80 films for Dharamshala film fest (DIFF), which begins on Nov 7

For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake. — Alfred Hitchcock

In its 13th edition, the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is clearly getting bigger and better. The icing on the veritable feast, featuring 80 films by makers from 28-odd countries, undeniably is Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’. The opening film of the four-day festival, which begins on November 7, the Cannes Grand Prix winner and the first Indian film to compete for the Palme d’Or in 30 years may have missed out on being India’s official Oscar entry. At the DIFF, however, it’s the highlight of Day One.

Among other films to watch out for is yet another winner, ‘Village Rockstars 2’. If Assamese filmmaker Rima Das’ ‘Village Rockstars’ rocked the film circuit seven years back, its sequel is the much-acclaimed feather in the cap this year. Winner of the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival, in ‘Village Rockstars 2’, Dhunu, the adorable kid of the prequel, is well into adulthood with dreams that touch the sky and go beyond. Das will be present as part of a panel discussion.

For those who care to not just watch movies but also want to understand their magic, National Award-winning filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee of films like ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ and ‘Shanghai’ will conduct a masterclass. Among those attending the festival is actor Shahana Goswami, whose film ‘Santosh’, directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, is UK’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards. While her Hindi-language crime thriller is being screened, the talented actor of ‘A Suitable Boy’ and ‘Bombay Begums’ will deliberate on her journey and many things cinema with Bina Paul, the festival’s programming director. Paul, a pro at conducting film festivals, including the one at Kerala, calls DIFF “a boutique festival”. She recommends shorts, documentaries and other lesser-known gems like ‘The Sentence’. For DIFF, she has taken extra care to include cinema from the hill state such as ‘Second Chance’ by Himachali filmmaker Subhadra Mahajan.

Set against the majestic backdrop of the Dhauladhars, the festival includes films that capture the picturesque beauty of the region. Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha’s much-talked about foray into the world of production, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’, is set in a boarding school in the Himalayan foothills. If the winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Shuchi Talati’s directorial boasts of a majority female crew, co-founder of DIFF Ritu Sarin takes immense pride in the strong line-up of films by women directors. Out of 45 feature films being screened, 24 are directed by women. The feature documentary ‘A Fly on the Wall’ by Shonali Bose of ‘The Sky is Pink’ fame, which premiered at Busan, once again looks at death through the lens of life.

Many other films which have done the prestigious festival circuit will be shown. Among these is ‘The Room Next Door’ by Pedro Almodovar, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Then there is ‘Errol Morris’, which too premiered at Venice. Cinema is but a mirror to society, and a film on Gaza, perhaps, is a foregone conclusion. ‘From Ground Zero’ brings together 22 short films created by talented filmmakers from Gaza. A brainchild of Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, the initiative was born against the backdrop of conflict. ‘MA — Cry of Silence’ by versatile director The Maw Naing, recipient of the New Currents Award at Busan 2022, is set against the civil war in Myanmar following the military coup on February 1, 2021.

Once again, Onir delves into the taboo love of same-sex relationship in ‘We Are Faheem & Karun’. ‘State of Statelessness’, the first-ever Tibetan language anthology, brings together Tibetan makers in exile. It comprises four short segments, including one directed by founders of the festival Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin. As the festival partners with Sydney Film Festival, clearly what was once a niche and small festival is growing more wings and power. Savour cinema at its potent best. All that you can imagine, and more…