SYNOPSIS

Pyaasa/ ETERNAL THIRST - 29 Oct 2008 6.30pm - Director:Guru Dutt - 1957/B&W/Romance/146′/urdu

Plot: Unemployed Vijay is the youngest in his family consisting of his widowed mom, and two brothers. His passion is poetry - frowned upon by his brothers - who want him to find gainful employment instead. He takes to drinking, gets into trouble with the law, disowned by his brothers, ends up at a brothel and befriends a prostitute named Gulabo. Gulabo is sympathetic, listens to him as he pours his heart out, and decides to assist Vijay. Gulabo approaches some of her affluent clientèle to assist Vijay and try and get his work published, without revealing that they are written by an alcoholic, disheveled, homeless man.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand /FULL MOON - 30 Oct 2008 6.30pm - Director:M. Sadiq - 1960/B&W-Colour/ Romance/169′/urdu

Plot: Nawab Pyare Mian gets a close look at a stunning woman in a busy market place, and is left stunned by her beauty. Unable to get her out of his mind, he asks his friends, Shedad and Aslam, for assistance. Then to Nawab’s delight he spots her at his sister’s birthday celebration, and asks Nasibhan to find out who she is. After a few misunderstandings, he does find out her name, which is Jameela. But the problem is that his friend, Aslam, has also fallen for her, and the friends will have to make sacrifices for each other, then after that the decision will be Jameela’s to decide who to chose for her life-partner. Awards:3 wins & 4 nominations

Kaagaz Ke Phool /PAPER FLOWERS - 1 Nov 2008- 3.30pm - Director:Guru Dutt - 1959/B&W/148′/ romance /hindi

Plot: Suresh Sinha, who comes from a poor background, makes it big in the Bombay-based Indian film industry . He meets Veena Varma, and gets married. A daughter named Pramila is born. Suresh meets with débutante Shanti and falls head over heels in love with her and begins to promote her career. Disagreements arise between Veena and Suresh, and they decide to separate, with Pramila staying on with her dad. Veena’s dad, brings about a legal action against Suresh for custody of Pramila. Suresh loses focus, unable to concentrate on his career, which ends in his entire estate being auctioned to pay off his debts, and he becomes a homeless drunk. Suresh attempts a comeback. The question remains will Suresh make a successful start as an actor, and will Shanti and he start a relationship?    Awards:2 wins

Mr. & Mrs. ‘55 - 2 Nov 2008 3.30 pm - Director:Guru Dutt - 1955/B&W/157′/hindi

Plot: A young, naive heiress, in custody of a martinet and flamingly feminist aunt is forced into a ‘marriage of convenience’ with an unemployed cartoonist in an attempt to save her millions - a move orchestrated by the scheming aunt. However, in the course of her ostensibly married life, she learns the true meaning of marriage and the deep significance of being an Indian wife, much to the dismay of her aunt, who, in adherence to her wayward beliefs, has been trying to instill every kind of anti-male sentiment in her niece’s ingenuous mind.

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam / KING QUEEN AND SLAVE - 2 Nov 2008 - 6.30 pm - Director:Abrar Alvi - 1962/ B&W/152′/urdu

Plot: A young man named Bhoot Nath is hired as a servant to a very wealthy zamindar. The zamindar is married to a beautiful woman, but every night frequents brothels and dancing ladies. Bhoot Nath finds out that his wife is a very lonely woman, and they both come close, and soon form a platonic relationship. This enables Bhoot Nath to see the life of his mistress through her perspective, and the life she is doomed to live. Awards:4 wins & 1 nomination

GURU DUTT - The Icon

Guru Dutt , one of the greatest icons of commercial Indian cinema was considered to be a man ahead of his time,. Although he made less than 50 films during his lifetime, they are believed to be the best to come from Bollywood’s Golden Age, known both for their ability to reach out to the common man and for their artistic and lyrical content, and they went on to become trendsetters that have influenced Bollywood ever since.

Dutt was born in Mysore on 9 July 1925, the eldest son of a headmaster and a housewife who was a part-time writer. He received his early education in Calcuta, and in 1941, he joined the Uday Shankar India Culture Center, where he received basic training in the performing arts under dance maestro Uday Shankar. Afterward, in 1944, he had a short stint as a telephone operator.

Dutt entered the Indian film industry in 1944, working as a choreographer in Prabhat Studios. There, he became friends with Dev Anand (whom he met when they worked on the film Hum Ek Hain (1946)) and Rehman. After Prabhat Studios went under in 1947, Dutt moved to Mumbai, where he worked with the leading directors of the time: Amiya Chakrabarty in Girls’ School (1949) and Gyan Mukherjee in Sangram (1946).

He got his big break when Dev Anand invited him to direct a film in his newly formed company Navketan Films. Dutt made his directorial debut with Baazi (1951), which starred Dev Anand. The film was an urban crime thriller that paid homage to classic film noir. However, it also carried its own elements that ensured it was not a remake of a Hollywood film: notably, songs were used to further the story’s narrative, and close-up shots were used frequently. The film was a success and became a trendsetter for future crime films.

