EUFF 2024: The 29th European Union Film Festival kicks off with Alice Rohrwacher’s ‘La Chimera’

The annual voyage into European cinema set sail at the 29th European Union Film Festival’s opening night, where Delhi’s cinephiles huddled in eager clusters at the India Habitat Centre, in feverish anticipation of the Italian Palme D’or nominee

On the opening night of the 29th European Union Film Festival, the Stein Auditorium at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre was buzzing with the kind of anticipation that only the promise of a great night at the movies could inspire. The hallowed haunt for Delhi’s festival crowd saw an eager line stretching beyond the adjacent Habitat Diner — with cinephiles fidgeting in hushed excitement, trading thoughts on MUBI’s latest treasures and exchanging Letterboxd handles — waiting to sink into Stein’s vintage seating to feast on the festival opener, La Chimera.

Despite a blanket of the capital’s infamous post-Diwali haze settling over the proceedings, the air felt thicker still with a shared, almost conspiratorial thrill over whispered names — Alice Rohrwacher this, Josh O’Connor that — and a faint sense of camaraderie, like a collective breath held in eager expectation of something special. Delhi’s film crowd has developed a discerning taste for the unfamiliar, favouring stories that slip past Bollywood’s commercial gloss in pursuit of the more grounded, artful sensibilities of continents afar.

Inaugurated by EU Ambassador Hervé Delphin, Italian actor and La Chimera star Yile Yara Vianello, and Lithuanian director Tomas Vengris, alongside a constellation of dignitaries from Europe’s artistic sphere, the night unfolded as the opening act of a week-long odyssey into some of European cinema’s lesser-known offerings.

Ambassador Delphin described the EUFF as a “hub for cinephiles and creative professionals,” a chance to foster Indo-European collaborations that enrich both film ecosystems. His opening remarks celebrated the age-old connection between India and Europe through film, saying, “These movies are not only a tribute and a vitrine, a window on Indian movies and fantastic cinema, but also the expression of the best of the collaboration between Europe and Indian creative industries.”

The ambassador also spotlighted Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning All We Imagine As Light, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, as well as Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, before going over this year’s festival invitees including Vikas Swarup, author of Slumdog Millionaire; Padma Kriya Janakiraman, actress and founder of the Women in Cinema Collective; documentarian Aradhana Kohli Kapoor; and novelist and filmmaker Alina Bufra.

The evening’s opening film soon beckoned.

There was something utterly enchanting about Rohrwacher’s opening sequence — a rumpled Josh O’Connor in a ghostly, linen suit, wandering through a Tuscany out of time. His character, Arthur, a British archaeologist-turned-grave robber, seemed like a curmudgeonly cross between a fallen angel and a Caravaggio figure, an impression only enhanced by Rohrwacher’s earthy colour palette and the ruggedness of the Italian countryside.

Sitting off-centre in my favourite spot, allowed me to take in not just the film but also the reactions of those around me. The audience was a vibrant concoction of seasoned cinephiles and wide-eyed newcomers, all rapt with attention. Here and there, someone would shift in their seat or let out an audible sigh, drawn deeper into the story’s dreamlike magical realism where primaeval secrets seemed to float just beneath the surface.

O’Connor, in a role that originally called for someone twice his age, brought an undeniable depth to Arthur’s quiet despair. His face weathered and contemplative, as though bearing the weight of centuries. Hélène Louvart’s camera is a wonder to behold, shifting from faded film grain to stunning pops of colour that feel as ancient and tactile as the artefacts that Arthur’s motley crew of tombarolli plunder. Each frame brims with both the grittiness of rural Tuscany and a fairytale-like quality that’s anything but escapist. Rough around the edges and whimsically baroque, La Chimera felt like a fitting start to the festival with its complex portrayal of Italian identity, a place where the past was revered, neglected, and commodified all at once.

Festival curator Veronica Flora had earlier spoken about the delicate process of selecting films that resonate with Indian audiences, films that transcend the linguistic divide while celebrating European diversity. This year’s films, she told us, “are deeply embedded in European culture but also explore themes that reach beyond borders,” mentioning last year’s opening film, Saint Omer, and how it had unexpectedly led to discussions that outlasted the festival itself. “People respond to universal themes. Complex relationships, identity, the messy beauty of life — that’s what sticks, even across language barriers. And it’s magical to see these films spark conversations here in India, long after the credits roll.”

Watching La Chimera reminded me of what Flora had said about finding universal appeal in niche stories. A figure adrift in time and emotion, Arthur seemed to tap into a singular something for the audience at Stein. You could feel it in the hushed awe as he slipped between worlds, or the heaving gasps of a particularly jarring act of desecration that caught us all by surprise.

The night ended with a lingering applause, perhaps in part because the audience was reluctant to leave the warmth of Stein for the first nip of Delhi’s winter.

The rest of what the EUFF has to offer this year seems to reflect a similar brand of soul-stirring cinema. “It’s impossible to choose a favourite,” admitted ambassador Delphin, when asked to name a standout. “My advice is to enter each screening with an open mind — you’ll be captivated by the storytelling, I can guarantee that. That’s where the journey to discovery and cultural immersion begins. I really encourage you to come and watch the movies.”

With 26 films in 31 languages, screening across three venues in Delhi till November 16 — India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes, and Goethe Institute —  the festival promises the rare chance for cinephiles in the capital, and eventually in Kolkata and Hyderabad, to immerse themselves in a little bit of movie magic that might otherwise remain unseen in the subcontinent.

Showcasing the crème de la crème of contemporary European cinema, the festival also marks the Indian premiere of several European films, including, What A Feeling, Because I Love Bad Weather, Stairway To Heaven, Death is a Problem for the Living, Jim’s Story, Without Air, Black Velvet, The Last Ashes, Blood on the Crown, Baan, Horia and The Man Without Guilt.

All films at EUFF 2024 will have English subtitles and seating will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Published - November 08, 2024 03:31 pm IST