‘Absurdistan’ screened at Ishyo theatre hall

Economically, water is more valuable than oil – and people of one unidentified village in a former Central Asian Soviet republic do not need to be convinced of that. When the town’s water supply runs dry, it ignites a humbling war in Veit Helmer’s ‘Absurdistan’, a film which was screened last evening, at Ishyo theatre hall in Kacyiru.The free movie night was sponsored by the Goethe-Institut, German Cultural Centre in Kigali, which hosts free movie nights every Tuesday, to promote theatre in Rwanda as well as boost the entertainment scene. Goethe-Institut also supports local filmmakers by giving them a platform to screen their films to the public at the theatre for free. Synopsis ‘Absurdistan’ is a charming and funny movie. Based on a reported incident in a remote Turkish village, ‘Absurdistan’ is a slightly naughty fable of young love and scarcity. Though not significant enough to warrant on spot on the map, the men of the town are renowned for their mojo. At least, they are legends in their own minds. They are not particularly industrious though, so when the central water pipe runs dry, they put off repairing it, until their sons return from boarding school in the big city.Yet, only Temelko returns, but he has a hot-and-heavy appointment with childhood sweetheart Aya, but it must occur during the precise star alignment described by her hip grandma. Unfortunately, having tired of the men’s constant mañana-ing, the women have put their collective foot down—no water, no action. And the most affected by the drought are Aya (Kristyna Malerova) and Temelko (Maximilian Mauff). The young couple have been sweethearts since childhood. Aya’s grandmother insists the best time for them to consummate their love is when certain stars are aligned, and they have been waiting many years for the chance. When he returns from schooling in the city, he discovers Aya does not smell quite as nice as he remembered: “Tomorrow, the stars were to bring me and Aya together. But only if we bathed beforehand.”The clever young man actually manages to find enough water for them to do so. It’s not good enough for Aya. She says she’s “on strike” until he solves the water problem for the entire village. Her solution catches on, and every woman in the village declares, “No water, no sex!”The men try to phone over some sexual workers, but their wives won’t allow it. Title: “Absurdistan”Language: German original with English subtitles. Credits: Directed by Veit Helmer and written by Gordan Mihic, Zaza Buadze, Ahmet Golbol and Mr. Helmer.Running Time: 88 minutes (2008).

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‘Absurdistan’ screened at Ishyo theatre hall