Dutt’s next releases were Jaal (1952) and Baaz (1953). Dutt made his acting debut in the latter film, which he also directed. But while they were average successes, he finally tasted success with Aar-Paar (1954), another crime thriller, but with a far more polished story and look. Then came Mr. & Mrs. ‘55 (1955), a frothy romantic comedy focusing on women’s’ rights; and C.I.D. (1956), yet another crime thriller in which Waheeda Rehman made her debut.

His next films, Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), are regarded as his best work. Pyaasa (1957) was his masterpiece, about a poet trying to achieve success in a hypocritical, uncaring world. It was a box-office hit and is ranked as his greatest film ever.

Dutt continued to produce and act in films, notably the period dramas Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). The latter film, interestingly, is controversial because it is debated whether Dutt had ghost-directed the film

Dutt passed away on 10 October 1964. His death was an irreplaceable loss to Indian cinema. Guru Dutt would always be known, even if posthumously, as the Guru of Bollywood’s Golden Age and one of the world’s most important international auteurs….

SYNOPSIS

WIZARDS/MAGICIANS/ Charodei - 21 Oct 2008 – 6.30 pm

Director:Konstantin Bromberg - 1982/ colour/160’/ fairytale

Plot: In a small Russian town, there is a Research Institute for magic. One of the witches, Alyona Sanina, is going to marry a guy named Ivan Puhov (not a magician). A jealous Apollon Sataneev tells her boss Kira Shemahandskaya that Sanina is going to marry not Ivan Puhov, but Ivan Kivrin, whom Shemahandskaya is going to marry herself. Enraged, Shemahandskaya, who is a powerful witch, orders Sanina to forget about her Ivan but marry Sataneev instead. And this will be final unless Alyona kisses Puhov before midnight on New Year. Alyona’s friends call Puhov to the rescue.

IRONY OF FATE / Ironiya sudby, ili S legkim parom! - 22 Oct 2008 - 6.30 pm

Director:Eldar Ryazanov - 1975/ colour/ 184’/ comedy

This modestly budgeted, romantic comedy became one of the most popular films in the former Soviet Union and a staple of TV broadcasts on New Year’s Eve. On New Years eve, too much vodka and beer makes two friends unconscious. The problem is that one of them (Sasha) has to go to Leningrad but another one (Zhenya) goes. Zhenya wakes up at Leningrad airport, believing that he is still in Moscow he takes a taxi and goes home. The street name, building and even apartment number, the way an apartment complex looks the same and the key coincide completely - just typical Soviet-type ‘economy’ architecture. Imagine the surprise of Nadya when she enters her apartment and finds a man without trousers in her bed. What’s more - Nadya’s fiancé also finds him there…

EVENING ON A FARM NEAR DIKANKA/ Vechera na khutore bliz - 23 Oct 2008 – 6.15pm

Director:Semen Gorov - 2001/colour / 91’/ fairytale

Plot: In the remote Ukrainian village of Dikanka, handsome but poor Vakula loves the beautiful Oxana, but she’s holding out for a wealthy prince, and her father doesn’t think much of him either. On Christmas Eve she sends him on a ridiculous quest for dancing shoes that takes him all the way to the imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with the help of some odd characters from the village and the Devil himself.

THE FAIR BARBARA WITH SILKEN HAIR/ Varvara-krasa, dlinnaya kosa - 23 Oct 2008 – 7.45 pm

Director:Aleksandr Rou - 1969 / colour/ 85’ / fairytale

Plot : The powerful Czar Yeremey the Bearded (Mikhail Pugovkin) lives in a sunny kingdom, but his idyllic life is turned upside down one day when he stares into a well and finds himself confronted by a subterranean ruler, Chudo Yudo the Lawless (Georgi Millyar), who clutches onto the tsar’s orange beard and threatens to drag him down into the fairy kingdom. Yeremey’s freedom can only be granted if he agrees to provide Chudo Yudo with anything from the kingdom. The tsar returns home to discover that a new heir has been born. Chudo Yudo’s demand for the baby results in a thwarted infant swap, leaving the false baby raised by the Czar and the real heir spoiled into stunted infancy

THE TALE OF TSAR SALTAN / Skazka o tsare Saltane 24 Oct 2008 – 6.15 pm

Directors:Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Lev Milchin - 1984/colour/ 69’/ fairytale

Plot: The Tale of Tsar Saltan is a colorful Russian fairy tale based on the classic poem by Alexander Pushkin. When Tsar Saltan is away at war, the scheming members of his court exile his young wife and newborn heir. The tsarina and the young prince Guidon survive and reach a remote island. Guidon saves the beautiful Princess Swan from an evil sorcerer and through a series of miracles she helps the prince to reunite with his father.

