{"id":16990,"date":"2022-09-13T22:33:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T20:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=16990"},"modified":"2022-09-13T22:33:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T20:33:54","slug":"european-film-festival-programme-announced-for-hybrid-event-13-23-october-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2022\/09\/13\/european-film-festival-programme-announced-for-hybrid-event-13-23-october-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"European Film Festival &#8211; programme announced for hybrid event 13-23 October 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The European Film Festival in South Africa goes hybrid for its 9<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0edition between 13 and 23 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"European Film Festival 2022 - Official Trailer\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uxmHVQRhgyY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Festival co-director Magdalene Reddy explains that the festival will continue to cater for its viewers and followers&nbsp;who have become accustomed&nbsp;to the ease of watching films in the comfort of their own homes, while also providing for those who long to return to the full cinema experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\u2018This is our transitional approach of coming back to theatres gradually,\u2019 she says.&nbsp; The online screenings will be free while a ticket price will be charged for the theatre screenings.&nbsp; Each film will have a single screening at both Ster-Kinekor\u2019s The Zone in Johannesburg and at The Labia in Cape Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixteen award-winning films, eight of them by women directors, will be screened. This year\u2019s theme,\u00a0<em>Innocence and Beyond,\u00a0<\/em>explores innocence\u00a0not just as a legal concept, but as a human quality.\u00a0 This includes two stand-out perspectives through the eyes of children in\u00a0<em>Petite Maman<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Playground<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Petite Maman<\/em>\u00a0is a tender tale of\u00a0memory, friendship, and family\u00a0by the gifted and often unpredictable French filmmaker C\u00e9line Sciamma, while in\u00a0<em>Playground<\/em>\u00a0Belgian director Laura Wandel deploys cameras rigged at child level to effectively portray the emotions and experiences of school bullying from a child\u2019s point of view.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no set age for when loss of innocence can occur and a number of films focus on youth as they navigate the often turbulent process of growing into adults. From the Netherlands,\u00a0Shariff Korver&#8217;s slow-burning psychological thriller\u00a0<em>Do Not Hesitate<\/em>\u00a0depicts unprepared Dutch youths thrown into the crucible of war, a situation complicated by their naivet\u00e9 when encountering other cultures.\u00a0 \u00a0Swiss film\u00a0<em>Olga,<\/em>\u00a0by Elie Grappe,\u00a0is a tense but sensitively handled tale of exile reflecting the clash between the personal and the political in a young Ukrainian gymnast&#8217;s search for identity against the backdrop of revolution in her mother country. The riveting\u00a0women-driven\u00a0film\u00a0<em>Small Body<\/em>\u00a0is an\u00a0adventure story infused with a wonderful mythological sensibility that earned Laura Samani the best new director prize at Italy\u2019s David d\u2019Donatello awards. How much does innocence inform\u00a0a young woman&#8217;s quest for love and meaning as she enters her 30s without any idea about her identity and purpose in life? This is the question in Joachim Trier\u2019s\u00a0<em>The Worst Person in the World<\/em>, a Norwegian\/ French\/ Danish\/ Swedish co-production that earned two Oscar nominations this year.\u00a0 Then, Stefan Arsenijevi\u0107\u2019s Serbian\/ French\/ Luxembourgian\/ Bulgarian\/ Lithuanian co-production\u00a0<em>As Far As I Can Walk<\/em>\u00a0highlights that it\u2019s not just securing a roof over one\u2019s head but also the challenges of emotional and intellectual deprivation that young migrants in Europe face today.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Olga.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"254\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Olga.jpg?resize=450%2C254&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen grab from Olga.\" class=\"wp-image-16991\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Olga.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Olga.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Olga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/As-far-as-I-can-walk.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/As-far-as-I-can-walk.jpg?resize=450%2C309&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen grab from As Far As I Can Walk\" class=\"wp-image-16993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/As-far-as-I-can-walk.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/As-far-as-I-can-walk.jpg?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>As Far As I Can Walk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Is innocence solely about what\u2019s right and what\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s about what we don\u2019t do.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s\u00a0about making choices that impact both ourselves and those around us, and in some cases society and the wider world?\u00a0\u00a0<em>Silent Land,\u00a0<\/em>by Poland\u2019s\u00a0Aga Woszczy\u0144ska, is a case of what the protagonists didn\u2019t do, and how that leads\u00a0to the collapse of a relationship.\u00a0 The film is also about the collapse of value systems in the modern world, about a general indifference to reality, and about social lethargy.\u00a0Erik Poppe\u2019s Swedish film\u00a0<em>The Emigrants<\/em>\u00a0is an epic period drama about a poverty-stricken family who emigrate from Sweden to the United States in the 1800s. Told from a woman\u2019s perspective,their search for a second chance in life is, like the stories of migration in our current era, about a journey of hope.\u00a0\u00a0From the Republic of Georgia,\u00a0Levan Koguashvili\u2019s\u00a0comedic\u00a0<em>Brighton 4<sup>th<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0is a portrait of parental sacrifice and the love of a father for his son that also offers an\u00a0authentic look at the immigrant experience and the elusiveness of the American Dream.