Mumbai 2013 Day #5: Outlaws and Outcasts

A movie-puzzle is a must at any film festival. And this one blended fact and fiction, including the house-arrest of Jafar Panahi and the 20-year ban on film-making that the director is facing in Iran, into a surrealistic film - 'Closed Curtains' (Iran/ 2013) that also won Best Screenplay at Berlin.

An effective mood-piece, this story about a young boy finding companionship only in his dog, but it left me desiring a lot. Perhaps it was good that I wasn't very involved during this film, as an idea hit me and I got busy developing it into a film story. 'My Dog Killer'' (Slovakia-Czech Republic/ 2013) by Mira Fornayova.

A very shocking shot of graphic violence stunned the audience today in this film. I was not surprised, and was waiting for something like this. Amat Escalante did not disappoint. However, I think the Best Director award that he won at Cannes was because of reasons beyond those violent scenes. 'Heli' (Mexico/ 2013) is definitely one of the most powerful films of this year.

The sixteenth film by the Coen brothers. And since I have watched all their previous films, 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (USA/ 2013) was eagerly awaited. Grand Prix winner at Cannes, this film shows yet again how the Coens have managed to create their unique authorship despite operating in Hollywood, with almost all resources and stars at their disposal. They can make a very mainstream film, but they seem to be happy exploring new dimensions in their own cinema.

However, the highlight of the day was 'La jaula de oro' (Mexico/ 2013) by Diego Quemada-Diez. A Certain Talent Prize for the ensemble at Cannes this year, this film managed to keep us involved throughout its 100-minute run-time, despite most of the audience being exhausted after a long day. A hard-hitting story of illegal immigrants from South America to the US, I was benefited by the documentary on the same topic that I had watched on the second day of the festival. The film received an applause that few films have received this year.

Five days are gone, just two more to go. And tomorrow, I won't be able to watch five movies as I have to go for a meeting. I hope the four that I watch are such that I don't regret anything. Night!