International
La Chimera to open the 29th European Union Film Festival
Mumbai: The 29th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will open with La Chimera, screening on 7 November 2024 in New Delhi. Written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher, the film follows an Englishman exploring Italy’s historical treasures with an eccentric group. La Chimera touches on themes of lost love, relationships, life, and death. Yile Yara Vianello, the film’s lead actress, will attend the opening night in India.
Writer-director Alice Rohrwacher said, “The proximity of sacred and profane, of death and life, that characterised the years in which I was growing up has always fascinated me and given a measure to my way of seeing. This is why I decided at last to make a film that tells this layered story, this relationship between two worlds, the last part in a triptych about a local area whose attention is focused on one central question: what should it do with its past? As some grave-robbers say, down our way it’s the dead that give life.”
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will run in New Delhi from 7 to 16 November 2024, showcasing 26 European films in 31 languages, providing insights into European society, culture, and people. Organised by the European Union in partnership with EU Member States and regional partners, the festival strengthens EU-India cultural ties and fosters cross-cultural understanding.
The festival will take place at three venues in New Delhi: India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes, and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. It features films exploring diverse themes, including relationships, gender identity, sisterhood, and self-discovery. The lineup includes several India premieres, such as What A Feeling, Because I Love Bad Weather, Stairway To Heaven, Death is a Problem for the Living, Jim’s Story, Without Air, Black Velvet, The Last Ashes, Blood on the Crown, Baan, Horia, and The Man Without Guilt.
All films will have English subtitles and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some films are rated 18-plus; please check ratings before attending.
EUFF 2024 film line-up by country:
● Austria: What a Feeling
● Belgium: Employee of the Month (L’employée Du Mois)
● Bulgaria: Because I Love Bad Weather (Защото обичам лошото време)
● Cyprus: Embryo Larva Butterfly
● Czech Republic: Restore Point (Bod Obnovy)
● Denmark: Sons (Vogter)
● Estonia: Stairway To Heaven (Taevatrepp)
● Finland: Death is a Problem for the Living (Peluri- Kuolema on Elävien Ongelma)
● France: Jim’s Story (Le roman de Jim)
● Germany: Afire (Roter Himmel)
● Greece: Animal
● Hungary: Without Air
● Ireland: An Irish Goodbye
● Italy: La Chimera
● Latvia: Black Velvet (Melnais Samts)
● Lithuania: Five And A Half Love Stories In An Apartment In Vilnius (Penkios su puse meilės istorijos, nutikusios viename Vilniaus bute)
● Luxembourg: The Last Ashes (Läif a Séil)
● Malta: Blood on the Crown
● Netherlands: Como el Viento
● Poland: Dangerous Men (Niebezpieczni dżentelmeni)
● Portugal: Baan
● Romania: Horia
● Slovenia: The Man Without Guilt (L’uomo senza colpa)
● Spain: The Teacher Who Promised The Sea (El maestro que prometió el mar)
● Sweden: UFO Sweden
● Ukraine: How is Katia? (Yak Tam Katia?)
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
