European Union Film Festival 2014 - Press Summary

Interviews Completed

Interviews Completed Wednesday November 5

L’Express Jeremie Abessira

Friday November 7

Toronto Entero Simon Pribac (Exit, Slovenia) SceneCreek Simon Pribac (Exit, Slovenia)

Thursday November 13

CBC Rado-Canada Jeremie Abessira CHOQ FM Jeremie Abessira Toronto Entero Mariano Barroso (All the Women, Spain) OMNI TV - Magar Kepek Attila Szasz (The Ambassador to Bern, Hungary)

Saturday November 15

OMNI TV - Serbian Toronto Jeremie Abessira

Sunday November 16

Movie Moves Me Francesco Arca (Fasten Your Seatbelts, Italy) CITY TV - CHIN TV Francesco Arca (Fasten Your Seatbelts, Italy) Movie Moves Me Donatas Ulvydas (How to Steal a Wife, Lithuania)

Movie Moves Me Simon Pribac (Exit, Slovenia) Monday November 17

Jazz FM Jeremie Abessira

Thursday November 20

Regent Radio – Frameline Jeremie Abessira CIUT 89.5 FM - Friday Morning Mariano Barroso (All the Women, Spain)

Monday November 24

OMNI TV - Nova Vize Jeremie Abessira

Wednesday November 26

Movie Moves Me Tashi Bieler (Saul: The Journey to Damascus, Malta)

Thursday November 27

CBC Rado-Canada Yves Angelo (One of a Kind, France) Le Metropolitain Yves Angelo (One of a Kind, France) Cinefilles Maria Douza (A Place Called Home, Greece) OMNI TV - Serbian Toronto Maria Douza (A Place Called Home, Greece) Movie Moves Me Maria Douza (A Place Called Home, Greece) here

Projections: The diverse offerings of the European Union Film Fest Swedish director’s biopic about scholar and journalist who railed against the Third Reich doesn’t shy away its subject’s messy personal life.

By: Jason Anderson Special to the Star, Published on Thu Nov 13 2014 http://www.thestar.com/life/2014/11/13/projections_the_diverse_offerings_of_the_europe an_union_film_fest.html

Driven by a masterful performance from Jesper Christensen, The Last Sentence, is an incisive period drama about Torgny Segerstedt, a Swedish scholar and journalist who spent the Second World War railing against the Third Reich. The film is featured in this year's European Union Film Festival.

European Union Film Festival: Budget-conscious moviegoers have a special affection for this annual showcase of recent European films, whose 10th edition runs Nov. 15-30 at

the Royal. That’s because all but one of the screenings are free. Even the exception is a pretty good deal — the $25 ticket for the opening-night event includes a pre-screening reception at the Mod Club.

As usual, the EUFF is as varied and diverse as the countries it represents. After opening with a romantic dramedy from Italy (Fasten Your Seatbelts, which plays at 9 p.m. after the reception), the slate includes everything from a Lithuanian sex comedy (How to Steal a Wife on Nov. 17 at 8:30 p.m.) to a doc about Latvia’s most famous tango composer (Piano Player on Nov. 23 at 6 p.m.). There’s even a Maltese-made biblical epic, Saul: The Journey to Damascus, which plays Nov. 26 at 8:30 p.m.

Yet the strongest title that’s new to Toronto may be the latest by one of Sweden’s greatest filmmakers. Directed by Jan Troell, The Last Sentence is an incisive period drama about Torgny Segerstedt, a Swedish scholar and journalist who spent the Second World War railing against the Third Reich and his own country for its acts of appeasement toward Hitler’s regime. Driven by a masterful performance from Jesper Christensen, Troell’s film is hardly the kind of hagiography that’s typical of biopics about lone-wolf Fuhrer-haters. Instead, Troell doesn’t shy away from depicting Segerstedt’s egotistical ways and messy personal life or the thorny realities of Sweden’s official wartime policy of neutrality. The Last Sentence plays Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m.

The Canadian International Television Festival, Rendezvous with Madness and More This week's film festivals

BY NOW STAFF | NOVEMBER 12, 2014 | 6:04 PM https://nowtoronto.com/movies/this-weeks-film-festivals/ European Union Film Festival Contemporary films from many countries reflecting the excellence, innovation and diversity of European cinema. Free ($10 adv), opening night film & reception $25. Royal Cinema, 608 College. eutorontofilmfest.ca.

Nov 15 to 30

EU Films for Free

BY NORMAN WILNER NOVEMBER 14, 2014 12:00 AM

Good Vibrations, from the UK, makes a welcome return.

