Ji.hlava FF – Memories
Two days ago our grandchild, who is 14 years of age, came to visit. He was wearing one of the many festival t-shirts that I have passed on to him. One from the Ji.hlava FF. It said 2004 and it made me remember that I came to Ji.hlava every year in the beginning of this century, when the Ex Oriente training session took place here, in the cosy provincial town with an impressive film festival. Now I am back to be a juror for film projects from Europe, the US and Asia. A lot has changed since I was here but the atmosphere is the same when it comes to meeting old and new film friends.
Take a look at the photo from a classical restaurant with classical Czech food, a beer and coffee and a slivovice. Friends from Azerbaijan that I visited in April – Baku, a wonderful experience of advising filmmakers on their projects. Now we met to talk, the man in the middle is Alemdar, who made a fine film with himself and his grandmother as protagonists. And the woman is the very talented Aynur, director and camerawoman, talked a lot with her when in Baku and now again. A pleasure. Also present is the producer of Alemdar’s upcoming film that he is pitching here in Ji.hlava, Sarkhan Jafarly. And the man who took the photo is Matlab Muktharov, director and editor, who has a film in the competition, Short Joy.
The title of the film is “Palaces of Memory”, 23 mins., he gave me a link and I watched it this morning. Here is the synopsis from the catalogue:
“Against the backdrop of his hometown and momentous historical events, the director seeks the answer to a seemingly simple question: What is my very first memory? As the film progresses, the audiovisual topography of memory transforms into a labyrinth where trauma and disappointment may lurk around every corner, and yet we continue to navigate through it.
“The director, who wants to return to the most interesting period of his childhood, wanders the streets of the city where he was born and raised, to find traces of those years. This trip brings him to the place of his first memory.”
I would add that the film witnesses that Matlab is a Filmmaker with a big F. It is playful, it has a balanced commentary from the maker, it appeals to all of us, what do we remember from early childhood, it takes us back in time and takes us around the city, where he grew up, buildings from Soviet time, cats and dogs – and a wonderful mother, who denies that he can remember back to his first years and helps with some photos, and says “why don’t you make a film about some funny moments”. And a little boy who asks him what and why he is filming and ends up saying that maybe you are filming your dream!?
Lovely meeting and great film!
