Michael in 1989 at the premiere of The Plot Against Harry in the New York Film Festival. Photo by GODLIS
Play-Doc, the international film festival held in Tui, will celebrate its 21st edition from May 7 to 11, featuring two remarkable programs that revive essential cinematic works: the first Spanish retrospective dedicated to American filmmaker Michael Roemer and a tribute to the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) for its efforts in preserving regional Indian cinema, with its latest restorations also making their Spanish premiere.
Michael Roemer: The Return of an Essential Filmmaker
The brief but impeccable filmography of Michael Roemer has resurfaced strongly in recent years, establishing him as one of the fundamental voices in 20th-century American independent cinema. After long periods of neglect and indifference, his works are being rediscovered by new generations who see in his films a unique approach to complex, universal issues, presented with straightforward honesty and depth. This resurgence not only reaffirms his place in cinema history but also highlights his ability to connect with today’s audiences.
Born in Berlin in 1928, Roemer (now 97) fled Nazi persecution, escaping to the United Kingdom through the Kindertransport in 1939. This early experience of survival and adversity shaped his life and artistic vision, leading him to reflect on themes like personal responsibility in the face of destiny, an existential paradox that runs throughout his filmography. His protagonists are not conventional heroes but ordinary individuals facing overwhelming circumstances who, despite their conscious choices, find themselves at the mercy of fate.
After emigrating to the United States in 1945 and studying at Harvard, Roemer began his film career making educational movies. During this time, he developed a fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Robert Young, with whom he made Cortile Cascino in 1962, a documentary about poverty in Sicily. The film’s raw portrayal so disturbed NBC that they not only banned it but also ordered its negative to be destroyed — a rejection that marked the beginning of Roemer’s recurring conflicts with commercial norms of the time.
Recognition came later with Nothing But a Man (1964), his most famous and somewhat autobiographical film. Although initially successful and later achieving classic status, it wasn’t until its re-release twenty years later at Film Forum that this undisputed masterpiece reached wider audiences. Another notable case is The Plot Against Harry (1969), a black comedy that Roemer initially considered a failure and shelved for decades. Eventually reconsidered, the film was presented and acclaimed at festivals such as Cannes, New York, Toronto, and Sundance.
Roemer also tackled taboo topics such as death with stark honesty in Dying (1976), later revisited in the poignant Pilgrim, Farewell (1982). Among his later works is Vengeance Is Mine (1984), a drama that, released nearly forty years later, explores the complexity of family relationships, where characters, despite believing they make choices, end up reacting to forces beyond their control.
FHF: Rescuing the Legacy of Indian Cinema
Photo courtesy of FHF
Founded in 2014 by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and based in Mumbai, the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) is carrying out crucial work in preserving and restoring Indian cinema, particularly regional films at risk of disappearing.
Thanks to their work, emblematic films such as Manthan (1976), Ghatashradd
The restoration of Ghatashraddha, directed by Girish Kasaravalli, a classic of Kannada cinema, addresses ostracism within the Brahmin community in southern India and had its world premiere of the restored version at the last edition of the Venice Film Festival. In turn, Ishanou, by filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma, portrays the conflict between spirituality and everyday life in Manipur’s Maibi culture and was presented in the Cannes Classics section.
Another restored gem featured at the festival is Manthan by Shyam Benegal, the first Indian film collectively funded by 500,000 farmers, telling the story of the cooperative dairy movement led by Verghese Kurien. After premiering at the most recent Cannes edition, the film was screened in 50 Indian cities. Additionally, Maya Miriga, directed by Nirad Mohapatra, depicting the disintegration of a family in Odisha, returned to screens decades after being thought lost, thanks to restoration efforts led by FHF after discovering its negative in poor condition.
The work of the Film Heritage Foundation not only ensures the preservation of these cinematic gems but also allows new generations to discover and appreciate works that, in their time, marked a turning point in the history of Indian cinema.
These programs join the previously announced tributes to Monte Hellman and Elaine May. The festival will continue unveiling its lineup in the coming weeks.