EUROPEAN UNION TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL from Saturday (November 15) to November 30 at the Royal Cinema (608 College). eutorontofilmfest.ca. Rating: NNNN The EU Film Festival returns to the Royal for two weeks of free nightly screenings from the nations of the European Union. A wide assortment of genres, tones and styles all bang up against each other for the hell of it. Where else can you see a Belgian character study about two boys on a collision course with fate (The World Belongs To Us, Sunday, November 16, 8:30 pm) and then come back for a Luxembourg documentary about two brothers riding in the Tour de France (The Road Uphill, Tuesday, November 18, 6 pm)?

Not all the films are new: the Swedish entry, Jan Troell’s The Last Sentence (Wednesday, November 19, 8:30 pm), was shot in 2011. But this is likely the only time

the film – a nicely tense drama starring Jesper Christensen as a newspaperman who pushed back against Nazism as his country tried to remain neutral – will screen here.

It’s fun to see Good Vibrations (November 21, 8:30 pm) resurface as the UK entry. The movie had a brief theatrical run in Toronto late last year, but you probably missed it – so now’s the perfect chance to catch Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn’s giddy period piece about Belfast music lover Terri Hooley (Richard Dormer), who opened a record shop in the 70s, discovered the Undertones and probably saved a few lives during the Troubles.

Other than Saturday night’s open-ing gala screening of Italy’s Fasten Your Seatbelts – whose $25 ticket price includes a pre-screening reception at the Mod Club – admission to all screenings is free. That said, if you don’t want to risk being turned away, you can reserve online for $10 per ticket.

Nov. 14: ‘Rosewater’ & ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ hit theatres http://www.680news.com/2014/11/14/nov-14-rosewater-dumb-and-dumber-to-hit-theatres/ https://soundcloud.com/gatprod/680-news-euff-2014-mention

A bit of comedy puts a correspondent into jeopardy, while two dimwitted friends test the limit of their own stupidity.

680News film critic Leslie James offers a look at what’s new in theatres this weekend.

The European Union Film Festival Written by Mark Wigmore http://www.jazz.fm/index.php/component/content/article/11056

We’re lucky enough in Toronto to be almost inundated with film festivals; TIFF, Hot Docs and the Reel Asian, just to name a few. But the European Union Film Festival is special. It celebrates the EU with a spirit of cooperation among nations, which sounds about right. The festival is in its tenth year and showcases recent European films including dramas, comedies and documentaries. These flicks hail from countries like Italy, Latvia and Malta. The festival looks to represent the diversity of filmmaking across the continent. And it’s that sense of collaboration that’s part of what festival executive director, Jérémie Abessira, is most proud of: Here’s something else that sets this festival apart from the others. Bread, green, cheddar, bucks!

The big festivals in town can be pricey, and thus dicey to attend. At the EU Film Fest all of the films and the post film Q&As are free. This also means something to the filmmakers, who know that their work can make it to the largest possible audience.

There are some buzzworthy EUFF films. Check out the Swedish World War II drama, “The Last Sentence” for example. Festival director Abessira’s personal pick is the French film “One of a Kind.”

Find out everything you need to know about the European Film Festival at www.eutorontofilmfest.ca It’s on now, it’s free, and runs until November 30th at the Royal Cinema on College St. in Toronto.

5 Questions with Simon Pribac

By Charles Trapunski | November 20, 2014 http://scenecreek.com/interviews/5-questions-with-simon-pribac/

The Slovenian film Exit is playing as a part of the European Union Film Festival in Toronto, in which all films are screened at the Royal Cinema from different European countries, and all screenings are free. Exit is a fascinating film about two bored couples that decide to spice up their humdrum existences by deciding to rob a bank. We had a chance to speak with one of the actors, Simon Pribac, by phone in Toronto, and he regaled us with a really fascinating story about how he made his Exit.

How did you get involved in Exit?

I got involved in an interesting way. I was in Slovenia, and I got a call for casting from the director himself. I was not expecting it at all. I was there doing an internship for a PR Agency, and all of a sudden, I got this call. One of the international, well-known Slovenian music producers gave them my number, and told them “Yeah, this guy does theatre in Canada, performance in Canada, so why don’t you give him a call”, and that’s what he did. I had a couple of years in the Electronic Music industry as a performer, so touring Europe–Germany, Spain, Ibiza, Italy, Romania–the movie was basically the result of both, the director had heard of me from the electronic music scene, and also heard that I had started acting in Toronto. I guess that was the start of my “Exit”.

What did you enjoy most about working on this movie?

