My third and final day at Tribeca was by far the best. Thankfully, I had friends in the city who were willing to let me stay the night. This significantly cut down my traveling expenses since I no longer had to buy a ticket home and a ticket back the next day. Another perk of me staying over in the city was that I was now able to see a more early press screening of the movie Flowers of Evil, directed by David Dusa.
Now, I’m a strong follower in the belief that everything happens for a reason and the fact that I was able to see Flowers of Evil backs my beliefs. Once I was in the theater, I noticed that in the row right behind me, there were three marked as being reserved. This was the first time I had seen reserved seats at a press screening. I didn’t think much of it until in walked one of my television heroes. The actor Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight Schrute from television comedy The Office, sat right behind me in one of the reserved seats. So had I not chosen to sleep over in the city, I would have missed a once-in-a-life opportunity!
Flowers of Evil was a fantastic movie following the story of Anahita, a 24-year-old Iranian student, as she relied on the Internet to keep her connected to the ongoing chaos of government brutality in her country. Anahita had been sent away to France by her parents after the controversial elections. In France, she befriended Rachid, a bellhop and talented dancer. Rachid noticed her obsessive monitoring of facebook, youtube and twitter for updates on her country’s condition. As he tries to ease her mind, she finds comfort in him and the two wind up falling for each other.
As real clips from youtube are shown throughout the movie, I really felt more connected and empathetic to the civilians. It made me want to do something to help. I guess with the fact that the videos managed to motivate me, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Anahita chose to go back to Iran. Rachid’s love just wasn’t enough to persuade her to stay. She told him that she felt like a coward in Paris, even though she was afraid to die if she went back. But if she was back, she’d at least be able to know that her loved ones were alive. Anahita made it clear that sometimes, standing up to one’s beliefs can be something risking one’s life for. The movie also really focused on how the internet has become a necessary and revolutionary tool. Twitter played a major role in keeping Anahita up to date.
After the movie, I followed Mr. Wilson out of the theater and mustered up enough bravery to approach him. He was in a rush so sadly I couldn’t get a picture with him but I did manage to shake his hand and quickly talk to him. It was exhilarating and completely made my Tribeca experience!
Later that day, I watched yet another foreign film, The Kite, directed by Prashant Bhargava. I really enjoyed this movie because it touched upon the inner turmoil of a family, strength of friendship, and the worth of romance. Successful businessman Jayesh and his daughter Priya visit his late brother’s family in Ahmedabad for the first time in five years to celebrate India’s largest kite festival, Uttarayan. The family reacts in an array of different emotions. His sister in-law and mother are pleasantly surprised while his nephew Chakku is repulsed by his arrival. Each member of the family seems to have their own conflict to work out, yet each tie together in the end. The family’s fractured past seems to heal from the visit and through the kite festival.
