Over to Dharamsala, for movie magic

Nonika Singh in Chandigarh

Fantasy, romance and mystery are so germane to the hills that we have lost count of the movies that Bollywood has produced in tribute to our ever-peaking demand for the extraordinariness of our passions. So, when the Dharamsala International Film Festival announced 'Come to the mountains….' its context, content and purpose sounded a bit unusual all over again. Shorn off glamour, high on local-centric subjects, DIFF is not in competition with any such festival. Sure, it has taken some inspiration from exciting festivals like Amazonas Film Festival in Brazil and Tromso International Film Festival, Norway. Yet, the purpose seems refreshingly creative.

A brainchild of husband-and-wife team of Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, DIFF was born out of a deep yearning to expose home town folk of Dharamsala to some good cinema. Rather it proposes to "add a layer to their understanding of contemporary culture." In a country where cinema runs parallel to commerce and razzmatazz and basing it in a place like Dharamsala where there is hardly a cinema hall, the task at hand has been rather onerous. As the festival runs into its fifth edition this November (3rd to 6th), Ritu says: "Two major stumbling blocks always have been finance and retaining people." 

Unlike other festivals, DIFF doesn't invite entries, rather it is a curated festival which selects films from a vast pool. One criterion is the voice of the maker must be strong almost like an auteur. Films must say something, better if these carry a significant message. As a rule, DIFF doesn't care much for the star quotient, though celebrated maker Asif Kapadia has made it to the festival. This year Naseeruddin Shah is expected to keep his date for a conversation "Between Art and Industry". Filmmaker Saeed Mirza too will reflect on his art and perhaps his angst as the session is called Saeed Mirza Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai. Since local flavour is a must have, the spotlight this year is on the Kangra Valley by way of Dharamsala director Sanjeev Kumar's feature Man de Phere and Prabhijit Dhamijia's short Asmad. 

The unmissable films are far too many like the BAFTA nominee A Syrian Love Story, Boo Junfeng's Apprentice, Singapore's Oscar entry and Raam Reddy's critically acclaimed Kannada film Thithi which will be the opening film. The festival also features video installation works by Palestinian artists and the artist couple's work on the Tibetan Buddhist debate.

Since Ritu is as much a visual artist as a filmmaker, she agrees that these are exciting times and boundaries between different art forms are fusing for sure. Indeed, in India, cinema is yet to be accepted as a pure art form. But as more and more independent makers are telling stories, as cutting edge films on diverse subjects in a country as vast and culturally rich as ours are finding viewers and acclaim, she stands rather happy. What heartens her about DIFF is the wide array that they will be showcasing. 

With the festival premiering nearly 18 Indian films, she is positive that many will go on to get awards. However, in the same breath she qualifies that theirs is no competitive festival, but an intimate one that aims at creating conversations and dialogue with the filmmakers. 

Besides, reaching out to locals, the target viewers especially youth from different parts of the world, find them on their own. To those making it for this year's edition, she promises a bigger and better show. As to the future road map of the festival, once again no pompous statements ensue. The couple who bring in their individual talent and synergy to the festival would like it to grow organically without any forced interjections or unwarranted hype. 

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