Love and magic at Diff
Films from around the world compete for Dh440,000 in prizes at Dubai festival
A Singaporean family’s relationship with their Filipina maid is tested by the financial crisis; a love story blooms between two outlaws in Durban’s white underclass; a young graduate lies and fakes his way to make it in Dhaka and a bond develops between two strangers when a lunchbox is wrongly delivered in Mumbai.
This year’s Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature programme at the Dubai International Film Festival ( Diff) brings together an interesting mix of films from around the world, films that are already winning widespread praise.
From India, there’s The Irrfan Khan in The Lunchbox. Lunchbox, the breakout feature by filmmaker Ritesh Batra about a wrongly delivered lunchbox in Mumbai that connects an older man, played by Irrfan Khan, to a young housewife.
First time director Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo won the prestigious Camera D’or in Cannes where it received a 15- minute standing ovation. Set in Singapore, and recently submitted as the country’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2014 Academy Awards, the film chronicles the relationship between the Lim family and their newly arrived Filipina maid, Teresa.
South African director Andrew Worsdale brings Durban Poison, a noir romance set among the marginalised white underclass.
This is Worsdale’s return to film 27 years after his Shot Down was banned in his home country but went on to festival acclaim, becoming South Africa’s defini-
Grigis. tive cult film of the 80s.
Ant Story, by Mustafa Sarwar Farooki from Bangladesh, follows the story of Mithu, a young graduate trying to make it in Dhaka; while Iran’s Shakram Mokri arrives with Fish and Cat, based on a true story of a group of students camping in Iran who run into chefs looking for young, tender meat for their restaurant.
From Chad, director Mahamat- Saleh Haroun returns to Diff with his fifth feature film, Grigris, also the name of its hero, a 25- year- old with a paralysed leg who dreams of being a dancer.
All films will compete for the $ 120,000 ( Dh440,000) Muhr AsiaAfrica prize with $ 50,000 going to the Best Film, $ 40,000 awarded for Special Jury Prize, $ 15,000 for Best Director, and Best Actress and Best Actor each taking away $ 8,000. Winning films will be announced at the closing ceremony on December 13.
For Diff schedules and information, go to dubaifilmfest. com.
N e w s p a p e r D i r e c t