MEIFF watch list: Gulf News staff picks

Real life drama

By Adam Flinter, Hub Editor

In an attempt to veer away from the unrealistic high octane, low brow diet usually served up by mainstream cinema, my top picks are depressingly real life.

Being British by birth I have to catch the Red Riding Trilogy, three films loosely based on infamous UK serial killers which have knocked critics off their comfortable armchairs.

But as critically acclaimed as they have been, I would urge everyone to see Son of Babylon (which screened on Friday). A beautiful, sensitive and astonishingly mature tale of a young Kurdish boy’s search for his missing father in the post-Saddam era.

It’s a film which gently guides you through themes of love, loss and reconciliation but is also brave enough to act as an allegory for the ills of the Arab world. Queue for hours if you have to, it is that good.

No-one knows about Persian Cats is an interesting look at the illegal Iranian underground music scene, which I was briefly introduced to when traversing the country last year; while a new insight comes from Kerala Café, a series of short films which give a nod to Paris J’taime in concept only. The content is actually much darker and more intelligent than its francophile counterpart.

Light relief, if you can call it that, comes from Tales from the Golden Age. It’s the second movie by Romanian new wave helmer Cristian Mungiu. It’s a slightly more uplifting look at life in the communist era eastern bloc than his brilliant but crushingly grim debut 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

Fashion flicks and tough tales

By Natalie Long, Deputy tabloid! Editor

I’m not an arthouse film buff, so sometimes film festival schedules baffle me. But once I start to read about the stories being told — and not think too much about the fact I’ve never heard of the actors or directors involved — I realise there are some gems of storytelling that I can’t miss.

At this year’s MEIFF, it’s the fashion segment I’m most excited about. The September Issue looks set to be a fascinating and unique insight into the sometimes distant world of US Vogue. I can’t wait to watch as fashion supremo/dragon Anna Wintour chucks out thousands of dollars worth of photo shoots because they’re not good enough.

It’s not a premiere, but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see more fashion drama with Valentino: The Last Emperor. For anyone who missed it last year (when it was shown at the Dubai International Film Festival), it’s a chance to see fashion from yet another side: the standpoint of the hilariously fastidious Italian designer Valentino Garavani, as he puts together his swansong collection.

Meanwhile, with Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey and a heartbreaking story, Precious sounds unmissable to me. This tale of an abused teenager is described as The Color Purple, Harlem-style.

For my final pick, it’s a choice that reflects my heritage. Romanian director Cristian Mungiu burst onto the filmmaking scene with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, a crushing account of abortion in the communist era, a major issue in the country that has had longstanding repercussions. Now he’s back with Tales from a Golden Age, which, although set in the same era, looks like it will be a joyful take on life, firmly set in the Romanian absurdist tradition.

Find your favourite

By Nathalie Farah,Staff Reporter

The September Issue: A documentary based on Anna Wintour, Editor of Vogue magazine... a woman whose personality is so formidable that she was allegedly the basis for the character that Meryl Streep played in the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada. I wonder if she knows?

Oceans: A documentary about adorably friendly dolphins, majestic whales and other exotic creatures that inhabit the world’s oceans... what’s not to love? Not only will the audience most likely have their heartstrings tugged, but it will also help to reinforce all those warnings we’ve been hearing about global warming.

The Men Who Stare At Goats: Apparently it’s based on a real story about one of the many, shall we say “interesting”, programmes that the US military is either currently doing, or is mostly likely to start in the next few years. Not only will this amuse and terrify audiences, but it will give us all, especially conspiracy theorists, something to talk about.

Capitalism: A Love Story: Just when you thought that Michael Moore had disappeared, he returns with yet another expose that highlights another aspect of US society. This time, it’s about Wall Street and its role in the global financial crisis. What quirky facts and hi-jinks will be included in the movie? I guess I’ll have to watch and find out!

The Informant!: Starring Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh, this movie is based on a true story of a biochemist blowing the whistle on his company’s price-fixing methods. Sure to be full of twists and turns, audiences will probably not even dare to blink in case they miss something important.

No One Knows About Persian Cats: Since the only film I had ever seen about Iran was the critically acclaimed Persepolis, I think it’s time I broaden my horizons. Describing Iran’s underground independent music scene, it is sure to be an eye-opening experience, especially with all the recent controversies surrounding Iran’s recent presidential elections.

1958: This documentary is interesting to me personally because it talks about a very important part of my country’s history: how the various civil wars that contributed to the decline of Lebanon from its previous position as the Paris of the East began. The second is that it provides a fascinating look at just how strongly Lebanese politics impacts every citizen’s life, whether they are living in the country or are part of the ever growing expatriate population.

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire: This film touches on many sensitive topics, such as incest and the cracks in the government’s system. It also has Mariah Carey sans makeup, something for which the film has been garnering a lot of attention.