FATHER FROST / Morozko - 24 Oct 2008- 7.30 pm

Director:Aleksandr Rou - 1964/ colour/ 84’ / fairytale

Plot A beautiful, abused girl named Nastenka, and Ivan, a strong, proud young man, fall in love. Nastenka lives on the edge of the forest, where her wicked stepmother treats her horribly while doting on her own daughter, whom she hopes to marry off to a wealthy boy; Ivan, from another part of the forest, goes off seeking adventure, but he is too proud for his own good and must learn humility — he does this with the help of a strange old man, who casts a spell on him giving him the head of a bear. He gets back his own face only after he performs a good deed for the sheer goodness of doing it, and is soon worthy of marrying Nastenka . Both Nastenka and Ivan get unexpected help from Father Frost, a St. Nicholas-like figure with his magic carriage and his icy staff.

Awards:1 win

Consulate General of the NETHERLANDS, Mumbai
The Madras Film Society
&
Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation
Present
NETHERLANDS FILM FESTIVAL

SYNOPSIS

JOHAN - 2005 - 90′ - 13.10.2008/Mon/6.15pm - Director : Nicole van Kilsdonk
Johan is about a family of 10 football brothers, all named after famous English footballers. Then number 11 is born and she called him, Johan. However, there is a problem : Johan does not like football, he loves singing and music. And he loves his girl next door Evy, but also his brother Johnny has feelings for her. While the brothers each make a career in the best clubs in the Netherlands, Johan chase after his dream: to be a singer.

NORTHERN LIGHT/ Langer licht /2006/85′ - 14.10.2008/ Tue/ 6.15pm - Dir : David Lammers - Awards:1 win & 3 nominations

Lucien runs a boxing training centre and lives for the training of his young pupils. Mitchel, Lucien’s 15-year-old son, is much quieter than his father and finds it less of a problem to appear vulnerable, much to his father’s annoyance. Mitchel confronts his father during a barbecue with friends and family on the occasion of a birthday. Lucien physically attacks Mitchel becomes introverted. Meanwhile Mitchel is doing better. By facing up to what he has done, Lucien takes the first steps towards the future.

HAPPY FAMILY / Beetje verliefd, ‘n /2006/85 14.10.2008 /Tue/7.45pm - Dir : Martin Koolhoven - Awards:1 win

Widower Thijs seeks a new partner through a small ad. To win the vivacious Jackie he learns to rock ‘n’ roll. His grandson Omar falls madly in love with Meral, but he can only win her if he manages to beat her brother in wrestling. Thijs comes to his aid and teaches him to fight. Omar’s mother and aunt, Vonne and Aafke, watch their efforts with disdain. Will Omar and his grandfather manage to find happiness in love?

GANGSTA BLUES/ Bolletjes blues! /2006/90′ 15.10.2008/Wed/ 6.15pm - Directors : Brigit Hillenius, Karin Junger Awards:1 win & 3 nominations

In this musical, Spike is a young black man from Suriname who lives in the Bijlmermeer. He is a student drop out. In order to earn money to impress his white girlfriend Rosalie he joins a gang led by Delano and commits various robberies. Another gang operates a cocaine smuggling route from Suriname to the Netherlands. As a mule, Spike is arrested on departure at the airport (Zanderij) near Paramaribo, and incarcerated at Santo Boma prison. Rosalie volunteers as a mule, in order to be able to visit Spike.

SPORTMAN OF THE CENTURY / Sportman van de Eeuw/ 2006/ 100′ - Director:Mischa Alexander - 15.10.2008/Wed/ 7.45pm

To elevate himself out of poverty, and to win the heart of his true love, there is only one thing a farmer’s son can do - sit on a pole for days on end. Sitting on a pole in a canal or a lake may seem like a lunatic sport, but for Taeke it becomes a lifelong struggle to end poverty He has been on the verge of fame, several times, about to become a legend, to break the pole-sitting endurance record. But every time, just as his legendary status is as good as assured, he comes down to help the girl he loves. Sportsman of the Century is a tragic-comedy, an epic love story that spans the seventy years from 1930 to the end of the millenium. The film is set in Frysland, populated by stubborn people, who speak their own idiosyncratic language. With one inhabitant who, by sitting on a pole, becomes Sportsman of the Century.

THE SIXTH OF MAY/ 06/05 / 2004/ 115′/ 16.10.2008/Thur / 6.30pm - Director :Theo van Gogh - Awards:3 wins & 1 nomination

A fictional version of the events that led to the assassination of the Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn on May 6, 2002. The movie is based upon the book “The sixth of May” by Tomas Ross. The Director, Theo van Gogh was stabbed to death two years later by Mohammed B. 6 May 2002. Outside the Media Park in Hiversum, photographer Jim de Booy is taking pictures of a soap starlet. Jim has parked his motorbike beside an old Volkswagon. A small man taps the front of the VW and disappears into a neighbouring building site.

Jim carries on snapping, unaware of the men in the background. After his session ends, Jim puts away his camera and starts his bike. But at that moment, the VW collides with the bike and races off leaving an angry Jim taking pictures of the disappearing VW. He then hears six gunshots. Grabbing his camera, he runs to the building site, where he is stopped by a line of policeman. Those few minutes are the start of five hectic days in which Jim and his photographs will play a vital role in the intricate conspiracy surrounding the murder of Pim Fortuyn, endangering not only Jim’s career but also his life