Extremely enthusiastic film crew. Usually, in Slovenia, most films are statecommissioned works, and this one was one of the first tries of Independent Cinema, getting beyond very immature products. You get feel the energy. It was a lot of traveling, we spent some time in Monaco and France, and sometimes Slovenia, which was a lot of moving around, but it was definitely a memorable experience.

Could you relate to the themes of the film?

I think that many young people in their twenties come across those thoughts, and that combined with the current social, economic and political current situation in Europe, which is in a bit of a crisis right now on various levels, it’s something to which that many people, the so-called “Lost Generation� can relate What element of being Slovenian are which you most proud?

The culture. There are many elements that define characters in the movie that are shared with the general Canadian culture, but I am proud of the culture and the beauty of that place (Slovenia).

What does it mean to be playing as part of the E.U. Film Festival?

I think that this is a big recognition for Slovenian Independent Cinema. This is the first independent Slovenian film since this festival was created to make it into the program.

This is a huge deal.

MARK WIGMORE'S TOP 5 WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 14 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RvAGS1N7pKwJ:www.jazz.fm /index.php/on-air-mainmenu/the-arts/11033-mark-wigmore-top-5-nov14+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk

European Union Film Festival at The Royal Cinema November 15 – 30 Senior Arts Editor Mark Wigmore has your top 5 events for your weekend entertainment dollar.

The 10th annual European Union Film Fest gets underway Saturday, and it runs through the next two weeks at the Royal Cinema at 608 College street.

Donations of 10 bucks are suggested for advanced reservations to films, but otherwise, this festival is free. Wow! The big opening night is Saturday, and …. It’s sold out, but great films on Sunday at the Royal, “Two Seater Rocket” from Austria and “The World Belongs to Us” from Belgium. Once again, screenings are free and you can find out more at www.euTorontoFilmFest.ca

10E FESTIVAL DU FILM DE L’UNION EUROPÉENNE: 28 PAYS, 28 FILMS Par François Bergeron – Semaine du 11 novembre au 17 novembre 2014 http://www.lexpress.to/archives/14617/

Une scène du film français Mon âme par toi guérie.

Fondée en 1958 par six pays, dont la France et l’Allemagne ennemies pendant la première moitié du XXe siècle, la Communauté économique européenne, devenue l’Union européenne en 1993, comprend aujourd’hui 28 nations, dont 18 ont adopté l’euro comme monnaie commune.

Un simple coup d’oeil sur une carte géographique suggère qu’une dizaine de pays pourraient encore rejoindre cette alliance, tout dépendant de la situation économique et surtout politique de chacun.

Pour l’Islande, la Norvège et la Suisse, qui cultivent une certaine neutralité, un coup de téléphone suffirait. Pour la Serbie, l’Ukraine et surtout la Russie, ce serait historique!

Pour plusieurs Européens, a fortiori pour le reste de la planète, l’Union européenne reste une construction de l’esprit. Malgré cela – ou, peut-être, à cause de cela – elle produit souvent des manifestations artistiques originales.

C’est le cas du Festival du film de l’Union européenne à Toronto, dont la 10e édition se déroulera du 15 au 30 novembre au cinéma Royal (608 rue College), qui réussit pour la première fois à présenter 28 longs-métrages, un pour chacun des 28 pays membres, dont plusieurs premières mondiales ou nord-américaines.

«Nous avons attiré 8 000 spectateurs l’an dernier et nous comptons faire encore mieux cette année», nous indique le directeur du Festival, Jérémie Abessira, un ancien de Cinéfranco. Le EUFF serait le 10e festival de films en importance à Toronto… qui en compte 76!

C’est aussi l’un des rares festivals où l’entrée pour tous les films (et les discussions qui suivent) est gratuite. (Pour 10$, toutefois, on peut réserver sa place d’avance.)

L’événement se finance entièrement par les commandites et les partenariats.

M. Abessira se dit particulièrement fier de pouvoir présenter des films de tous les pays de l’UE, «même de Malte, où il se tourne beaucoup de films d’autres pays, mais dont la production locale est rare».

Comme l’UE, qui regroupe des cultures très différentes, ce festival offre une grande diversité de thèmes, de genres et de techniques. Plusieurs films sont des drames historiques; quelques-uns ont pour thème la musique; les comédies romantiques restent populaires; il y a des drames, des polars, du sport.

Un film italien ouvre le festival, Fasten Your Seatbelts (sur des amours difficiles), qui sera clôturé par un film grec, A Place Called Home (drame familial).

