Celluloid Reborn: Exploring the International Film Festival Rotterdam's Cinema Regained

Celebrating Masterpieces Lost and Found

Cinema Regained, a cornerstone of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, showcases meticulously restored cinematic gems, documentaries exploring cinema's rich history, and captivating works by revered filmmakers.

Rediscovering Unseen Cinematic Legacies

Burkina Faso director Drissa Touré makes a triumphant return after a three-decade hiatus with "Mousso Fariman," shedding light on women's resilience amidst societal contradictions. Legacy filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov receives a posthumous honor with "The Lilac Wind of Paradjanov," a tribute crafted by filmmaker Ali Khamraev.

Unveiling Untold Tales

The Ukrainian filmmaker Sergii Masloboishchykov takes center stage in a retrospective, while "Cossacks in Exile" delves into the unexplored world of Ukrainian exile cinema in the 1930s. Arthouse maestro Tengiz Abuladze's "Someone Else's Children" weaves a tender tale of siblinghood and loss, while "Kaja, I'll Kill You!" boldly explores oppression through fragmented storytelling.

Women's Voices, Center Stage

Sai Paranjpye's "Katha" brings a lighthearted twist to a classic fable, and Vani Subramanian's "Cinema Pe Cinema" pays homage to India's vanishing single-screen movie theaters. Sami van Ingen's "Cast of Shadows" unravels the stories of women behind Robert Flaherty's cinematic legacy, highlighting their overlooked contributions.

Cinema's Sociopolitical Mirror

Khavn's AI-powered "Bomba Bernal" pays tribute to the Filipino bomba genre, while "Modern Korea" examines Korea's history through the lens of archival footage. Hafiz Rancajale's "Bachtiar" breathes new life into the suppressed legacy of Indonesian filmmaker Bachtiar Siagian, whose work was unjustly censored during the anti-Communist purge.

Olaf Möller, the festival's programmer, says, "Cinema Regained is a vibrant space where curiosity thrives and cinematic lineages connect. It's a testament to the enduring power of cinema, both in shaping our cultural memory and in capturing the stories that history often chooses to ignore."