NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A REVEW OF "K"

BY MATEO MORENO

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

To take on any of Franz Kafka's stories and unfold them into a new film is a daring task for any filmmaker. Director Erdenibulag Darhad tackles "The Castle" head on with his latest film, K. The story follows very closely to the Kafka tale; K (Bayin) is a land surveyor arriving in a distant, unnamed Mongolian village. Throughout the film, K goes up against the hierarchy of the village he has found himself in and continually stumbles. He meets a waitress (a barmaid in the novel, here played by Jula) who is supposedly the mistress of Klamm, the man he's working for. He falls for her instantly and is guided by two assistants, Jeremias and Artur (Zandarra & Altanochir), who run around the town helping him in his quest. The Castle he means to get to consistently seems out of reach and eventually becomes the school janitor but never getting closer to his quest's end.

Seem confusing? Well it's Kafka, so of course it is. Darhad's adaption is rich in texture and cinematography, and does glide along intriguingly during the film's first half. Comic textures, tight knit shots, claustrophobic scenarios, & maddening conversations that hurt K rather than help him all add to the nightmare absurdity of the plot. But eventually it all becomes maddening to watch as well. Kafka's novel (which was unfinished at the time of his death) examines the frustrations of bureaucratic politics but is also a clearly unfinished piece (it is debatable on whether he actually ever intended for anyone to see it at all). The cast all turn in fine work, especially Bayin who is easy to sympathize with. But as the film dizzies into a chaotic spin, you will feel much like the character of K: Lost without a clue on what is happening anywhere around you.

VERDICT: ON THE FENCE

DIRECTED BY Erdenibulag Darhad BASED ON THE NOVEL "THE CASTLE" BY: Franz Kafka SCREENPLAY BY: Emyr ap Richard STARRING Bayin, Jula, Yirgui, Zandarra, Altanochir.

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: It is an intriguing and somewhat comendable effort to take on "The Castle." But much like the novel itself, the frustrations can overwhelm the viewer, as it did to myself.

MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconcious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.