Celebrating women on celluloid

With an intention to celebrate the many roles a woman plays in her life, European Union, on the occasion of completing 50 years of India-European relations, is hosting the 18th European Film Festival centred on the theme ‘Celebrating Women’.

With an intention to celebrate the many roles a woman plays in her life, European Union, on the occasion of completing 50 years of India-European relations, is hosting the 18th European Film Festival centred on the theme ‘Celebrating Women’.

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The film festival will be on for 11 days and will showcase 24 films from 24 countries across Europe. Jean-Philippe Bottin, director, Alliance Francaise, says, “We had decided upon this theme before the December gang-rape incident, so it’s not connected. We just wanted to showcase European culture and how women in Europe fight their daily battles. The stories of women often remain untold, overshadowed by other events. But today women are raising their voices with increasing persistence, demanding to be seen and heard.”

The films to be showcased include comedies and dramas, showcasing different aspects, nuances and hardships faced by women. The inaugural film — Dromoi kai Portokalia (Roads & Oranges), is from Cyprus. Directed by Aliki Danezi, the film revolves around two sisters, who find themselves wandering through a strange and unfamiliar land, looking for a man (their father) who may not want to be found.

“The subtitles will be in English and not in Hindi as Hindi is not spoken in several parts of the country and our experience in doing Hindi subtitles didn’t work out well”, says Jean. The festival has already been showcased in Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Goa and Mumbai. After screening in the Capital, the fest will travel to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Jodhpur.