Quatre films sont en français ou principalement en français: la sélection de la France, bien sûr, Mon âme par toi guérie (un drame avec une touche de fantastique), mais aussi le film belge Le monde nous appartient (qui commence par un meurtre), le luxembourgeois The Road Uphill (sur les cyclistes Andy et Fränk Schleck), et le portugais La cage dorée (une comédie familiale).

Parmi les invités spéciaux, mentionnons le directeur photo du film français, la réalisatrice grecque, le réalisateur lithuanien, un acteur italien et un acteur slovène.

Chacun des films est-il le «meilleur» de son pays cette année? «C’est celui que chaque service culturel a choisi pour représenter le pays à Toronto», répond diplomatiquement le directeur du festival torontois. (Il y a deux autres festivals de films européens au Canada, à Ottawa et à Vancouver, avec chacun leur organisation distincte.)

Tous les films sont sous-titrés en anglais. Le site www.eutorontofilmfest.ca est lui aussi en anglais.

Cartelera para la X edición del European Union Film Festival

BY ANNA BUIRA CINE, CULTURANOVIEMBRE 7, 2014 http://www.torontoentero.ca/cartelera-x-edicion-european-union-film-festival/

European Union Film Festival (EUFF) presentará 29 películas europeas del 15 al 30 de noviembre. El EUFF abrirá su décima edición el sábado 15 con la presentación en primicia en Canadá de la película italiana Allaciate le Cinture (Fasten Your Seatbelts) dirigida por Ferzan Ozpetek. El festival, como ya tiene por costumbre, presentará a la audiencia torontoniana películas producidas en distintos países europeos donde géneros como el documental, la comedia, la ciencia ficción o el drama, formarán parte del repertorio. La última película que cerrará el festival será la griega To dentro kai i kounia (A place called home) que muy probablemente contará con la presencia de su directora, Maria Douza. El EUFF cerrará las puertas el 30 de noviembre con el anuncio de la mejor película del festival y la entrega del galardón a la mejor película según la audiencia torontoniana. Cabe destacar que este año, la película española presentada en el festival va a ser la del Barcelonés Mariano Barroso, “Todas las mujeres” (All the Women) Todas las películas serán proyectadas en el The Royal Cinema (608 College Street, Toronto) y las entradas son gratuitas (el primero que llega, entra). Aun así, es importante tener en cuenta que en muchos casos, antes del estreno ya no quedan entradas disponibles, ya que éstas se pueden reservar online por $10 y es la mejor manera de asegurarte un asiento.

Para ir abriendo boca, os dejamos con la sinopsis de todas las películas que se van a presentar en el festival, para que podáis reservaros las fechas en vuestro calendario. Y ¡prestad atención a nuestras redes sociales! porque en los próximos días vamos a sortear 3 entradas dobles para ver la película española: “Todas las mujeres” (All women) de Mariano Barroso.

Free events in Toronto: November 10 - 16, 2014 Posted by Aubrey Jax / NOVEMBER 9, 2014 3 Comments http://www.blogto.com/radar/2014/11/free_events_in_toronto_november_10__16_2014/ Free events in Toronto this week mean big things for film fans: the European Union Film Festival is free for those who can brave standing in line, there's a TV fest at TIFF that's free, I guess because TV is kind of free? I don't know, I'm too broke to have a TV. Then Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival is hosting PWYC shows. If you're looking for something different, check out Suzy Lake's photography exhibit at the AGO or a live evening concert at the public library.

SATURDAY European Union Film Festival (The Royal)

Making a Case for Living in Toronto By: Benjamin Mann Posted in: YP Life - || November 6, 2014, 11:45 am http://notable.ca/nationwide/yp-life/Making-a-Case-for-Living-in-Toronto/ World Class Arts & Entertainment Culture Whether it’s music, ballet, theater, film, or art, Toronto consistently provides the best the country has to offer. Everyone is well aware of the Toronto International Film Festival, but did you know that Toronto is host to more than twenty other film festivals? Hot Docs, Reel Asian Film Festival, Toronto Jewish Film Festival, European Union Film Festival, South Asian Film Festival‌ the list goes on.

Things to know for Saturday in Toronto: Weather, traffic and events A chance of flurries is expected again today. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/15/things_to_know_for_saturday_in_to ronto_weather_traffic_and_events.html Events: The European Union Film Festival opens tonight with a reception at the MOD Club. The annual festival will feature films from all 28 EU countries over two weeks at The Royal cinema.

Weekend events in Toronto: Nov. 14 - 16 http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/weekend-events-in-toronto-nov-14-161.2101458#ixzz3LhcWylfw The European Union Film Festival A celebration of cinematic excellence, this free, film festival showcases some of the best movies from each of the EU's member countries.

