Buddha embarrassed by poster of 15th Kolkata Film Festival
Kolkata: The official poster of 15th Kolkata Film Festival had West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee embarrassed when it was pointed out that it had only miniature images of two iconic filmmakers of the city Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak.

"I havent seen the poster. I shall find out why this happened," Bhattacharjee, in charge of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department which is organising the festival, told a press conference here.

What raised the hackles of the cineastes is that the poster while relegating Ray and Ghatak to the background, boldly depicts the back of a semi-clad woman from waist to neck.

The festival will be held from November 10 to 17.

Asked about his thoughts in having the festival organized in these times of political turmoil, he said "cinema reflects the travails and tribulations of contemporary society. Good cinema teaches us how to overcome the disturbances and complexities of society."

The chief minister said the festival this time was being organised with a `smaller` budget of Rs 1.25 crore. "We have cut down on the number of foreign delegates and on the banquets."

For the first time, an `Encounter` section has been introduced in the festival to enable cinema lovers and film students interact with the director, Bhattacharjee said, adding that films by Peter Raymont (Canada) and Anthony Fabian (South Africa) have been included in the section.

There will be a `Discovery` section with seven films by Greek director Nikos Panayotopoulos, he said, adding there would also be a special section `Marquez on Celluloid` depicting films based on the works of Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

"We have also included a section called `Remembering World War-II` showcasing eight films made on the war by contemporary filmmakers. It will give us an idea of how those who haven`t been through the World War-II see it," he said.

Stating that four `Experimental` films and seven children films have been included, he said the customary `Indian Select` and `Contemporary World Cinema` will feature in the festival.

`The Boy in Striped Pyjamas`, a thought-provoking feature film on the relationship between the young son of a German police officer and a Jewish boy held prisoner in a concentration camp has been selected as the opening film of the festival.

Bureau Report