IFFI – Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More

A film festival that builds bridges, takes us on a cinematic journey around the world. Showing films that are underrepresented in global cinema networks and cleverly tackling political issues, thus making us think. All this is the IFFI - the International Film Festival Innsbruck. Sounds interesting, but also a bit abstract, at least to me. I visited the IFFI for the first time this year and wasn't quite sure what to expect. But that changed quickly when I visited the opening. Already the first film grabbed me, made me think. I understood how important it is to show films that address issues that often don't find a place on the big cinema screens.

THE LONG WAIT IS OVER - THE STAGE IS SET FOR ANNA LADINIG AND HER TEAM

In 2020, the IFFI took place digitally. In 2021, Corona also threw a spanner in the organisers' works and it had to be postponed from May to October. What was not a big problem for us spectators, we only had to shift one date in the calendar, put the nerves of Anna Ladinig and her team to a hard test. But on 5 October the time had finally come, after a long wait the IFFI could be opened in the Leokino by her, Melanie Wiener (Department of Culture, Province of Tyrol), Uschi Schwarzl (City Councillor for Culture of the City of Innsbruck) and Antonia Rahofer (Federal Ministry for Art, Culture, Civil Service and Sport, Section IV-Art and Culture, Film Department).

"It was overwhelming to finally open IFFI after two years. I think it was a great success. But it's just getting started now. There are still five days ahead of us with over 60 programme items." So a visibly relieved Anna Ladinig after a wonderful opening. She has been the new festival director since 2019, following in the footsteps of Helmut Groschup. A big task for the 32-year-old, which she and her team mastered with bravura - despite the difficulties mentioned.

30 YEARS OF SOCIALLY CRITICAL CINEMA IN INNSBRUCK

The IFFI took place for the first time in 1992 and celebrates its 30th birthday this year. The motto of this year's retrospective is "EVERYTHING WAS FOREVER, UNTIL IT WAS NO MORE". The title refers to the study by author Alexei Yurchak, who writes about the last Soviet generation in his book of the same name. This title also seems very appropriate for current issues such as the Covid 19 pandemic and the climate crisis, and strikes a chord with the times. Since its beginnings, the IFFI has always had a socio-critical - often political - tenor and shows films that are allowed to really hurt.

NOTTURNO - AN AWARD-WINNING FILM OPENS THE FESTIVAL

IFFI opened with the film Notturno, a documentary by Gianfranco Rosi that won the Golden Lion - the main prize of the Venice Film Festival. It is a film that I find difficult to describe, that I would by no means say I liked - because "liked" would be the wrong word. But it definitely did something to me: it grabbed me and left me shaken up. It's about people living in the war-torn areas on the borders of Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan and Lebanon. Without explaining, analyzing or putting anything into perspective, Gianfranco Rosi shows the everyday lives of these people. Some scenes were so hard for me to bear that I would have preferred to leave the cinema. After this film it was clear to me what IFFI is all about. How important it is to show films like this and how much cinema can touch.

SIX DAYS FESTIVAL - FOUR CATEGORIES - TWO VENUES

The IFFI takes place at the Leokino and the Cinematograph. It is composed of four parts: the competitions, the retrospective, worldwide visions and stream. Films screened in the competition section were awarded in four categories at the end of the festival. The Retrospective showed film-historical highlights with references to the present under this year's motto EVERYTHING WAS FOREVER, UNTIL IT WAS NO MORE. The cinema of the Soviet Union is dealt with. "Worldwide Visions" shows selected films on selected occasions - such as the opening film "Notturno". IFFI's partner festival since 2021 is the Cabria Festival, whose directors Marilia Nogueira and Vania Matos created the short film programme for IFFI. Last but not least, the streaming offer: after the festival, ten selected films can be streamed through the website.

THE BEST FEATURE FILM

On Saturday, 09 October, the festival director Anna Ladinig awarded the prizes of the competitions. In the feature film competition of the province of Tyrol, endowed with 5,500 €, the Spanish-Dutch film "LA ÚLTIMA PRIMAVERA" by director Isabel Lamperti won. The jury described the film as touching, politically alarming, sensitive and subtle. A film that shows the growing gap between rich and poor in Europe by portraying a family on the fringes of society, without imposing the role of victim on them or parading them.

HUNGER AND MISERY IN LITTLE PALESTINE

The winner of the documentary film competition of the City of Innsbruck, endowed with 3,000, is the film "LITTLE PALESTINE: DIARY OF A SIEGE" by Abdullah Al Khateeb, a film about the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmuk, established in 1948 and located on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus. After clashes between the Free Syrian Army and Assad's forces, Yarmuk was besieged and the remaining population left to their fate. Abdallah Al-Khatib, who lived in Yarmuk, filmed everyday life for four years. He documents how much the people suffer under the siege. They can't get out of the city, nor can much-needed food and medicine get in. Babies die because they simply can't get milk. Children are desperately scrambling to find something edible. They are scenes that are hard to watch. Films like this make us realize what a bubble of prosperity we live in and that the reality of most people in this world is very different from ours.

SPECIAL MENTION, SÜDWIND-AWARD AND AUDIENCE FAVOURITE

Special Mention: The documentary LE DERNIER REFUGE (THE LAST SHELTER) by Ousmane Samassekou also received a special mention. It is about the house of migrants in Mali. It offers shelter to refugees on their journey to Europe (or after their failed attempt).

The director Pawo Choyning Dorji was happy to receive the Südwind Prize 2021 of the Youth Jury, which is endowed with 1000 €. The Bhutanese film LUNANA shows the development and self-discovery of an outsider with a lot of empathy. A young teacher who actually wants to emigrate to Australia is sent to remote Lunana to spend his last contractual year as a teacher. Against all expectations, he finds his way in the traditional community and at the same time finds himself. The work captivates with idyllic nature and skilful leadership of the amateur actors.

The Audience Award of 2000 € goes to the Argentinian-Brazilian film ESQUÍ (SKI) by Manque La Banca. A film about Bariloche, an Argentinian ski resort, which cannot be assigned to any category.

The 30th IFFI was a success all along the line, Anna Ladinig agrees: "My first festival in the cinema was an incredible experience. After two years of preparations, it is incredibly nice to finally put all the pieces together and experience it as a whole. It was a great cinematic and human celebration. After a few days of rest we will continue with the planning for the next edition. That will take place in six months, after all."
And for those who haven't had enough and can't wait for May 2022, I have good news: Selected films can be streamed on stream.iffi.at from October 10 to 17.

INFORMATION

Venues:

Leokino: Anichstrasse 36, 6020 Innsbruck
Cinematograph, Museumstrasse 31, 6020 Innsbruck
Date: 05 - 10 October 2021
Homepage: iffi.at
Facebook: facebook.com/iffi.at
Director: Anna Ladinig
Overview of the most important film festivals 2021 in Innsbruck
Culture after IFFI: a great meeting place for art and culture lovers is the Treibhaus. My colleague Werner wrote a great article about it.
Stream: October 10-17,
https://stream.iffi.at, Price: streaming pass € 35,00 / streaming single ticket € 5,00
Instructions for streaming:

Cover © IFFI