Unbelievable, is the only word for the films of our generation. Same will be the feeling of experienced film makers if they see what the students have achieved. Since I couldn’t get up very early to catch a 9 AM show, I started PIFF day 4 with Emotional Nomads, a film from the Netherlands which was being played at NFAI at 10 AM.

Very nice auditorium I’d say, but the film was a little weird. Firstly, it was in the betacam format , so seemed like a TV documentary. Directed by Jindra Markus, it is a film shown as a documentary about a group of musicians. It was an interesting concept, but it sent me hopping PIFF venues. I heard a few songs of this band in the movie called Emotional Nomads and left for E-Square like a nomad.

On the Schedule was Croatian movie God forbid greater evil, but they decided to screen the entries for the students’ competition of short films, and I had a GREAT time!

Deacon’s Mondas
Directed by Lowell Frank from SDSU Film Media
The world of fantasy in which Deacon stays, how he learns the thread of moral and ethical fabric of life. Wonderfully captured, very gripping.

Ek sapna Meine Bhi Dekha
Directed by Sarvesh from Whistling Woods International
How recursive can dreams get? A dream within a dream a dream… a superb theme captured here by Sarvesh.

Fatherland
Directed by Robert from Chapman University
A well thought and directed tale showing 1945 times of world war 2. Its hard to believe a student has done this.

In the Name of Love
Directed by Sumit Batheja from University College, Falmouth
Where all can love take you. Brilliant effort, especially how it reached the climax. Perfect for a short film.

Maria
Directed by Suvarata Nasnodkar from Whistling Woods International
Hats off! I think this one’s is going to win. How incredibly fascinating can subjects be and touch you sometime. The director has a great future I believe.

Rokda
Directed by Marash Shah from Whistling Woods International
Fultoo timepass, fultoo subtitles. Somehow since I know the language, I could see this urge to use explicitly disgraceful words in the subtitles, but thats up to the judges.

The line
Directed by Kent Bassett from Chapman University
Story based on the Mexico border, it makes an impact with its admirable flow. Good chances of winning.

Knirsch
Amazing theme, excellent direction, breathtaking end…

Undertakers
Very FTII! Very beautifully captured story of an undertaker, who struggles with his own life, with friends and his disabled wife.

Apart from the competition, I also saw Hungarian film ‘Temptations’ directed by Zoltan Kamondi. I was too tired, so slept for a while, but then my friend called so had to move out. Please note this film is very well made, but hard to understand and more difficult write about. So that’s all.

- Badal Dixit

Hah!! Thought i’d get no time to see any more films but I did and what a wonderful effort it was.

Film:The Great Indian Butterfly
Director:Sarthak Dasgupta
Country:India(English)
Year:2007

What I felt:
The movie is almost entirely shot in Goa. Its about a young urban DINK(Double Income No Kids) couple who go for a holiday to Goa. They are determined to search for The Great Indian Butterfly, a mythical creature which if found brings immense peace, luck and harmony in life. How their relationship with each other sees new dimensions during the search is what forms the crux of the film. At the very outset the movie seems very easy to understand but it has a LOT of ‘reading between the lines’ to be done to really get the essence of the film. Sandhya Mridul is so good in her emotional scenes…..she’s been a favourite with me since I saw her in Koshish Ek Aasha(a serial on TV that aired on Zee TV around 7 years ago). Aamir Bashir too was good but needs to be a bit more elastic with his body….he seems a little stiff at times but never uncomfortable. I think artiste performance was of utmost important in this metaphorical drama of complex human emotions since it was mostly shot with mid shots and close shots. Very little focus on Goa’s picturesque locales. A sure recommendation…..I went all the way to INOX just to see this film and was not disappointed.

-Aneesh Kamat