The 15th Dhaka International Film Festival (held from January 12 to 20) screened 187 films under eight categories: Asian Film Competition, Retrospective, Cinema of the World, Nordic Films, Children Films, Short & Independent Films, Woman Filmmakers, Spiritual Films. In the main section, Asian Film Competition, a total of 22 films were shown.
The standard of the films shown this year was quite high. These are new releases and the film-goers of Dhaka had no other way of watching them. The best films were from Iran and Turkey. Films such as
Parting (Afghanistan-Iran) and
A Father’s Will (Kyrgyzstan) were sent for consideration at the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards from their respective countries. Films such as
3,000 Nights (Palestine-Lebanon) and
Go Home (Lebanon-France) were created by women filmmakers.
Rauf (Turkey) and
Paris-Tehran (Iran) are the first major works by the filmmakers. Many films dealt with crisis in the Middle East -
Parting (Afghanistan-Iran),
The Dark Wind (Iraq-Syria-Germany-Qatar),
3000 Nights (Palestine-Lebanon),
Rauf (Turkey). Another theme was immigrants returning to their motherland in search of their roots -
Go Home (Lebanon-France),
A Father’s Will (Kyrgyzstan). Another discernible theme was workers travelling abroad in search of a better life -
Oggatonama (Bangladesh),
Pathemari (India-UAE),
My Father’s Wings (Turkey).
The criteria for a great film: importance (is this worth our attention?), articulation (how good is the storytelling?), originality (is this showing us something new?), and courage (what are the risk-factors?). By that standard,
Life + 1 Day (Iran) is the greatest film screened this year. It’s so well written, directed and performances that sometimes you would forget that this is actually a film. This film deserves the prize for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Acting at its best can give voice to the mute, shine light in the dark, and breathe life into the dead. Great actors tell stories that would otherwise remain untold, they reveal souls that would otherwise remain hidden forever. Acting is courage. The actor Haydar Sisman from Cold of Kalander (Turkey) and the actress Parinaz Izadyar from Life + 1 Day (Iran) deserve the award for their best performance.
Watching Daughter (Iran) was the most enjoyable film experience at this festival, and it deserves the Audience Awards; and Pamilya Ordinaryo (Phillipines) was the most pleasantly surprising film at the festival and deserves the Jury Award.
Here is the ranking of the 10 best films exhibited at the festival this year, this is more of a favorite-list than an objective analysis:
10. MY FATHER’S WINGS (Turkey)9. PARTING (Afghanistan-Iran)8. MALARIA (Iran)7. RAUF (Turkey)6. PAMILYA ORDINARYO (Philippines)5. DARK WIND (Iraq-Germany-Qatar)4. DAUGHTER (Iran)3. COLD OF KALANDAR (Turkey)2. 3000 NIGHTS (Palestine-Lebanon) 1. LIFE + 1 DAY (Iran)