I’ve always been a film fan, but films come second after live theater, my particular love. During eight years in the UAE where there wasn’t much theater, I learned to appreciate film and especially film festivals. Despite spending many years in New York and London, I never attended the film festivals in those cities.
My introduction to film festivals came in Abu Dhabi where I learned to appreciate films from the Gulf, the rest of the Arab world, Iran, and other countries. Initially, I focused on the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, but as I grew more confident about driving to Dubai, I started going to the Dubai International Film Festival. In time I wrote about those festivals in Tempo and other places.
When a friend from New York got a job at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, I checked out that one in 2009 and also in 2010 during the World Cup in South Africa. I remember watching the US team losing to Ghana on a giant outdoor screen sitting on the beach.
All of this prepared me for Miami, but I didn’t know that when I arrived last year.
To my surprise, Miami has proven to be a continuous film festival. The big films that open in multiplexes around the country and the world come here too. Within 15-20 minutes by car, I can reach a Regal and an AMC, each with at least 10 screens showing the latest blockbusters. That was what I expected.
The surprise is the number of small cinemas with one or two screens showing festival type films. Within 10 minutes from where I live are the Coral Gables Arts Cinema, the Tower Cinema, the Cosford Cinema, and the O Cinema Wynwood. The only day that some are closed is Monday. Other days screenings of two or three films rotate at each cinema.
Recently I’ve seen the French films Le Weekend and On My Way with Catherine Deneuve, the Romanian film Child’s Pose, and the Polish film Ida. All were from 2013 and appeared at Berlin and other major film festivals.
I attended the opening night of the Miami International Film Festival on March 7 and saw Elsa & Fred starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer who attended along with director Michael Radford. It was in the historic Olympia Theater in the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. Built in 1926, the Olympia started life with silent movies and today is a restored marvel of gold and velvet with a beautiful ceiling of textured plaster.
MIFF lasts nine days but doesn’t really end in March. The best films are shown in special screenings to MIFF’s permanent subscribers all year long. Since I’m one, I received free tickets to Attila Marcel, a French film from writer/director Sylvain Chomet who created a wonderful animated film, The Triplets of Belleville, a few years ago. Attila Marcel is his first film with humans, and it is a delight.
Once again we were in the Olympia Theater amid velvet and gold. Our mission was to evaluate the film since according to MIFF’s organizers, no distributor has picked up the film for showing in the US. A day or two later we were asked by email to write up our reactions. I gave it top marks and recommended it for children and adults who love contemporary fairy tales. Think Harry Potter without wizards.
Written by: Dr. Alma Kadragic
