{"id":13180,"date":"2021-10-12T10:16:54","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T08:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=13180"},"modified":"2021-10-12T10:19:05","modified_gmt":"2021-10-12T08:19:05","slug":"european-film-festival-2021-starts-this-week-free-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2021\/10\/12\/european-film-festival-2021-starts-this-week-free-online\/","title":{"rendered":"European Film Festival 2021 Starts This Week (free & online)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following the success of last year\u2019s virtual European Film Festival<\/strong>, the 2021<\/strong> edition will take place predominantly online from 14 to 24 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A selection of 18 films from Europe, 13 of which have been directed by women, will be screened free of charge, providing a window onto what is fresh and new in the film industries of the respective countries. Four new participants \u2013 the Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland and Ukraine \u2013 will complement those from last year: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, along with the return of Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is reflected in the theme of this year\u2019s festival, Healing Journeys. <\/em> Healing \u2013 be it mental, physical, spiritual or societal \u2013 is vital to the human condition, to our humanity, to our existence.  This applies in both South Africa and in Europe, where despite our different contexts and histories, there exists common experience and a mutual need for healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The films on show will present, through the lenses of European filmmakers, a snapshot of experiences of re-establishing oneself after sometimes traumatic and possibly cathartic experiences. They deal with journeys that include organic growth, transition, and processes of self-discovery.  Many include a healthy dose of humour, bringing some possibly much-needed laughter into our lives. Much of the humour is of a more cerebral nature \u2026 films that make you smile and think at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, these films present stories of hope, humanity and thought-provoking intrigue, show-casing new work by some of Europe\u2019s most accomplished filmmakers alongside exciting new talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are deep into our second year of confronting the threat of Covid-19, both in terms of our lives and our livelihoods. It has been difficult \u2026 everyone is affected. This year\u2019s European Film Festival has been inspired by overcoming difficulty and challenge. Its theme, Healing Journeys, seems rather appropriate for our times. I take this opportunity to invite you \u2013 irrespective of whether you are a repeat or a first-time viewer \u2013to join us on this year\u2019s exciting cinematic, and healing, journey<\/em>,\u201d says <\/strong>EU Ambassador Riina Kionka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Films:<\/strong>
Here is a brief look at the 2021 line-up of films, nearly all of which have won awards, with the newer films also certain to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austria<\/strong>
A woman needs a new kidney, but is her husband ready to donate? \u00a0 Michael Kreihsl\u2019s Risks and Side Events<\/em> is a lively comedy about marriage, hypochondria, friends, architects, secrets, and taking risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belgium<\/strong>
Jan Verheyen and Lien Willaert\u2019s <\/em>film Save Sandra<\/em> is based on the true and highly topical story of a girl diagnosed with a rare muscular disease, and her father\u2019s fierce battle with the pharmaceutical industry to gain access to medical treatment, raising ethical and societal questions in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Czech Republic
<\/strong>Agnieszka Holland\u2019s politically charged drama Charlatan<\/em> takes us inside the conflicted life of a non-conformist herbalist, exploring his unshakeable commitment to his calling, the illicit relationship with his assistant, as he perseveres first under Nazi then Communist regimes in Czechoslovakia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denmark<\/strong>
The 2021 Oscar for Best International Feature Film went to Thomas Vinterberg\u2019s Another Round<\/em>, in which four jaded high school teachers embark on a risky experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday. Mads Mikkelsen is at his scintillating best in this mature blend of comedy, tragedy, and human behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France<\/strong>
Starring G\u00e9rard Depardieu and D\u00e9borah Lukumuena, Robust<\/em> is an outstanding feature debut by Constance Meyer about an aging film star and a young security guard responsible for watching over him.\u00a0 Despite their differences, life has shaped them in ways more similar than they thought, and their unlikely friendship becomes a search for authenticity, laden with intrigue and humour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany<\/strong>
In Mr Bachmann and His Class <\/em>the ever-patient teacher uses unconventional methods to inspire his young citizens-in-the-making with a sense of curiosity and appreciation of the complex social and cultural realities of their worlds.\u00a0 Maria Speth\u2019s life-affirming documentary beautifully highlights what a quietly spectacular process education can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland<\/strong>