When: Nov. 15 - Nov. 30 Location: The Royal Cinema, 608 College St. Cost: Free

Weekend events in Toronto: November 14-16, 2014 Posted by Aubrey Jax / NOVEMBER 13, 2014 http://www.blogto.com/radar/2014/11/weekend_events_in_toronto_november_14 -16_2014/ FILM November film festival mania!

While TIFF is long over already and Hot Docs is a long way off, Toronto goes bananas for film festivals in the November. It must be weather related. This weekend you can catch a handful of fests, including the free European Union Film Fest (be ready to stand in line). Here's what's on: Hitchcock 9 (Nov 1-16) Reel Asian (Nov 6-16) Rendezvous With Madness (Nov 10-15) International Shorts Film Fest (Nov 12-14) European Union (Nov 15-30)

TORONTO EVENTS: 8 things to do this weekend (Nov. 14-16) Santa Claus Parade, European Union Film Festival, Hockey Hall of Fame weekend and more...

Nov 14, 2014 http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4990479-toronto-events-8-things-to-dothis-weekend-nov-14-16-/ 7. The 10th annual EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL kicks off Saturday at the Royal Cinema on College Street. Runs until Nov. 30.

Toronto Weekender: November 13 through 16, 2014 By: Notable Posted in: YP Life - Toronto | November 13, 2014, 11:00 am http://notable.ca/toronto/yp-life/Toronto-Weekender-November-13-through-162014/ SATURDAY The European Union Film Festival kicks off today. Hopefully it makes some money‌

EUFF Review: Fasten Your Seatbelts

BY ADA WONG NOVEMBER 14, 2014

http://thetfs.ca/2014/11/14/euff-2014-review-fasten-seatbelts/#.VGZqDStdWKI

Superficially, Fasten Your Seatbelts could be described as the tale of Elena and Antonio, two people that couldn’t be more mismatched, who fall for each other anyway. What it’s really about is the connections between people. At the heart of Fasten Your Seatbelts is Elena, a beautiful young woman with every possibility in front of her; her heart chooses the homophobic, racist, but beautiful boyfriend of her close friend Sylvia and from there an interwoven story of love, friendship, hardships, and hope blossoms.

In some ways Fasten Your Seatbelts plays out like a soap opera, but viewers will be drawn in by the complexities of relationships, and the highs and lows of the moments that take our breath away. The deliciousness of forbidden love, the anguish of self denial, the devastation of loss; who doesn’t get sucked into this stuff every once in a while? It’s a roller coaster for the heart, and you want to be on this ride.

Full of beautiful 20-something’s, the target audience for Fasten Your Seatbelts may be a younger one, but the story, which is told in a somewhat unconventional, not entirely linear fashion, contains characters of different ages and in varying stages of life and maturity that should appeal to a wide audience. Writer and director Ferzan Ozpetek presents us with some familiar characters, but even in this charted territory, the film is still wholly engaging.

Is Fasten Your Seatbelts essential festival viewing?

Yes! Be it a guilty pleasure for those who don’t want to own up to liking romantic dramas, to those who openly adore them, Fasten Your Seatbelts is a sweet, endearing film. It’s doesn’t contain a clear cut happy ending but nonetheless leaves you feeling uplifted.

Fasten Your Seatbelts screening times Saturday, November 15, 2014 – 9:00 pm – The Royal Cinema Sunday, November 30, 2014 – 3:00 pm – The Royal Cinema

European Union Film Festival: Fasten Your Seatbelts Review http://nextprojection.com/2014/11/16/european-union-film-festival-fasten-seatbeltsreview/

Fasten Your Seatbelts (2013) Cast: Kasia Smutniak, Francesco Arca, Filippo Scicchitano Directors: Ferzan Ozpetek Country: Italy Genre: Comedy | Drama Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the European Union Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit www.eutorontofilmfest.ca and follow the European Union Film Festival on Twitter at @EUFFToronto.

Fasten Your Seatbelts is billed as a comedy / drama, or “dramedy”, a sub-genre that seems to crop up increasingly often. For the majority of the film this is certainly the case as two inherently oppositely inclined people are unavoidably drawn to each other by a mutual attraction that neither understand or initially wants.

Elena (Kasia Smutniak) and Antonio (Francesco Arca) have such different views on life and relationships, on people and politics that it would seem inconceivable they could be

a couple, but a couple they become despite being involved with other people when they meet. Their developing love and affection seems to be all they have in common but in this case that seems to be enough. Fast forward thirteen years and they are married with two children but under the idyllic surface all is not well and something is about to happen that will change their lives forever.

