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Now that everybody knows why I like film festivals, this is my programme for Durban. As the city is so big and the venues far apart, I have to close my eyes and miss some excellent films such as Baaria, The Concert, Lebanon, Loose cannons, Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll and A woman, gun and noodle shop. Luckily Baaria, The concert and A woman, gun and noodle shop will be released on the SA art film circuit soon.

The films in Durban cover a huge array with themes such as Ecolens, Wavescapes, an Ingmar Bergman focus, lots of South African/African films that should take other festivals by storm and winners from major international film festivals.

Two doccies that should raise eyebrows are Mugabe and the White African and Coming out of the Nkuta. The film concerning the Zimbabwean president deals with a court case against him due to land grabbings and Nkuta is a film about gays struggling in Cameroon. The gay struggle is on my programme.

My programme:

* Blessed - Aussie film by the director of Head On tells a story of teens in distress.

* Winter's Bone - Jury prize winner at Sundance.

* Soul Kitchen - Latest film set in Hamburg by Fatih Akin (Head On). I saw  The Edge of Heaven at a previous Diff and he's a master.

* Amreeka - Tells shocking story of immigrant life in US.

* Brotherhood - On paper the weirdest film. It is a queer Nazi film! Won Rome.

* The Ape - Swedish film about a man's descent in personal hell.

* The Window - Indian man takes on an apathetic world.

* Lola - This is the film I'm looking forward to. I did an interview with Brilliante when he was in Durban before and this Filipino director is a genius. Lola is about a grandma whose son is murdered for his cellphone.

* Peepli Live -  Insight into Indian elections.

* Heiran - Iranian girl falls in love with Afghan immigrant.

* Four Lions - Billed as a comedy, this film is about four jihadists who target the London Marathon. Very interesting.

* The Infidel - Closing film is also billed as a comedy and tells the sad story of a Muslim man who finds out he is adopted and his parents are Jewish. I can't imagine how that can be funny.

* Street Days - Georgian film about heroin addicts in Tbilisi.

* Game of Death - No explanation needed. It's a French doccie.

* White Meadows -  An Iranian collects human tears.

* Letters from Teddy - South African doccie about British life in Aden in 50s.

* Sebbe - Story of a misfit and his abusive mother. 

* Killer inside me - Shocking film based on the novel by Jim Thompson.   

 Is anybody filled with envy? I cannot wait. I'll blog about all the films and take my camera with to hopefully snap some directors or actors. I'll also be attending the awards ceremony. Look out for that too.