Five films at DIFF 2008 celebrate rule-breaking trailblazers

Viewers can accompany these titans on their way from the history books to the silver screen from December 11 to 18 at the landmark fifth edition of DIFF.

From the Arab world, Mostefa ben Boulaid is the story of the Algerian hero who was one of the central commandants of the War of Independence against the French. Having instigated and led the beginning of the rebellion from jail, he nevertheless refused to be acknowledged as a leader, instead operating in a staunchly democratic form. Director Ahmed Rachedi depicts Mostefa's revolutionary actions and friendships with his men; Rachedi received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 1969 for the Costa Gavras film Z, which he co-produced

Steven Soderbergh's (Ocean's Thirteen) Che is the eagerly awaited four-hour biopic that premiered at Cannes this year as a work in progress, sending critics into a frenzy of discussion on, among other things, the uncanny resemblance of star Benecio del Toro to the Argentina-born rebel leader. Not content with overthrowing Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, Che fomented rebellion in Africa and South America. The film, shown in two parts, follows Che's experiences as a medical student, guerilla, statesman, hero, and figurehead, leaving audiences full with revolutionary zeal.

Chevolution is a fascinating investigation into how a chance snapshot of Guevara became one of the world's most ubiquitous images. Albert Korda's famous portrait of Che is one of the most recognizable images on the planet. Director Trisha Ziff gathers Cubans of every political stripe, global politicians, and former friends of the leader to give their thoughts on this potent iconography, including Albert Korda, Che Guevara's personal photographer for a decade, who spent much of his life battling in vain to control the use of the photograph. Chevolution sheds perspective and insight into the marketing of one of the century's most iconic figures.

Away from guerilla warfare and into the sleek fashion houses of Europe, Valentino: The Last Emperor, is an intimate, fly-on-the-wall insight into the life of one of Italy's most famous men, the boundary-pushing fashion designer Valentino Garavani, shot by Vanity Fair Special Correspondent Matt Tyrnauer between June 2005 and July 2007. With unprecedented access, viewers are drawn into a rarified world of beautiful people, haute couture, and unabashed excess. Now in the twilight of his years, Valentino moves regally across the screen and across exotic locations worldwide.

Yes, Madam Sir is the story of India's first policewoman, the trail-blazing Kiran Bedi. Bedi's story is a three-decade fight against complacency, corruption, sexism and crime. From facing down three thousand rioting Punjabis armed only with a wooden baton to turning Asia's most notorious jail into a model institution, Bedi's achievements blazed a trail for professional Indian women. In this fascinating account of her life, narrated by Helen Mirren, director Megan Doneman recounts Bedi's astonishing career, paying tribute to this fascinating and revolutionary individual.