On 18 December the films that were screened at the CIFF included 'When Do The Girls Show Up?' From Italy, 'One Star Two Coffees' from Argentina, 'These Girls' from Canada, 'Sophie's World' from Norway, 'Summer In Berlin' from Germany, 'Left Foot Forward' from Iran, 'Someone Special' from Korea, Vinci from Poland.
Vinci belongs to crime fiction genre and is a typical Polish comedy. Laced with exceptional Slavic humor, it has a twist in plot and amusing characters. The plot is simple though. Few crooks decide to steal a 'Vinci' picture and there happens to be so many other crooks who also want to filch the work of art. Machulski in the role of an old yet effectual thief, who is adept at fooling other crooks down to get his share of money, is brilliant. Funny dialogues that subtly carry the narration forward is a strength. The plot provides us with various thoughts and viewpoints as it unfolds: will the thieves accomplish what they set out for, how amazingly amusing people are, will a friendship survive undesirable situations, et al.
Sophie's World, on the other hand, is a famous philosophical novel by Jostein Gaarder. It was originally written in Norwegian, but has since been translated into English and many other languages. In this epic fantasy film, Sophie, a 15 year-old-girl who believes that she is living an ordinary life realizes through an unusual set of circumstances that she is, in fact, a fictional character from a novel called Sophie's World.
After the realization, with the help of her friend-teacher-philosopher Alberto Knox, Sophie tries to escape from the novel and sets out on an epic adventure. Sophie goes on an extensive journey through time and space. Alberto Knox, the mysterious philosophy teacher, enlightens her and inspires her to pose questions'on history, on existence, on life and its bigger meaning.
Sophie's World essentially creates an emotional and absorbing mystery-drama exploring the most vital and probably most ambiguous of all questions:
"Who am I?"
