Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other attendees at the inauguration of 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday,(Express Photo)
A call for support of Palestinian films by actor Prakash Raj stood out at the inauguration of the 17th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday evening. The festival was officially inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, flanked by dignitaries representing the arts and senior government figures. Raj, who is the festival’s official ambassador, was one of several speakers at the inauguration event.
The evening began with several musical performances, including a rendition of the State anthem Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, and poet Dr G S Rudrappa’s Stree endare ashte Saake (Woman as she is), the latter of which is also the theme for the festival.
On the occasion, actor Prakash Raj recalled the initial launch of the festival’s first edition. He went on to raise the issue of several Palestinian films not having been granted an exemption for the festival by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and asked the CM and his government to take a stand in this regard.
Referring to the issues faced by the Palestinian people, he read out several lines from a poem by late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “The war will end, the leaders will shake hands and disperse, but that old lady will still be waiting for her son…..I don’t know who sold my homeland, but I know who paid the price for it.”
CM Siddaramaiah, who spoke at the event, lauded Prakash Raj for his commitment to social struggles and the exploited. He went on to state that the government would always be ready to help develop the industry for socially-oriented filmmakers and provide assistance for them. The CM remembered famed actor Dr Rajkumar in the context of social responsibility in films, adding that when communities that suffered inequality were able to work in a way that instilled confidence in change, the purpose of cinema would be fulfilled.
Other speakers at the event included Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad and Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti. The inaugural film screened on Thursday was the Dutch film Porte Bagage, which narrates the tale of a chef dealing with her father’s dementia diagnosis and his desire to emigrate to Morocco from Europe.
Porte Bagage is set to be screened again at around 3.10 pm at the Festival’s Lulu Mall venue, alongside films from across the world in languages ranging from Kannada to Polish to Mandarin Chinese.
The first day will also see a panel discussion at Lulu Mall on the topic ‘Polish Film and the Andrzej Wajda Legacy’. (The late Andrzej Wajda was one of Poland’s most accomplished filmmakers, and one of his iconic films, Kanal, is also set to be screened on day one of the festival.) The panel will include speakers Malgorzata Wejsis Golebiak (director of the Polish Institute, New Delhi) and Joanna Lapinska.
The current status of several Palestinian films which were yet to receive CBFC certification — The Voice of Hind Rajab, Palestine 36, Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk, as well as Israeli film Yes! (a satirical critique of the Israeli state’s politics) is uncertain. The schedule of the festival be accessed on the official website biffes.org. The festival will conclude on February 6.
Curated by James Chen
