2020’s European film fest premiers in SA

THIS year’s European Film Festival goes virtual with an excellent line-up of 12 brand new films, all of which are premiere screenings in South Africa from Thursday, 12 to Sunday, 22 November. Of these, 11 films are screened free of charge and one will collect a fee towards a worthy cause.

Starting in the Middle Ages, this year’s Austrian film is based on the story of Narcissus and Goldmund. It was written by Nobel-prize winning author, Hermann Hesse, and directed by Oscar-winning, Stefan Ruzowitzky. Moving forward a few hundred years, there are two films set during 20th century war-time: In The Dusk by Sharanas Bartas and Home Front, a Belgian film directed by Lucas Belvaux. Marco Bellocchio’s award-winning film The Traitor takes audiences into the seedy world of he 1980s Italian mafia. German film, Curveball, directed by Johannes Naber, is a thriller that catapults viewers into the 21st century with the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Spanish film, One Careful Owner, directed by Bernabe Rico, tells how a woman buys a new home and lands up in an unlikely friendship with the home’s current owner, an 80-year-old who will remain living there until she dies. Another film focussing on female relationships, is the French film Proxima, by director Alice Winocour.

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Other films to look out for are the Dutch film, Becoming Mona, directed by Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden as well as the UK film, Bassam Tariq’s Mogul Mowgli, starring Riz Ahmed as a rapper on the verge of a big international tour. The Polish film Sweat, by director Magnus van Horn, focusses on a fitness motivator.

Documentaries to look out for include the Irish film, The 8th, which is about abortion and women’s reproductive rights and was directed by Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy and Maeve O’Boyle.

Nathan Grossman’s documentary I am Greta follows the story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The 2020 edition of the European Film Festival is virtual and accessible online across South Africa only. The film screenings are free, except for I am Greta, and the entry fee is R50 and will go towards a climate action group.

Emphasising her support for the festival’s continuity, despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, EU Ambassador to South Africa, Dr Riina Kionka, said, “Twelve films in eleven days shows the determination of this European partnership to overcome difficult circumstances. Since my arrival in South Africa, this is my second European Film Festival. I can tell you that it is a cultural highlight not to be missed. In addition, I invite you to participate in the various special events lined up during the Festival!”

To receive notifications about the launch, sign up at www.eurofilmfest.co.za.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

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