This is a film that feels like two very different narratives woven together with neither the parts nor the whole being entirely successful. The opening act is enjoyable, well played and at times witty without ever truly involving its audience but it all comes to a very sudden conclusion. The advancement of time seems awkward and uncomfortably blunt and results in you being drawn out of the drama somewhat as you adjust to the new setting. Add to that a distinct change in tone with Elena’s previously strong and centred character having become a working mother who tolerates her uncommunicative husband’s philandering. She now feels like an entirely different character as the younger Elena surely wouldn’t have tolerated how things have developed. Then comes the emotional wrench (which won’t be spoiled here) and Fasten Your Seatbelts is suddenly an overwrought melodrama that demands a response from your unprepared heart.

Some humour still exists in this final act but it is dark and occasionally uncomfortable, and a laugh feels as forced as the on-screen character’s joviality.

The serious nature of the film’s developing story is something writer and director Ferzen Ozpetek has visited in previous films. Emotional angst, betrayal and death are familiar topics and the subject matter in Fasten Your Seatbelts is for the most part handled respectfully and sincerely. The difficulty is in how it blends with the rest of the film and this always feels troublesome. The innocence of the first half is quickly dispelled and the latter stages feel like an afternoon television movie, albeit a very well made one. There is a feeling that the film hasn’t entirely earned the emotional response it is demanding from its audience in the latter stages.

The performances are good with Filippo Scicchiyano impressing as Elena’s gay best friend Fabio but many of the supporting characters simply come and go. The focus is never too far away from Elena and this results in many of them being a little underserved and peripheral.

Fasten Your Seatbelts is a story of love and relationships, of what you choose to accept and what you come to regret when time begins to run out. The tonal shifts and inconsistent pacing will not be for everyone, and the subject matter may resonate with some more than others, but it is an interesting character study that in the end is hard not to like.

6.0

OKAY

Fasten Your Seatbelts is a story of love and relationships, of what you choose to accept and what you come to regret when time begins to run out. The tonal shifts and inconsistent pacing will not be for everyone, and the subject matter may resonate with some more than others, but it is an interesting character study that in the end is hard not to like.

EUFF 2014: Fasten Your Seatbelts Review

By Dave Voigt November 13, 2014 | 6:30 pm http://dorkshelf.com/2014/11/13/euff-2014-fasten-your-seatbelts-review/ Fasten Your Seatbelts, the opening night film for this year’s free ticketed European Union Film Festival,tries to create a crazy romantic relationship dynamic, but is ultimately derailed by a narrative that has too many jarring and bizarre tonal shifts, going for a romantic farce one minute to a serious drama the next and back again.

Elena and Antonio are not two people that you’d ever be able to envision together. They’re polar opposites. Them falling for each other makes no sense at all mostly because Elena is engaged to Giorgio (and her best friend hates him for being openly homophobic) while Antonio is engaged to Silvia, who just happens to be Elena’s other best friend.

In Fasten Your Seatbelts the brakes, steering, suspension and even the cup holder doesn’t work as the film bounces and lurches all over the map without ever taking the time to get even a single emotion right.

From comedy to drama back to black comedy and back to drama again, it’s just painfully difficult to try and care about these characters as they interact with each other. Even when the movie tries to make us care for Elena by giving her cancer (yeah, it’s one of those shameless movies), it’s forced, contrived, and manipulative in the worst way. The only character development the film can muster comes from the attractiveness of the actors, and that’s a terrible sign.

Fasten Your Seatbelts shows that in life, shit happens and you just have to make the best of it, much like I will at the end of this sentence by forgetting that I ever sat through this. (Dave Voigt)

EUFF: “Fasten Your Seatbelts” (2014) Ulkar Alakbarova / November 16, 2014 http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/16/euff-fasten-your-seatbelts-2014/ “Allacciate le cincture” (original title) Directed by: Ferzan Özpetek Story: Ferzan Özpetek Screenplay: Ferzan Özpetek, Gianni Romoli Country: Italy Language: Italian Cast: Kasia Smutniak, Francesco Arca, Filippo Scicchitano, Carolina Crescentini, Paola Minaccioni, Elena Sofia Ricci, Franscesco Scianna, Carla Signoris, Luisa Ranieri, Giulia Michelini Elena and Antonio are certainly not made for each other. She – an intelligent girl from a good family, he – a cad, an illiterate mechanic. They are completely different – their nature, their life priorities; they see the world very differently. Nevertheless, they feel an irresistible, mutual attraction; both try hard not to acknowledge this. Not only because they have nothing in common, but also because Elena is dating an architectGiorgio, and Antonio with her best friendSylvia. Regardless, their passion and love grows ever stronger – and they get married. A few years later, Elena’s life is not the way she dreamed, and her relationship with Antonio is getting worse with every passing day… Now Elena realizes that she may have made a tragic mistake when she agreed to tie the knot with Antonio…

