International Film Festival: Less glitter and still as much cinema
In this period of global crisis, water stress, galloping inflation… the nineteenth edition of the International Film Festival has chosen to play the moderation card. A very sober opening ceremony, no gala evening, no bling bling parties or champagne afloat. Those who came for the rhinestones and sequins will be disappointed.
Moviegoers, on the other hand, will have plenty of time to enjoy the eclectic program this year. Despite the economic situation, a host of international stars responded. James Gray, Marion Cotillard, Jim Jarmush, Isabelle Hupert , Tilda Swinton, Paolo Sorrentino, Nadine Labaki, Tahar Rahim, Asghar Farhadi… and many others have walked the red carpet, where are expected during this decade of cinema in the Ocher City. As a sign of the times, the movies in competition mainly deal with subjects echoing the concerns of younger generations around the world: the construction of identity and the need to have role models, the place of women in our contemporary societies, but also the emerging questions of transmission, be it tradition, political heritage, or quite simply love. For the Lebanese director and member of the jury, Nadina Labaki, the world of movies must be engaged in an era where political correctness takes precedence: “I believe in the mission of art in general. Art creates empathy and humanizes certain subjects that the public might ignore or feel less concerned about. We lift the veil on the struggle of other people. This is why we have a very important role to play in current political and societal conflicts or issues”, explained the director of the Capharnaüm movie, during the press conference of the festival jury, a conference during which were hot topics in the news and particularly the war in Ukraine were discussed, but the public, present, did not hide its pleasure and reserved a warm welcome to national and international stars. The screening rooms are full. The tributes, competition, master classes, workshops, and screenings continue throughout the week, making the Marrakech festival a true celebration of the so-called “seventh art”, accessible to all.
A film lesson made in Bollywood
Ranveer Singh still has his head a bit in cloud nine. After receiving a Gold Star, as a tribute, during the opening ceremony of this nineteenth edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival on Friday, November 11, and an extremely warm welcome at the Jemaa el-Fna square for the screening of the film “Bakhiro Bastani”, the Bollywood superstar offered, on Saturday, November 12, a great cinema lesson in front of a young and conquered audience. It is within the framework of the program called “In conversation with…” that the Bollywood actor lent himself to the game of questions and answers. Being a true “chameleon”, the self-taught actor and perfect outsider, is one of the most popular icons for the youth of the Indian subcontinent and far beyond. Donning an open leopard shirt, matching shoes and dark glasses, the star made a sensational entrance, performing a few dance steps in the purest Bollywood tradition. The tone was set, and the conversation continued between humorous traits, performances, and emotional sessions. “I’m still on cloud nine, I’ve been very impressed and touched to see all these young boys, gathered yesterday, at the Jemaa el-Fna square, performing my signature gesture together”, recalls the actor. Ranveer Singh talks about his film debut. The 30-year-old actor has always dreamed of becoming a movie star and embodying the quintessence of the hero of Indian films. A bet that was far from being won in advance! After a difficult start (it must be said that it was very complicated to break into the world of cinema at that time without being part of one of the Bollywood dynasties), the actor still managed to establish himself in this very closed environment from his first role in Band Baaja Baaraat which was a hit and launched his career. “Within only one weekend I had become a star. The immense Shahrukh Khan even called me. He congratulated me for my role and encouraged me to pursue my career”, recalls the actor with emotion. The film represented the beginning of a series of collaborations with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who directed the actor in three successive films: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and the magnificent Padmaavat, where he revisited the role of the antagonist of contemporary Indian films, and built an unforgettable character for the big screen, the anti-hero Khilji. “(Sanjay Leela Bhansali) was the director who taught me the most, it was him who influenced me enormously in terms of cinema and art in general. He taught me that the realm of creativity is limitless”. With Sanjay Leela, the actor became more and more confident, he learned to live his roles rather than play them. The director allowed Ranveer Singh to interpret his roles more freely, and to contribute to the writing of his roles. “There is a before and an after when I met Sanjay Leela”, says Raveer .
A.Bo
