Tomber ) Jacques Audiard (France / 1994)
• Boy Meets Girl Leos Carax (France / 1984)
• Rana’s Wedding (jerusalem, Another Day) Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine-Netherlands-UAE / 2002)
• Provincial Actors (aktorzy Prowincjonalni) Agnieszka Holland (Poland / 1979)
• Walkover (walkower) Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland / 1965)
• Or (mon TrÉsor) Keren Yedaya (France-Israel / 2004)

Salaam Cinema (1995) - Mohsen Makhmalbaf