A sneak peek in the 4th Edition (Season II) of Navrasa Duende World Movie Festival

The 4th Edition (season II) of the Navrasa Duende World Movie Festival is being organised by Navrasa Duende Movie Club at Siri Fort Auditorium on 8th-9th February 2020. This year the festival offers a very interesting ensemble of films by master filmmakers from around the world. Some of the titles include Lawrence of Arabia, directed by David Lean; A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi; The Conformist, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci; 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick; In the Mood for Love, directed by Wong Kar-wai; Le Mepris, directed by Jean-Luc Godard. These classics are chosen with the endeavor of transcending all geographical, cultural and language barriers and foster a universal of their own.

The festival aims to reflect the evolution that global cinematic art has witnessed in 100 years since 1920. Its also aim is to facilitate film enthusiasts across all age groups to share the movie-watching experience. The primary idea behind this year’s selection is to provide the Indian audience with a glimpse into the best of world cinema from the last 100 years. “As such, we handpicked works by the greats of the world cinema across generations and movements. Some of the stalwarts whose works will be featured at the 4th World Movie Festival include Ashgar Farhadi, Bertolucci, Coppola, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ingmar Bergman, Eisenstein, Fassbinder, Satyajit Ray, Michael Haneke, Wong Kar-Wai, Stanley Kubrick, Yasujuro Ozu, Darren Aronofsky, Jean Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar, and Quentin Tarantino, among others,” explains Mr. Dinesh B Singh, Festival Director & Founder, Navrasa Duende.

The selection of directors can be classified into three categories based on their oeuvres.

“One includes those whose movies are able to strike the perfect balance between the craft and the popular appeal such that the movie is at once a crowd-favourite while retaining the ‘classic’ element in it. Alfred Hitchcock, and Francis Ford Coppola are examples of this class,” reveals Singh.

The second class of directors includes the likes of David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan, Satyajit Ray, and Wong Kar-Wai. “These directors combine mind- bending craft without dismissing the audience. They only demand the viewer invest in the film to reap the maximum benefits. The final class is made of those who focus purely on their craft and demand the complete suspension of disbelief from their audience without the expectation of any pay-off. Movies that fall within this category are the most challenging to watch but equally rewarding for the discerning viewer who perseveres. Ingmar Berman, Michael Haneke, and Krzysztof Kieślowski, exemplify this class of directors,” explains Singh.

Navrasa Duende Movie Club is a not for profit film society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and a member of FFSI. “The earlier editions were very enthusiastically received by the audience and critics alike. For a regular engagement process for having a dialogue with the art lovers, world movie festivals are the platforms, and we had it in our plans right at the time of inception of Navrasa Duende.

What makes international cinema so interesting is that each country has is its own sensibility and flavor, yet they make you feel that human beings are the same everywhere and in that sense it becomes a celebration of humanity sans barrier and this is what Navrasa has always wanted to do—to create a community of cinema lovers,” sums up Singh.