The Good Traitor, one of the 17 films that will be screened by Cine Europa 2021. (Poster courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films)
MANILA – The European Union Delegation in Manila is opening its annual Cine Europa on September 1, offering Filipinos 17 award-winning European films until September 29.
The following films will be screened online for free and are accessible upon signing up at www.cineeuropaph.com:
*Les Parfums (France) - A comedy film directed by Grégory Magne, revolving around diva Anne and her candid driver Guillame who respects her but at the same time is bluntly honest and dares to refuse her unreasonable demands.
*Vlastníci/Owners (Czech Republic) - Another comic film based on the play “The Society of Owners”.
*Catwalk (Sweden) - A touching story about a seemingly impossible dream that comes true. The film drives a strong statement about equal value, disabled or not.
* El Cuadro/The Painting (Spain) - “For three and a half centuries the enigma of Velázquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas has remained hidden. Can we solve its mystery now?”
*O Que Arde/Fire Will Come - A captivating story centered on Amador who just came out of prison and tries to live a quiet life until fire ruins it all. The film directed by Oliver Laxe is a Jury Prize winner in Cannes.
*The Lure (Poland) - A story about two mermaid sisters, half-human, half-fish who ended up performing in a nightclub. When one of them fell in love with a beautiful young man, they faced cruel and bloody choices.
*Nos Batailles/Our Struggles (Belgium) - A comedy-drama film that tells the story of a man who tried to juggle between his children’s needs, life’s daily challenges, and his job after his wife abandoned him.
*Trezon (Hungary) - A film surrounding the keys to Trezor, the vault of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that were lost in the confusion of the 1956 Revolution. The story was hailed for its exciting plot and “full of unexpected twists, where nothing and no one is what they seem to be.”
*Vores mand i Amerika/The Good Traitor (Denmark) - A World War II-set drama when Denmark was attacked by Nazi Germany on April 9, 1940, with the demand of an immediate and unconditional capitulation.
*I Doulia tis/Her Job (Greece) - A story of a working mother, Panayiota who is trapped within a domestic environment that prevents her from achieving independence but gets an opportunity to get a new life.
*La Madre/The Mother (Italy) - A film that talks about the passion, sufferance, and torments of a priest, his mother, and one of his parishioners.
*The Warden (The Netherlands) - A story of an old man who has been the warden of a bird sanctuary for almost half a century on a tiny island who, one day, received a notice that his posting will be discontinued.
*Einer wie Erika/Erik and Erika (Austria) - A film based on the story of Erik Schinegger, a world champion skier and his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood, and his fight for recognition.
*Acasă/My Home - A film directed by Radu Ciorniciuc and recently released in 2020. It is a powerful narration of a family who lived calmly with nature in Bucharest until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.
*Aurora (Finland) - A dramedy from Finnish Lapland that focuses on immigration and addiction.
*Kokon/Cocoon (Germany) - A 2020 film directed Leonie Krippendorff that tells the adventurous story of Nora, a shy 14-year-old Berlin girl, making her way into adulthood.
*Das Vorspiel/The Audition - A co-production film between Germany and France centered on a person's passion that almost caused breaking family connections.
While set virtually, the EU Delegation is optimistic this year’s film fest will reach more Filipinos, particularly those from various provinces across the country.
Cine Europa is presented by EU Member States Embassies together with Goethe Institut Manila, the Philippine-Italian Association, and the Instituto Cervantes de Manila in partnership with the Film Development Council in the Philippines. (PNA)
