After making a splash in Germany, ‘Deine Farbe’ to compete in New Delhi
New York-based Pinoy filmmaker Diane Ventura is on a roll.
Her character-driven European postcard jaunt, “Deine Farbe (Your Color),” just had a sold-out premiere at the Hofer Filmtage, one of the most important in Germany.
The festival is associated with such notables as Wim Wenders, who directed Cannes breakthroughs “Paris, Texas” and “Wings Of Desire;” as well as Peter Jackson “The Lord Of The Rings.” The inclusion of Diane’s international film debut among a veritable pantheon of modern classics is, indeed, a triumph in itself.
The film is slated for exhibition at the second Diorama International Film Festival & Market in New Delhi, appearing alongside 19 other entries in the International Diorama category and competing in 21 award categories.
“Deine Farbe” is the story of two friends, Karl (Jannik Schümann) and Albert (Nyamandi Adrian), both dealing with being stuck in a smalltown rut of predetermined futures and limited life choices. And they are playing the hand they’ve been dealt asanyl ate-teen or early twenty something would: By commiserating with their closest friend, going on a knee-jerk road trip to a foreign city, and documenting everything on camera.
“Finding myself in yet another country with a culture very different from my own made me realize that we all are Albert and Karl somehow. At one point in our lives, we’ve all been lost, rebellious, and desperate for meaning and purpose. None of us have gone through life without suffering or mistakes,” Diane said.
She bravely eschews her previously established storytelling turf of psychological thrillers, particularly the genre-bending “Mulat,” to make way for a more straightforward, more introspective commentary on class, privilege, mental health, selfperception, self-preservation, and, above all, friendship.
On top of this, she is working in a milieu far from her comfort zone.
“I dream of making films in places whose cultures differ from my own. Ultimately, I want to prove that despite our fundamental differences, emotional experiences are universal. I want my work to be a testament to my belief that barriers are illusory and unity is attainable if we approach every idea and disparity with tolerance and acceptance.”
“Deine Farbe (Your Color)” is set for international release this year.