\u00a0\u00a0 Enveloped in music and humour,\u00a0<em>Ali and Ava<\/em>, written and directed by one of the UK\u2019s most distinctive cinematic voices, Clio Barnard, is about a couple from different cultural backgrounds beginning a relationship with a mixture of nervous excitement, openness and innocence.\u00a0<em>The Good Boss<\/em>, directed by Fernando Le\u00f3n de Aranoa, is the Spanish film in this year\u2019s festival<em>\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s a hilarious satirical comedy about the indignities of working life, with the questionable innocence of<\/em>Javier Bardem in the spotlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overturning conventional definitions of innocence Austrian Sebastian Meise\u2019s Cannes-winner\u00a0<em>Great Freedom\u00a0<\/em>explores tenderness, love, lost time, and the tenacity of the human spirit while\u00a0chronicling an ignominious chapter in queer history.\u00a0\u00a0Portuguese director Catarina Vasconcelos\u2019s unorthodox film\u00a0<em>The Metamorphosis of Birds<\/em>\u00a0sifts through the memories and dreams of her ancestors in an extraordinary homage that demonstrates how something deeply personal can be profoundly universal.\u00a0 Is a humanoid robot innocent?\u00a0 That\u2019s one of the questions in the witty and delightfully entertaining German film\u00a0<em>I\u2019m Your Man<\/em>\u00a0by Maria Schrader. It\u2019s a spunky sci-fi dramedy that also asks what it is that humans want in relationships, and if AI beings should have rights.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IM-YOUR-MAN-Key-Visual.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IM-YOUR-MAN-Key-Visual.jpg?resize=450%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen grab from I'm Your Man\" class=\"wp-image-16994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IM-YOUR-MAN-Key-Visual.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IM-YOUR-MAN-Key-Visual.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>I&#8217;m Your Man<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Finally, the world is again witnessing and affected by a terrible war, and innocence is an unfortunate casualty during wartime, at all levels.\u00a0 Along with the already mentioned war drama\u00a0<em>Do Not Hesitate,\u00a0<\/em>there is\u00a0director\/screenwriter\/editor Maryna Er Gorbach\u2019s Ukrainian-set drama\u00a0<em>Klondike.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0About the travails of parents-to-be living near the Russian border this film couldn\u2019t be more timely as it exposes the absurdity of war and how it affects those who aren&#8217;t directly involved just as easily as those who are.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Klondike-Stills-001.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Klondike-Stills-001.jpg?resize=450%2C253&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen grab from Klondike\" class=\"wp-image-16992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Klondike-Stills-001.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Klondike-Stills-001.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Klondike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The EU Ambassador to South Africa Sandra Kramer&nbsp;comments; \u201cThis year\u2019s European Film Festival has been inspired by innocence as a human quality. The festival\u2019s theme \u2013 Innocence &amp; Beyond \u2013 tries to capture our loss of innocence on a number of levels as we deal with the present and lay foundations for the future. I invite you to join us for the best of European cinema: award-winning films that will not only offer a temporary escape, but also a space for pause and reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>eSwatini and Lesotho<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s festival extends its reach to neighbouring countries eSwatini and Lesotho with 3-day programmes of screenings and discussions taking place at the Alliance Fran\u00e7aise in Mbabane (21 to 23 October) and the Alliance Fran\u00e7aise in Maseru (28 to 30 October).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Side Events<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Real-time Zoom panel discussions and Q&amp;A\u2019s with film directors will enrich the experience and understanding of the filmmaking processes and motivations as well as the topics raised in the films, while a programme of Filmmaker Engagements is formulated to inspire young filmmakers at film schools in South Africa.&nbsp; In addition, with an emphasis on youth, the festival will again provide a number of screening and discussion programmes at select secondary schools and community centres in different parts of the country.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For film synopses, trailers and how to watch visit&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.eurofilmfest.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>www.eurofilmfest.co.za<\/strong><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The European Film Festival 2022 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 14 European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa: the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Georgia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the British Council, Camoes Institute of Portugal, French Institute in South Africa, Goethe-Institut, Italian Cultural Institute and Wallonie-Bruxelles International. The 2022 festival is presented in partnership with the Labia Theatre and Ster Kinekor The Zone. The festival is organised in cooperation with Cineuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The European Film Festival in South Africa goes hybrid for its 9th\u00a0edition between 13 and 23 October. Festival co-director Magdalene Reddy explains that the festival will continue to cater for its viewers and followers&nbsp;who have become accustomed&nbsp;to the ease of watching films in the comfort of their own homes, while also providing for those who&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2022\/09\/13\/european-film-festival-programme-announced-for-hybrid-event-13-23-october-2022\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">European Film Festival &#8211; programme announced for hybrid event 13-23 October 2022<\/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":[253],"class_list":["post-16990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-festival","tag-eff","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16990","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=16990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16990\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}