Following the laws of ‘ladies’ novels, which means this film contains some very naughty scenes, Fasten Your Seatbelts has a story with great detail, while the plot itself develops slowly and has no surprises or mystery for the audience. The love story between the modest and well-groomed Elena and Antonio, who is not capable of controlling his ardor or his composure, evolves rapidly, with all the predictable consequences that come with

marriage and the resulting difficulties that overshadow their original passion; only to bring it back.

FastenYourSeatbelts By the middle of the film the plot is somewhat slack and it seems that Ferzan Özpetek prepares us for a happy ending, where everyone, as in fairy tales, after going through all these unimaginable difficulties, live happily ever after. Surprisingly, Fasten Your Seatbelt” truly makes us fasten our seatbelts, and suddenly turns a seemingly predictable relationship and unhappy marriage into a philosophical drama, where Ferzan Özpetek and Gianni Romoli try to open up to the audience a prism of carnal pleasures and formal relations. This unexpected, composite, turnaround makes Fasten Your Seatbelts interesting to watch and worthy of our time. As we anxiously watch; we grow nervous- unsure of what else Özpetek/Romoli will bring us.

Ferzan Özpetek, is a Turkish filmmaker based in Italy which allows for wide distribution of his feature film both in Turkey and in Italy. “Fasten Your Seatbelt” was presented for a David di Donatello Award and nominated in almost all the major categories, however, received none.

The actors, by the way, did a great job – the events of the first and second half of the film take 10 years to portray; to portray Elena, Kasia Smutniak loses a few pounds, and vice versa Francesco Arca, who played Antonio, gained more than 10 kilograms. While, for the rest of the cast, makeup was the only way to help them transform themselves into their characters after ten years.

Ferzan Özpetek once again does not disappoint his loyal audience, making his Fasten Your Seatbelts suitable for young audiences as well as mature audiences. A Love story, gracefully intertwined with a philosophical drama, which does not overwhelm the viewers with unnecessary reflections and polysyllabic narration. Under a wonderful soundtrack,

by Pasquale Catalano, the spectator unwittingly begins to empathize with the beautiful Elena and the rough Antonio. After all, is that not all a film needs to be considered as success?

Screens Sunday, November 30th, 3:00PM, Royal Cinema

EUFF 2014: FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS POSTED BY FRANCIS MCKAY ON NOVEMBER 15, 2014 IN EUFF, REACTIONS, REVIEWS | 1 COMMENT http://cinemaaxis.com/2014/11/15/euff-2014-fasten-your-seatbelts/ Working in a picturesque cafe in Southern Italy, Elena (Kasia Smutniak) dreams of owning her own business with her best friend Fabio (Filippo Scicchitano). When not toiling away at work, the pair enjoy spending time with their lively friend Sylvia (Carolina Crescentini). However, Elena is not too fond of Sylvia’s obnoxious mechanic boyfriend Antonio (Francesco Arca) who she has had several verbal sparring matches with. Antonio is the exact opposite of everything Elena stands for; he is loud, homophobic and curses up a blue streak. Fortunately for her, Elena only has to occasionally endure Antonio’s company…or so she thinks.

As plans begin to take shape for her business venture, with Elena’s fiancée Giorgio (Francesco Scianna) coming on board as an investor, Antonio begins to appear regularly at the cafe without Sylvia. Clearly the object of Antonio’s gaze, Elena finds it hard to deny that she is attracted to him as well. Fast-forward 13 years and Elena’s business, The Gas Station, is a hotspot in town. Her home life has seen a drastic change as well; she is the mother of two young children and married to Antonio. Which begs the question how did two people so different end up together?

Director Ferzan Ozpetek has a talent for displaying complicated relationships on screen; one only needs to look at his earlier work such as Facing Window and the volatile A Perfect Day for examples of this. In Fasten Your Seatbelts, he explores the impact of relationships that are primarily based on physical attraction. Elena and Antonio both know that their union falls into this category. Antonio barley speaks to Elena, spends all their money, and can’t be counted on to handle basic fatherly responsibilities. Elena, on the other hand, is driven by her work ethic and desire to provide for her children. The dynamics between the two provide a good source of drama in the film and leads to several twists in the latter acts.

