São Paulo – The 34th International Film Festival, which will continue in São Paulo until next Wednesday (4th), features a total of 400 films from more than 70 countries, among them two from Palestine and one from Morocco. The productions are being screened at 20 different facilities, including theatres, museums and cultural centres.
From Morocco, Brazilians can check out a short film entitled Short Life (Courte Vie), directed by Adil El Fadili in 2010 and running 17 minutes. The film tells the life story of Zhar and the evolution of the world from 1970 to 2010. The first screening of the short film will take place this Sunday (31st) at 07:50 pm at Matilha Cultural. The same production will also be screened on the 1st, 3rd and 4th at three other facilities, at different times (check the programme below).
From Palestine, the festival features documentary film A Terapia (Fix Me), which was directed by Raed Andoni in 2009 and runs 98 minutes. Based on the story of the filmmaker himself, who suffers from headaches, Andoni sees a psychologist with whom he has 20 therapy sessions. In them, the director explores the individual memories of Palestinians, with several characters, including members of his family. In a place dominated by collective awareness and issues of identity, he seeks the individuality of the people portrayed.
The documentary will be screened on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th at Cinemateca, at 08:30 pm, and at Matilha Cultural and Cine Olido, at 02:00 pm. The second Palestinian film is To Shoot an Elephant, directed by Mohammad Rujailah and the Spanish Alberto Arce. The film dates from 2009 and runs 112 minutes.
The film documents the routine at the Gaza Strip starting on December 27, 2008, as Israel set off a military operation in Gaza, leading to 21 days of shootings. The documentary is based on George Orwell’s article, Shooting an Elephant, which was originally published in 1948 and defined Asia in a way that remains valid.
Shooting an Elephant will be first screened on November 1st, at Espaço Unibanco Arteplex 5, at 10:00 pm. The film will also be shown on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th at Matilha Cultural, Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil and Belas Artes, at different times.
According to information from the festival’s organizers, the film selection provides an overview of contemporary filmmaking around the globe and its main trends, themes, narratives and aesthetics.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
