By As the 54th International Film Festival of India came to an end on Tuesday, veteran Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas was given the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 79-year-old two-time Academy Award winner expressed his humility and said the festival served as “a reminder of the magic of moviemaking” in light of current events.
“Cinema is one of the few mediums that has the power to unite and transform us. It transcends divisions, whether that be geography, race language and even time,” he said in his acceptance speech.
“Today our global language of cinema is more meaningful than ever,” Douglas added.
“Endless Borders,” an Iranian film directed by Abbas Amini, won the Golden Peacock for best film at the festival held annually in coastal Goa, India’s scenic tourist hotspot.
“The film is about how complicated physical borders might be yet nothing can be more complicated than the emotional and moral borders that you impose upon yourself,” the jury said in its citation.
In a tiny village near the border between Afghanistan and Iran, an exiled Iranian teacher makes friends with a family that is leaving Afghanistan because the Taliban is threatening them. This is the story of the film.
“In the context of what’s happening in the world right now, with the amazing conflicts that are going on, with the wars at our borders, it is very important to tell our stories,” said Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, the chair of the international jury who’s directed movies including “Elizabeth” and the “Naatu Naatu” from the blockbuster Telugu-language action epic “RRR” and best short documentary “The Elephant Whisperers,” which streamed on Netflix.
To encourage international cooperation, the Indian government, which is in charge of the festival, has unveiled a new set of incentives for foreign film companies. Douglas said Indian films were reaching a global audience thanks to the digital revolution and streaming services.
“Whatever country you are in, good moviemaking is usually about something personal to your country, and then realizing that it has an international message. Everything is in the material and you have to make it for yourself,” he said during a session earlier Tuesday.