Ruth Meehan\u2019s The Bright Side<\/em> is a moving and uplifting story about a stand-up comedian diagnosed with breast cancer.\u00a0 <\/em>Armed with cynicism and blackly comic jokes, her exit strategies are upended when she encounters four powerful women whose unsolicited friendships challenge her, soften her and ultimately blow open her shut-down heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italy<\/strong>
On the face of it, the brightly paced comedy Parents vs Influencers,<\/em> directed by Michela Andreozzi, seems to focus on the world of social media and influencers, but the heart of it is about change and resistance to change. And father-daughter relationships!\u00a0 And family!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania<\/strong>
A high-seas jump from a Soviet ship to a US vessel in an attempt for political asylum goes horribly wrong.\u00a0 About an ordinary man who became a symbol for freedom-seeking refugees everywhere, director Giedr\u0117 \u017dickyt\u0117\u2019s The Jump t<\/em>akes us on a stranger-than-fiction journey that reaches all the way up to the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Netherlands
<\/strong>Antoinette Beumer\u2019s My Father is an Airplane <\/em>is about a woman\u2019s poignant search for the puzzle pieces of her past, a journey that raises questions about parental boundaries, the risks and dangers of childhood as well its joys, and of what it means to be loved and understood.\u00a0\u00a0PolandNever Gonna Snow Again<\/em> is writer\/ director Malgorzata Szumowska\u2019s exquisitely off-beat story about how a masseur and hypnotist gains acceptance and stature in a wealthy gated community, touching on class, immigration, and global warming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portugal<\/strong>
With magnificent black and white cinematography, Jo\u00e3o Botelho\u2019s The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis<\/em> brings to screen Jos\u00e9 Saramago\u2019s novel about a fictitious author\u2019s homecoming, his romantic dalliances, and his mysterious encounters with the ghost of Fernando Pessoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spain<\/strong>
Ic\u00edar Bolla\u00edn\u2019s gem of a romantic comedy Rosa\u2019s Wedding<\/em> concerns a woman making radical changes in her life, and this includes a surprise wedding, much to the dismay of her family. A film about self-empowerment and gaining independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweden<\/strong>
Run Uje Run<\/em> is an biographical music dramedy about the way life takes turns you could never have imagined.\u00a0 Henrik Schyffert\u2019s directorial debut features musician and actor Uje Brandelius playing himself in this unusual and darkly witty indie drama about appreciating what you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switzerland
<\/strong>Writer-director duo St\u00e9phanie Chuat and V\u00e9ronique Reymond\u2019s, My Little Sister <\/em>is an intimate, personal tale about sibling love in which a sister gives her all to support her ailing twin brother, and inspires herself at the same time. A powerful look at the bonds both breakable and unbreakable in family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine<\/strong>
Kateryna Gornostai\u2019s Stop-Zemlia<\/em> anchors its open-ended narrative around an introverted schoolgirl and her classmates in this sympathetic portrait of the tidal forces of teenage-hood. <\/em>A deeply personal story about self-discovery and the patience it requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

United Kingdom
<\/strong>In Aleem Khan\u2019s ground-breaking feature debut After Love<\/em>, Joanna Scanlan puts in a phenomenal performance as a white, English Muslim convert uncovering secrets after the death of her husband, while exploring complex themes of loss, cultural identity and reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special Co-Production Presentation
<\/strong>Oscar nominee Jasmila \u017dbani\u0107\u2019s\u00a0 Quo Vadis Aida?<\/em> is an extraordinary co-production between nine European countries, <\/em>in which a UN translator is caught between doing her job and trying to help local inhabitants and her own family when the Serbian army takes over the small town of Srebrenica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that the films are geo-blocked for viewing in South Africa only.  For film synopses, trailers and how to watch, please visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Film Festival 2021 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 17 European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa:  the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the British Council, Camoes Institute of Portugal, Diplomatic Representation of Flanders, French Institute in South Africa, Goethe-Institut, and Italian Cultural Institut. The festival is organised in cooperation with Cineuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following the success of last year\u2019s virtual European Film Festival, the 2021 edition will take place predominantly online from 14 to 24 October. A selection of 18 films from Europe, 13 of which have been directed by women, will be screened free of charge, providing a window onto what is fresh and new in the… Continue reading European Film Festival 2021 Starts This Week (free & online)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-festival","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13180\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}