Mannheim-Heidelberg, October 27th 2010— Three films, three artistic styles of writing, one topic: The programme of the 59th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (November 11 – 21, 2010) features three films about the internal and external conflicts of Afghanistan.
Act of Dishonour is the first film as a director for actress Nelofer Pazira (Canada), noted for playing the leading role in Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Kandahar. The film has its German premiere in the International Competition programme of the film festival. It tells the story of the young Afghan woman Mena – she is persuaded by a Canadian film team to take part in some scenes without wearing her veil, which deeply disturbs the value system of her small village. Mena has to fear the most severe punishment. One may ask: What was, after all, the effect of this act of liberation?
An action film mixed with elements of arthouse cinema – the competition entry Kandahar Break by David Whitney (Great Britain) relates the fate of a British mine-sweeping squad in southern Afghanistan in the year 1999. They work in the service of the Taliban government, who then ruled the country – but that does not protect them from the draconic laws of the Islamist dictatorship, especially not when love enters the scene.
Janus Metz Pedersen (Denmark) has a German premiere with his feature-film-like documentary Armadillo in the documentary- and essay-section “Pretty Real”. The story follows a unit of Danish soldiers stationed in camp ‘Armadillo’ in Afghanistan. The ongoing heavy operations against the Taliban more and more brutalize the men. The dangerous mixture of boredom, fear and violent outbursts changes them – the war does not turn them into beasts, but it alters their standards. Popular figures become doubtful characters; pithy proclamations transform into ambiguous orders; heroism disappears in the dirt. Some of them still want to go on – others have had enough of the war. The film presents a relentless image of the war and its consequences in very concrete terms.
For more info on the festival please visit: www.iffmh.de
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