The 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is currently in full swing and will continue until the 2nd of February, 2020. With heavy advertising around the city, online and on campus, you must wonder what all the hype is about. IFFR is an annual festival offering a line-up of short films, fiction films, documentaries and media art. In addition to that, the festival is in collaboration with EUR and ESN Rotterdam to bring a curated experience for students! Below are some recommended international films.
1. Fidelity (Russian)
Lena, the lead character in “Fidelity” is a young woman in a passionless marriage. After reading her husband’s text messages she is convinced he is cheating on her. The director, Nigina Sayfullaeva, graduated as a director from High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow and is responsible for this soft/muted colour aesthetic look. This dramatic mystery film shows how suspicion can poison your relationship.
2. Bacurau (Portuguese)
Shortly after a senior woman passes away in a small brazilian village, the residents find out that their homes have been erased from online maps. An invasion by a group of violent Westerners unfolds right after in “Bacurau”. Directors Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, have previously won the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for their work together.
3. Adoration (French)
Paul likes to play in the woods close to the psychiatric hospital where his mother works. He meets Gloria who is constantly trying to escape. The staff say she’s dangerous and hears voices in her head. Following an incident, Paul and Gloria flee together in the film “Adoration”. Director Fabrice Du Welz studied at INSAS in Brussels and directed a number of award winning short films at several French and Belgian festivals.
You can check out all the activities, films and purchase tickets here: https://iffr.com/en.
Written by Darnell Starling, from the Content Committee