The Hindu : Golden Peacock for Russian film

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 11, 2002

National

National

Golden Peacock for Russian film

By Lakshmi Balakrishnan

The winners of the 33rd International Film Festival of India, (Left to Right) special jury award to director Magdi Ahmed Ali of Egypt (`Girl's Secret'), special jury award to director Revathy (`Mitr- my friend'), Best Asian director award to Reza Mir Karimi of Iran (`Under the moon') and the golden peacock award to director Igor Maslennikov of Russia (`Letters to Elza') at a function in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: S. Arneja

NEW DELHI OCT. 10. It was time for the curtain to be rung down on the 33rd International Film Festival of India here on Thursday. And as the much-hyped event came to a close with the presentation of the awards for the Asian competitive section, it left a few important questions unanswered.

With the Directorate of Film Festivals maintaining silence over the probability of the festival returning to Delhi permanently from next year or being shifted to another permanent venue, cinema fans will have some waiting to do for the all-important announcement.

But there need not be any further wait for the winners. The day saw Russia walk away with the Golden Peacock award for the best film by an Asian director in the competitive section.

The country's only entry — Igor Maslennikov's "Letter to Elza'' — won the Golden Peacock for its beautiful representation of women and their problems.

The Silver Peacock, for the most promising Asian director, was won by first-time Iranian director, Reza Mir-Karimi, for his film "Under the Moonlight'' while the special jury award was shared by Egypt's Magdi Ahmed Ali for "Asrar El Banat'' and Indian debutant director, Revathy, for her movie "Mitr — My Friend''. The Golden Peacock carries a prize money of Rs. 5 lakhs and the Silver Peacock Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

The awards were presented by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, while the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sushma Swaraj, and the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, presided. Finland's entry, Aki Kaurismaki's "The Man Without A Past'', was the closing film.

The evening's scene-stealer, however, was the Golden Peacock winner who received loud applause for the good work his translator did in translating his thoughts into Hindi for the audience.

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