This year’s Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) continues its tradition of bringing powerful, thought-provoking cinema to the Himalayan foothills.
A special highlight of this edition is the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre’s contribution, featuring two remarkable films linked by one of cinema’s greatest visionaries — Andrei Tarkovsky.
The festival presents Nostalghia (1983), Tarkovsky’s first film made outside the Soviet Union and a stunning collaboration with Italy. Shot in Tuscany and Rome with renowned Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra, Nostalghia is a deeply poetic reflection on exile, memory, and spiritual longing. The film beautifully merges Tarkovsky’s contemplative style with Italy’s timeless landscapes and artistic heritage. The film will be screened on Friday, 31st October at 5:45pm.
Accompanying it is Andrei Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer (2019), directed by his son Andrei A. Tarkovsky. This moving documentary gives voice to the master himself, weaving together his thoughts, archival images, and scenes from his films into an intimate portrait of his philosophy and faith in art. The film’s director will also be present at the screening. The film will be screened on Friday, 31st October at 10:30am.