The Cinema of The World program at the upcoming 2015 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), scheduled to take place between the December 9th and 16th, 2015 will welcome forty five of the world’s latest films to its screens.
The first in a series of announcements includes, ‘Dheepan’ (pictured above) a powerful drama by director Jacques Audiard that follows a former Tamil Tiger soldier’s struggle as he fights to begin life anew away from the hardships of war. Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, ‘Dheepan’ delves deep into the lives of migrants fleeing conflict zones to lead new lives in Europe but, in the case of the Tamil family, conflict is never far behind.
Heart-warming feature ‘Youth’, directed by Academy Award-winner Paolo Sorrentino, depicts the lives of two old friends and the relationship they build whilst on vacation in the Swiss Alps. Starring internationally renowned actors Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, as Fred and Mick, the lives of two aging artists are portrayed with a blend of humour and wisdom as they reflect on the ways of the world with a deep serenity in a picturesque Alpine landscape.
Contemporary filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien marks his return to cinema after an eight-year absence to present his martial-arts epic ‘The Assassin’. The film follows the enigmatic assassin Yinniang, played by the actress Shu Qi, in a dark tale of emotional turmoil that pushes the film’s central character to breaking point when she is sent on a mission that compromises her primordial instincts.
Inspirational biopic ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ directed by Matt Brown follows the life-changing journey of a young Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, played by Dev Patel, as he ascends from his humble roots in Madras to attend Cambridge University. It is here that he attempts to pursue his dreams under the mentoring of English mathematician G.H. Hardy, portrayed by Jeremy Irons.
Exquisite and captivating period drama ‘Brooklyn’, directed by John Crowley and based on the acclaimed novel by Colm Toibin, features a stellar cast including Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters. It tells the tale of a young immigrant in a strange new land as she discovers young love and the promise of a brighter future. ‘Brooklyn’ delves deep into the life of its central character, Eilis, in this tale about family, memory and making a new home.
Multi award-winning visionary feature ‘Embrace of The Serpent’, directed by Columbian filmmaker Ciro Guerra, is a visually mesmerizing adventure epic. Inspired by the diaries of two explorers, the film tracks two parallel odysseys travelling through the Amazon three decades apart. It features knockout cinematography, a total of nine different languages and an array of breathtaking locations offering a heart-rending depiction of the effects of colonialism on the indigenous culture.
Ferocious and adrenaline charged crime thriller, ‘Beeba Boys’, directed by Deepa Mehta, depicts a clash of culture and crime in an all-or-nothing Vancouver gang war. Following in the footsteps of gang leader Jeet Johar and his loyal crew, ‘the Beeba Boys’, the film engrosses audiences in a tug-of-war as Jeet and his gang take on an old-fashioned Indo crime syndicate in the battle for control of the drug and arms scene. Blood will be spilled, hearts will be broken and bonds will be shattered as the ‘Beeba Boys’ will do anything to be seen and heard in a white world.
Turkish actress turned director Deniz Gamze Ergüven is set to sweep audiences off their feet at DIFF with her very first feature, ‘Mustang’, which won the Europa Cinemas Label Award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. The film follows five young sisters living in a coastal Turkish village placed under a tyrannical regime that suppresses their natural development in this poignant portrayal of physical and emotional imprisonment.
Award-winning Australian director, Jennifer Peedom, takes audiences on the adventure of a lifetime in her latest film, ‘Sherpa’, in which she tackles the daunting Mount Everest in an attempt to explore the on-going feud between angered Sherpa people and fearless climbers hopeful of conquering the mountain.
Former winner of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his film ‘Uncle Boonmee’ Apichatpong Weerasethakul graces the big screen at DIFF with his mystical new film, ‘Cemetery of Splendour’, which follows a young medium and a hospital volunteer as they investigate a sinister case of mass sleeping sickness affecting a temporary hospital for soldiers. The filmmaker uses the epidemic as a metaphor for personal and Thai societal issues in this enigmatic feature.
‘Trap’, the most recent movie from Filipino filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, represents the lives of three families after the devastating Typhoon Yolanda. The director uses powerful imagery and stories based on the real-life experiences of those that have survived the natural disaster to drive home awareness of climate change and the debilitating effects it has on those that succumb to its wrath.