The Habitat International Film Festival, an annual treat for the Delhi-NCR film lovers, was back in its full-fledged form this year
The 10-day Habitat International Film Festival (HIFF) was a visual treat for film-loving communities in Delhi and the NCR. Thanks to Sunit Tandon (Director, India Habitat Centre) and Vidyun Singh (Programme Head) along with her team to bring the award-winning, critically acclaimed films from Cannes, Berlin and other renowned film festivals.
This year, HIFF screened 60 films from 20 countries, with Australia as the focus country. From factual to fantastical, from surreal to sci-fi, this edition took place from March 17 to 26.
Tandon says, “The HIFF is back in its full-fledged form this year. We also bring a cutting-edge VR Section to the festival for the first time. Aspiring filmmakers will not want to miss the unique opportunity provided by Kieslowski Film School Documentary Workshop.”
From Australia, six of the finest contemporary films of 2022 and 2023 have been screened with the opening film, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, showcasing the elliptical memories of the teen activist’s historic fight for transgender rights; Ivan Sen’s Limbo arrives fresh off the boat from its Berlinale 2023 premiere; others include The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour, Sweet As, and Survival of Kindness.
Filmmakers and editors from the Kielowski Film School from Poland trained the young minds in a four-day documentary workshop. Grzegorz Paprzycki, an acclaimed upcoming voice in contemporary Polish cinema and Kieslowski Film School alumni was one of the workshop trainers. A hands-on workshop, with live editing sessions, discussions and practical exercises designed to hone their skills as filmmakers was an added advantage for the local young filmmakers.
For the first time as part of the festival, cinema’s latest innovation — VR and 360° video — was presented in partnership with the Goethe Institute. The Virtual Reality programme — a package of animation, short and documentary films — explores the relationship between the past and present. It also adds a whole new dimension to film watching for the audience.
Four films in the MUBI Friday section that approach the anarchy of love and its expression across different eras — the classic In The Mood For Love by Wong Kar-wai, to the contemporary Paris, 13th district by Jacques Audiard and The Worst Person in the World by Joachim Trier, even the futuristic Crimes of The Future by David Cronenberg.
Eight biggest attraction at HIFF were: Elvis, the buzzing Austin Butler-starrer, Baz Luhrmann biopic that premiered at Cannes (and has won many awards subsequently); Rheingold, Fatih Akin’s (Germany, Netherlands, Morocco, Mexico) high-octane adaptation of the swagger and bombast of German rap star Xatar’s 2015 autobiography ‘All Or Nothing’; winner of 16 awards and 51 nominations, including the much-coveted Golden Bear (Berlinale 2022) - Carla Simón’s (Spain), Alcarras, a deeply intelligent and empathetic humane drama that engulfs you in the heat and dust and dysfunction created by market forces; Perfect Number - the return of veteran Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi and his search for philosophical answers in mathematical theories; the poignant We are Still Here, an anthology film about stories of indigenous heroes from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific; winner of the Best Screenplay at Cannes 2022, Boy From Heaven, takes us into the heart of a ruthless power struggle between Egypt's religious and political elites; the latest Berlinale awardee (2023), The Survival of Kindness, follows a black woman’s escape from a cage in the middle of the desert to the city, recapture, and tragedy; and Oscar nominee 'EO' by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland) follows a donkey that encounters good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, exploring a vision of modern Europe.
Further enriching the feature line-up are some equally remarkable documentaries, shorts, and animation films. DOC NYC 2022 nominee Closed Circuit by Tel Inbar (Israel) is a documentary that captures the heart-pounding trauma of the 2016 terrorist attack in Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market; Winner of ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at The Roxbury International Film Festival and Filmocracy Fest, Hostile by UK filmmaker Sonita Gale explores the UK’s complicated relationship with its migrant communities; Winner at the Warsaw Film Festival 2022, Region of Heroes by Artur Lerman (Ukraine) is the story of those who selflessly saved thousands of Ukrainians during the Russian occupation; winner of the Special Jury Award at Roxbury Film Festival and the International Humanitarian Award at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, The Bengali by Kavery Kaul (USA) is the story of a writer from Louisiana who embarks on a quest to India to look for her grandfather's descendants. Curated packages from Poland and Sri Lanka also embellished the festival.
(The writer is a Delhi-based film festival curator, freelance writer, filmmaker and producer)
