“Surely there comes a time when counting the cost and paying the price aren’t things to think about any more. All that matters is value – the ultimate value of what one does.”— James Hilton

Two film festivals. Two diverse destinations. Both high profile in their own rights. Each with a rich heritage. One completing its 77^th  summer, the other its 58^th. Separated they may be by two decades. But, what a mountain of a difference between the two.

Therein lies the tale that this critic,chief cinema programmer / creative advisor, seeks to tell, who, on a whim, sought to undertake a cinematic cruise to these two much feted film festivals, returning to base camp thereafter that much wiser and richer by the divergent experiences.

If at one, self-styled as the Temple of Film Festivals, you found yourself literally in a ‘police state’ of sorts amid the madhouse of cinephiles, selfie hunters,awe-struck stars gazers, the gendarmes ever looming large, on horsebacks or otherwise, the mobbing paparazzies and snaking, serpentine queues for festival screenings.

At the other it was as if one had found cinematic nirvana in the serene, sylvan hilly landscapeand discovered a cinema Shangri-La a la Hugh Conway of James Hilton’s LostHorizon who found inner peace, love, and a sense of purpose in Shangri-La. It was, as writ James Hilton of Hugh Conway, in my case as well.

Here there was no such hullabaloo at all. The Policie České Republiky (State police) or the Městská Policie (Municipal police) virtually nonexistent. Yes, here too there were as sizeable crowd of eager beaver fans and festival cine goers. There was also the equally palpable excitement and enthusiasm about who’s who in attendance as also serpentine queues for the day’s films on show.

But the one word to described things at Cannes was “chaos” at Karlovy Vary it was simply “orderliness”.

If at one you virtually felt boxed in, unwanted and out of place, always under scrutiny and shuffled across, wondering whether you will get to watch the film of the day.

At the other, you were received almost as State guest, warmly welcomed, made felt one of their own, and at home, ever there to guide and hand hold if one need assistance, doubly sure you will watch the films that you have chosen to do so.

Yes folks, I am talking about the much-hypedand the most important international influencer – Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) played out along the French Riveria – and string of hotels that abet along its kerb side.

And one of Europe’s major film festivals – the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, that plays out amidst the panoply of quaint, old world charm posh spa hotels and the most importantly, the Tepla river, the tributary of Ohre,that serenely flows along side the walkway bridges canal’s embankment, as also the hot springs spewing out clouds of vaporous steam from ground below.

Having been there, seen that and experienced both the festivals, up, close and personal, one can authoritatively say, if Cannes turns out a cacophonous cauldron of showy, glamour and glitzy happenings.

At Karlovy Vary everything unfolds at a quiet, serene, calming pace allowing one to soak in the serene and soothing balmy proceedings amidst its magical, surreal milieu.

After the bitter sour off putting date at Cannes, it turned out a sweet sugary rendezvous at Karlovy Vary. If at Cannes it was an ever perpetual fight with the festival App to book the film of your choice, resulting in having to stand with uncertainty in long queues well before the scheduled screening hour. Ever anxious and twiddling your fingers whether you will get into the auditorium.

At Karlovy Vary there were no such hiccups or hurdles as one could catch up as many as six screenings for the day – three designated for press and three from public screenings which could be easily booked, not to forget the press library wherein you could log in to Cinando to catch the one that you missed out at the theatres.

If at Cannes segregation was the order of the day with two friends guided to different sections at the theatre, at Karlovy Vary all you had to do was to find the numbered seat of your and plonk yourself to watch the screenings at the Grand Hall without any hassle. More so, both friends could sit side by side together, rather one in balcony and one in lower stall as was the case at Cannes.

If you shunned the limelight, you always had nearly five screens around the Press Enclosure reserved exclusively for the Press and Industry screenings wherein you could watch the films in the midst of your own fraternity.

This, in itself, was a unique experience, in that, one had anywhere of 50 – 150 critics drawn from virtually every nook and niche of the globe, attending the viewings in their own company. And what an assortment of men and women we were as a critic community.

Unlike Cannes, whose streets around the Palais des Festivals et des Congrèswere simply overcrowded more with suited people seeking tickets / invitations teeming with curious onlookers walking, the others driving their fancy, swanky and flashy cars not to forget the city buses plying around ferrying film festival attendees to various destinations.

At Karlovy Vary there was none of these intrusions at all despite the main festival venue – the plush Spa Thermal Hotel being nearly 15 storied luxury hotel and as a cinephile interested in his cinema he is at peace communing himself with the films of his choice without any interference whatsoever from any quarters.

Yes, the premiers at Karlovy Vary sees the glitterati descend at the venue for the respective films. However, their arrivals and departures never intrude or interfere with one’s enchantment with the cinemas at the film festival.

Trust me there is so much activity happening at the main entrance to the Thermal Hotel but none of it ever interferes with your communion with cinema. No heckling or hurdles put in your way either by volunteers or the absentee policie checking you in your strides as you walk up to the screens.

Taking its name after its founder – Karlovy Vary – which literally means ‘Charles Baths’ as also colloquially called Warmbad (hot bath) or Karlsbad (Carlsbad) and located 106 kms west of Czech Republic’s Capital City of Prague, with just about 50,000 inhabitants, and famous for its numerous hot springs, the spa resort makes for an ideal amphitheatre/coliseum for the prestigious Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, one of the oldest in the world and one of Europe’s major film events.

Indeed, if one found it really a tricky task to find your way through the various byzantine corridors for the particular section at Cannes, here, at Karlovy Vary, it was impeccablydone for one to find the team or person you sought to catch up or chat with.

Well laid out sections and easily accessible, as also equally warmly welcomed atmosphere and personnel made it such a pleasurable experience to have been at Karlovy Vary.

One of the other special features about Karlovy Vary International Film Festival was its signature festival shorts. Each so unique and so very special to watch and cheer and chuckle which were played out before the start of the main films screening.

Indeed, while Cannes given its draw enticing humungous crowd has its own charm for those wishing to be seen more for their sartorial styles and statements, at Karlovy Vary though it is all about cinema, cinema, cinema.

One is reminded of a passage from James Hilton’s Lost Horizon here “my goodness, if you think of all the folks in the world who’d give all they’ve got to be out of the racket and in a place like this, one had to breathe consciously and deliberately, which, though disconcerting at first, induced after a time an almost ecstatic tranquility of mind. The whole body moved in a single rhythm of breathing, walking, and thinking,and with it that distant spectre of the mountain; then the triple mischiefs of darkness, cold, and wind increased until dawn. As though at its signal, the wind dropped, leaving the world in compassionate quietude.”

Again, if I were to recall James Milton’s Hugh Conway’s reflections from Lost Horizonhere “If you’d had all the experiences I’ve had, you’d know that there are times in life when the most comfortable thing is to do nothing at all. Things happen to you and you just let them happen. We’re here because we’re here, if you want a reason. I’ve usually found it a soothing one.”

This succinctly sums up the nirvanic exhilaration that I felt being at Karlovy Vary after the tense, and bit of a torturous times spent at the Cannes. Mind you it was my first outing at both the festivals and what an ocean of difference it has been. It was as if I had truly found my Cinema Shangri-La at Karlovy Vary. Kudos and God Bless for the great show.

by

S VISWANATH is a veteran film critic who officiates as JURY at several National & International Film Festivals. He deputises as CHIEF CINEMA CURATOR/PROGRAMMER & CREATIVE ADVISOR for Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). He also curates & advises on the selection of shorts & documentaries for Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF). Mr Viswanath is the author of “RANDOM REFLECTIONS: A Kaleidoscopic Musings on Kannada Cinema”.