{"id":149696,"date":"2023-02-02T14:57:17","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T13:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=149696"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:37","slug":"from-obscure-taxi-rides-to-interviewing-directors-these-students-volunteer-at-the-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/02\/02\/from-obscure-taxi-rides-to-interviewing-directors-these-students-volunteer-at-the-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"From obscure taxi rides to interviewing directors: these students volunteer at the film festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Filmmakers and visual artists from over ninety countries are screening their work at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR) this week. Four students that volunteer at the festival share their stories and a film tip. \u201cIt feels surreal that I interviewed one of the biggest directors in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guiding extravagant directors<\/h2>
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Talita receives directors and other guests at the festival. <\/span><\/p>

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The night before her first day at IFFR, Talita Berz (21, International Bachelor of Communication and Media) didn\u2019t recieve any information about her schedule yet. The panic had just disappeared when she received a phone call: \u201cBe at De Doelen at 5:45 the next morning where a taxi will pick you up.\u201d Destination of the taxi? Unknown.<\/p>\n

She woke up really early and cycled to the festival, dodging \u2018shady\u2019 midnight men offering rides and cigarette-starved frat boys asking for lighters.<\/p>\n

Once inside the official IFFR cab, the driver only spoke Dutch. With her two-month introductory Dutch course, Talita figured out that her destination was Schiphol Airport, where she would pick up a punk latino directing duo from San Francisco.<\/p>\n

After a \u2018crazy experimental and abstract\u2019 conversation on cinema art at 7 AM, Talita and the delicate rolls of film that accompanied the crew members made it safely to Rotterdam.<\/p>\n

Stories like this have become an ordinary occurrence for Talita, who has been welcoming and guiding extravagant directors to screenings and talks around the city. She has also experienced less cinematic encounters, mostly with \u2018class-A\u2019 directors whose egos are \u2018a mix of Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch\u2019.<\/p>\n\t

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Talita\u2019s Film recommendation: <\/strong>Lu Over the Wall<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Yuasa Masaaki (on screen Saturday morning)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like the Romeo and Juliet story but with amazing 90s style animation with a touch of Studio Ghibli.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Explaining virtual reality<\/h2>
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Wiktoria has to explain virtual reality to visitors.<\/span><\/p>

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Wiktoria Filip (19, also IBCoM), volunteers at one of the six art installations of IFFR. Her station at the UBIK Theatre hosts five virtual reality (VR) units<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 360-degree projects expand on the notion of cinema, transporting viewers to the living room of knitting grandmothers in South Africa, sunbathing tourist by the coast of Japan, or to swing in a playground in post-apocalyptic Chernobyl.<\/p>\n

For most people, the VR experience at UBIK is their first. \u201cVR is a very foreign concept, not only for me, but for everybody that is here\u201d, she confesses. Explaining the technology to older visitors has been particularly hard for Wiktoria. \u201cThey are completely deprived from the outside world once the headset is put on, this confuses older people a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wiktoria\u2019s recommendation:<\/strong> A los libros y a las mujeres canto<\/em><\/strong><\/a> from Spanish director Mar\u00eda Elorza (not screening anymore)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the first movie I watched at IFFR and it surprised me in a good way because of its unconventional format. It\u2019s a documentary but with lots of well thought out cinematography.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Waiting for tasks<\/h2>
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Julia is mainly waiting for things to do.<\/span><\/p>

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\u201cThe whole volunteering thing is a bit chaotic\u201d, Julia Rozentsvit (IBCoM) summarises her experience as a \u2018flying tiger\u2019. For this past week, a normal day for Julia starts at De Doelen. There she waits for tasks whenever help is needed at one of the theatres.<\/p>\n

For one of the \u2018chaotic instances\u2019 she had to run around De Doelen to direct people to the correct movie theatre. \u201cStopping random people to ask them \u2018where are you going?\u2019 is super weird, especially because no one was going to that movie\u201d, she laughs.<\/p>\n

Such agitation was an exception. Julia confesses that she is mostly waiting for tasks. \u201cTo be honest, I think that IFFR hires a lot more volunteers than needed. A big part of it is social, to create a community. They want people to mingle, to talk, to be involved in the festival. So, it\u2019s not per se about doing things, but participating in whatever is happening around.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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Julia\u2019s film recommendation: <\/strong>Las Dem\u00e1s<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Chilean director Alexandra Hyland <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI like movies about female friendships. They are also throwing a little party after the screening on Thursday with a DJ and a Q&A!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

You can get tickets for this event<\/a> happening on 2 February at KINO (organised by EUR students).<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Golden opportunity<\/h2>
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Mayra has been writing film critiques all week.<\/span><\/p>

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\u201cIt feels surreal\u201d, Mayra Nassef (20, IBCoM), says. \u201cI got to interview one of the biggest directors in the Middle East, which was a huge learning experience for me.\u201d As a member of the \u2018Media Outreach and Inclusion Scheme\u2019 \u2013 a new programme from IFFR that invited journalists from diverse backgrounds to report on the festival \u2013 Mayra was able to schedule an interview with Marwan Hamed, who is screening his latest film Kyra & El Gin<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The press accreditation also allows her to attend industry conferences, press rounds and Q&A sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never really knew how to put my foot in the door because I don\u2019t speak Dutch and I also don\u2019t have any connections in the media industry. For me, this was like a golden opportunity. I wouldn\u2019t have access for a press accreditation if I would have applied as just a blogger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayra has been running her personal blog \u2018Mayra talks about film and other stuff\u2019<\/a> since October. For this festival, she has mainly focused on film critiques, which she publishes daily.<\/p>\n

A week of reporting on film made Mayra\u2019s passion for film journalism stronger. But more importantly, she has found a new appreciation for Rotterdam: \u201cRotterdam is a city where people really have a passion for art, rather than spectacle. That\u2019s why IFFR has such a nice vibe. It\u2019s not Cannes or Berlinale which are known to be a bit snobby.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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Mayra\u2019s film recommendation: <\/strong>Thiiird<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Karim Kassem (screenings on Thursday and Saturday night)<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The film follows the aftermath of the explosion in the port of Beirut. It has a postapocalyptic and posttraumatic atmosphere and blurs the line between reality and fiction. You don’t really know what’s the imagination of the characters and real life. Feeling hopeless and stuck is shown very well and in a subtle manner.”<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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