Bhubaneswar, Nov. 26: The Film Society of Bhubaneswar will screen a South Korean contemporary film and an Italian classic on Friday evening at the Jayadev Bhavan auditorium.

The first screening of the evening is Breath, a 2007 film from South Korea. Over the years, director Kim Ki-duk has produced works that put him at the forefront of world cinema. In 2005, the film society had screened Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003), a film that brought Kim Ki-duk international fame and appreciation.

Breath is a love story involving a death convict who falls for a homemaker named Yeon who decorates his prison cell. Yeon also has her own tale of depression caused by her husband’s indifference and infidelity to narrate. It is a quintessential Kim Ki-duk film that combines quirkiness of subject with distinctive cinematic expression to create a multi-layered narrative that can be haunting.

The second screening of the evening is the black-and-white Mamma Roma (1962), directed by Italian poet, writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Actress Anna Magnani is Mamma Roma, a middle-aged prostitute who attempts to disentangle herself from her sordid past for the sake of her son. Filmed in the Italian neo-realist manner, the film offers an unflinching look at the struggle for survival in post-war Italy and highlights the director’s lifelong fascination with the marginalised and the homeless.

Though banned upon its release for obscenity, today the film is considered a classic featuring a power-packed performance by one of the most prolific actresses of that era.

“Film lovers of Bhubaneswar usually do not get to watch world cinema such as these. The Film Society of Bhubaneswar is doing a good job,” said Abhijeet Dash, a 27-year-old film enthusiast.