Are you in need of some relaxation and distraction after your first week back at UCR? Are you craving art, culture, and the slightly artificial taste of cinema popcorn? Then jump on that train to Rotterdam this weekend, as it is your last chance to visit the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017! This Saturday is the final day of the festival, which is full of independent, international, and provocative film screenings. But what films should you go and watch? Tabula Rasa has listed 5 tips for IFFR 2017, from horror films to history features!
HEIS (on the wall)
11:00 – 12:00, KINO 1
Coined as the French Lena Dunham, filmmaker and artist Anaïs Volpé is controversial, provocative, and experimental. “HEIS (on the wall)” is a cross media project, consisting out of a feature film, an Internet series, and a full-on art installation. HEIS follows the story of many a millennial: during their twenties they return to their parental home, but this isn’t always as easy and welcoming as it seems.
Loving
12:45 – 14:48, Pathé 7
Only a couple of decades ago, interracial marriages were forbidden by law in America. “Loving” follows the true story of one of these illicit marriages. Richard and Mildred Loving are brutally torn apart as a pregnant Mildred gets arrested and put in jail, their marriage being illegal in the state of Virginia. The couple decides to fight their conviction, and in the case “Loving vs Virginia”, Richard and Mildred write history. Their story is one of much larger consequence – the abolishment of the law against interracial marriages.
Raw
15:30 – 17:08, Cinerama 1
“Raw” already has quite the reputation. During the pre-screenings of this horror film, many audiences reportedly left the cinema hall – that is, those that hadn’t vomited or passed out in need of immediate medical attention. In short, “Raw” is not for the faint-hearted. The film follows the story of a young vegetarian veterinary student Justine, who is forced to eat a rabbit’s liver during initiation. The traumatic event sparks a bloodlust in Justine, which inevitably leads to cannibalism.
Paterson
19:00 – 20:58, Oude Luxor
Directed by Jim Jarmusch, “Paterson” can be considered a poem in video form. Main character Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver with little ambition, but a secret talent for poetry. He observes and is observed by director Jarmusch – both create poems of their objects of interest. Jarmusch skilfully makes use of poetic style figures, such as symmetry, repetition, and metaphorical meaning to tell Paterson’s story – a real must-see!
20th Century Women
21:00 – 22:58, De Doelen Grote Zaal
As the title suggests, this film focuses on the three 20th century women who shape and influence the young protagonist’s life. Actress Annette Bening stars as Jamie’s eccentric mother, who works to understand her son despite their difference in generations. Director Mike Mills, who honoured his father with the feature film “Beginners” in 2010 and has now created an ode to his mother with the honest and heart-warming “20th Century Women”.
These are our recommendations for films screening this weekend at the International Film Festival Rotterdam! For more films, screenings times and ticket info, check out their website: https://iffr.com/nl.
Eden van der Moere, Class of 2017, is a Literature and Linguistics major from Goes, the Netherlands.
