‘European Film Festival 2009’, a rare opportunity to experience artistically rich cinematic creations from Europe, will be opened from November 7 at the BMICH cinema hall.
While the main festival will be held with the films from France, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Norway at the BMICH, the fringe festival (DVD screenings of 21 films) with films added from Switzerland, Spain and Slovak will take place simultaneously at the British Council, Goethe-Institute and Alliance Française.
The collection with moving human dramas to comedies, cinema from literature and films on racial issues will be unravelled during festival and event will be a great opportunity for movie lovers in Sri Lanka to enjoy a collection of various, contemporary and classic European films.
The festival will be opened with the Norwegian film ‘Kissed by Winter’ directed by Sara Johnson at 5 pm November 7 and will be repeated at 7 pm on November 11. The story of two deaths one of which is suspicious, the other unacceptable, unravels the life of Victoria who starts a new life as a physician in a Norwegian village.
Anthony Fabian’s (United Kingdom) ‘Skin’, a compelling and moving story about love, betrayal and reconciliation will be screened at 7 pm on Nov. 7 and repeats at 5 pm on Nov. 8. The film tells the story of Sandra Laing who enters the world a beautiful baby but no one, nor the hospital staff, her parents or neighbours admit the evidence; Abraham and Sannie Laing were white yet their daughter is dark.
The German film ‘The Edge of Heaven’ (Auf der anderen Seite) directed by Fatih Akin will be screened at 5 pm on Nov. 9 and repeats at 7 pm on Nov 14. In the film Nejat seems disapproving about his widower father Ali’s choice of prostitute Yeter for a live-in girlfriend.
Italian film ‘Agata and Storm’ (Agata la tempesta) will be screened at 5 pm on Nov 10 and repeats at 7 pm on Nov 12. Directed by Silvio Soldini, the film narrates around Agata who runs her bookstore and wins the attraction of a younger man. Discovered that she was adopted and had a half-brother in the Po Valley, she starts a journey in search of lost relationships.
‘Sisters in law’ by Kim Longinotto and Florance Ayisi scheduled at 5 pm on Nov 11. This is a totally fascinating-often hilarious-look at the work of ones small courthouse in south-west Cameroon.
German film, ‘Cherry Blossoms’ (Kirschibluten) directed by Doris Dorrie screens at 5 pm on Nov 12 is an emotional relationship between a husband and wife.
Norwegian film ‘My Jealous barber’ (Min misunnelige frisor) will be screened at 5 pm on Nov 14.
The French film ‘The Gleaners and I’ (Les Gleaneurs et la glaneuse) screens at 5 pm on Nov 15 is a direction of Agnes Varda based on a her personal study on those who collect things which other people have discarded or abandoned.
Adoption from the famous 19th century novel by Gustave Flaubert, ‘Madame Bovary’, filmmaker Claude Chabrol direction under the same title will be screened at 7 pm on November 8.
The Swedish film ‘The Guy in the grave next door’ (Grabben I graven bredvid) a comedy based on Katarina Mazetti’s best-selling novel, demonstrates that love is stronger than all our prejudices. The film will be screened at 7 pm on Nov. 9.
Belgium film ‘What makes you happy’ (Ca rend heureux) depicts a filmmakers desperate attempts to take his creations to the audience and will be screened at 7 pm on Nov 10.
The Netherlands film ‘Twin Sisiters’ (De Tweeling) directed by Ben Sombogaart revolves around the story of Anna and Lotte, the twins born in 1920. Separated after the death of parents, the sisters grows up in completely different backdrops. The film will be screened at 7 pm on Nov. 13.
The last film of the festival ‘Captain Achab’ directed by French filmmaker Philippe Ramos will be screened at 7 pm on Nov. 15. It is the story of a little boy who one day lies down at the foot of a sand dune, exhausted by the violence and misery of the human world.
All the films will be subtitled in English and entrance will be free.
Europe hats off to Lester
This year’s European Film Festival will pay homage to Sri Lanka’s pioneer filmmaker Lester James Peries with the screening of his restored cinematic masterpiece ‘Gamperaliya’.
The film festival will be opened at National Film Corporation cinema hall at 7 pm on November 6 1963 film ‘Gamperaliya’ which was recently restored and screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 under the section ‘Cannes Classics’.
The invited audience will have the opportunity to experience one of the only two existing copies in the world brought down by the Embassy of France.
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