By Debasmita Moulick*
Russian Consul General Alexey Idamkin congratulated the makers and actors of the two films – ADIM directed by Amitabha Chaterji nominated in five categories and short film CLERK directed byUjjal Paul, whichreceived Special Jury Mention.
On 23 May, a reception was hosted for the two movie teams at Gorky Sadan, presided by the Consul General. Trailers of both films were screened and the delegates of MIFF-2024 shared their experience of the film festival. The students of Institute of Russian Language of Gorky Sadan were among the audience, who had numerous questions for the delegates.
The Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the oldest in the world. In 1935, the year of inception none other than Sergei Eisenstein, world-renowned filmmaker and theorist, was the chairman of the jury. Since 1959 the festival has been held regularly and has been attended by prominent cinema personalities like Federico Fellini, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Marais and many others. Since 1999 the festival has been held annually. Recent guests of the festival include Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino, Sean Penn and others.India has regularly participated in MIFF.
This year two Bengali films made in Kolkata were selected for MIFF-2024. ADIM, a 118-minutes thriller directed by Amitabha Chaterji was world premiered at the festival in BRICS competition. The film was nominated in five categories – best film, best director, best actress, best actor and special jury award. In the director’s words, the film’s primary objective was to delve into the intricacies of human relationships and the unique challenges that often remain unspoken.Chaterji, who has directed other award-winning films, passionately shared, “Participation in MIFF-2024 is indeed a cherished memory for the rest of my life. The festival is a celebration of creativity and talent, gathering so many distinguished cinema people from around the world. We are very inspired by words of encouragement from the Consul General. We are already working with Russian directors on a new project. Moscow is a very beautiful city with friendly people. My favourite author is Anton Chekhov. We visited his beautiful house museum in Melikhovo near Moscow. What more can I ask for?”
Actress Amrita Mukhopadhyay, the female lead in ADIM, said “The red carpet at the Moscow Musical Theatre and the opening ceremony were so impressive! The exposure is truly valuable and inspiring. Am still under the trance of this unforgettable visit. I hope I can visit Moscow again. And of course,today’s lovely reception is equally encouraging and supportive”.
Judhajit Sarkar, ADIM’s male lead actor who was also present laughed and said “Next time I shall ensure that our Director lets me tag along to Moscow for the extraordinary experience on which I missed out this year. ”
CLERK, a 28-minutes short film received Special Jury Mention in the Short Film Competition at MIFF-2024. The film is about a middle-aged clerk struggling with loneliness and isolation living in an old, crumbling house in Kolkata. On a weekend evening, he inexplicably disappears. Director Ujjal Paul, an alumnus of Kolkata’s National Institute of Film and Fine Arts, said “Recognition at MIFF-2024 is such an honour and has immense significance for us. We are also genuinely grateful for the attention that we received at the reception today.” Amit Saha, the lead actor while sharing his experience of working in the film, explained that CLERK is a single actor movie. The producer Ashim Sekhar Paul, who also teaches at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), took time to share his views about the psychological phenomenon of the film which in particular was interesting to the audience.
Summing up the Consul General said, “I am indeed very happy to note that two Bengali films from Kolkata were selected for MIFF-2024. Bengal’s rich cultural heritage is appreciated in Russia. Classics like works of Rabindranath Tagore and films of Satyajit Ray are also known. It is important that young directors like Amitabha Chaterji and Ujjal Paul get recognized on international platforms. I am glad MIFF invited them to participate.
Russia has always focused in enhancing cultural ties with India. I hope new collaborations between India and Russia shall further deepen and diversify our bilateral relationship which is built on close cultural, economic and people-to-people ties.”
*Author: Debasmita Moulick, Senior Journalist and literary & film/TV translator