Using flashbacks and focusing on body language, Ozpetek finds some rather invented ways to communicate the emotion, and relationship history, of his main characters without relying on much dialogue. He also shows a knack for working with child actors. In fact he makes the children the most perceptive characters.

Fasten Your Seatbelts is an old time dramatic story that perfectly feels at home with the Italian cinema of the fifties and sixties. If you are a fan of classic era relationship stories then you’ll enjoy this Ozpetek offering.

Screens Tonight, 9:00PM, Royal Cinema Sunday, November 30th, 3:00PM, Royal Cinema

European Union Film Festival Review - Fasten Your Seatbelts Friday, November 14, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-union-film-festival-review.html When we first meet Elena (Kasia Smutniak) she is working in a cafe in picturesque Southern Italy. He best friend Fabio ( Filippo Scicchitano) toils alongside her as both dream of opening their own place.

He next closet friend Sylvia ( Carolina Crescentini) is late again, Fabio her roommate reveals that she's dating someone new who's keeping her busy. A few days later at a nigh time event Sylvia brings her mechanic boyfriend Antonio (Francesco Arca) who Elena had met and beefed with before. Antonio is loud, homophobic and a man for a few but mainly curse words. Elena has more reasons not to like him as they are complete opposites. Meanwhile Fabio has found a location for their joint venture that Elena also likes and they persuade her fiancee Georgio (Francesco Scianna) to invest in the venture.

Antonio then begins to appear regularly at the cafe when Sylvia is not there. Elena is the new target of his gaze. She is attracted to him as well despite their differences their encounters on occasion leaving her heaving and rooted to one spot.

The story jumps ahead 13 years and the joint venture The Gas Station is the hotspot in town. Elena returns home after a successful 13th Anniversary party to her two young children Guela and Giovanni.

Her mom Anna (Carla Signoris) and offbeat Auntie (Elena Sofia Rici) are also present at home. She notices a mess of empty liquor bottles, heads to the bedroom to find her Husband Antonio now a little heavier then our last viewing, passed out in bed. She begins to scold him but he turns amorous causing Elena to drop her argument.

Director Ferzan Ozpetek has talent for displaying complicated relationship to the screen as in his earlier works Facing Window and the volatile A Perfect Day. Elena and Antonio both know that their relationship is based on the physical. He barley speaks to her, spends all their money as Elena works countless hours at the eatery and can't be counted on to take their daughter Guela to and from an

event. Another Ozpetek knack is working intelligently with chid actors as evidenced by Guela who is perhaps the smartest and most perceptive character in the story. Another strength is letting the actors show their emotions through body language and facial expression not weighing every scene down with too much dialogue.

The story has a few more twist to reveal one is grim and dominates most of the third and forth acts serving to bring Antonio and Elena closer together reminiscent of the early days of their relationship.

The another in a flashback that lightens the mood that first appears to be a discussion about one subject between friends over lunch but takes a 180 degree turn.

Fasten your Seatbelts is an old time heavily dramatic story that would easily have been at home with Italian cinema in the fifties or Sixties. If you are a fan of this classic era then you'll enjoy this Ozpetek offering. ** 1/2 Out of 4.

Fasten Your Seatbelts | Ferzan Ozpetek | Italy | 2014 | 110 Minutes.

News you can use for Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 http://www.cp24.com/news/news-you-can-use-for-monday-nov-17-2014-1.2105202 EVENTS The European Union Film Festival is on until Nov. 30 at the Royal Cinema.

EUFF Review: Two Seater Rocket

BY ADA WONG NOVEMBER 14, 2014 http://thetfs.ca/2014/11/14/euff-review-two-seater-rocket/#.VGZqDCtdWKI

In what tries to be an off beat comedy, Two Seater Rocket is an overly contrived story of boy and girl who are the best of friends but do not realize they are in love with each other. Manuel is in love with Mia but is hesitant to reveal his feelings, realizing too late what he should have done when Mia falls for a handsome Italian pilot and plans to move away. Together with his roommate’s mens self-help group, they hatch a far-fetched plan to win Mia back.

Two Seater Rocket hinges on a sweet simple story that almost works. Director Hans Hofer tries too hard to be whimsical though, and the film is victim to cliché instead. Mia’s too perfect and delightful with her syrupy sweet ideals; she’s a mythical woman that even this dreamy tale cannot rationalize. The cute and clueless Manuel is also indisputably adorable, together they add up to be so ideal that any deviation from their impending happy ending would be unfathomable.

There is an underlying subplot of comradery in Two Seater Rocket, which may be the more heart-warming tale here. Manuel’s roommate Detlev runs a self help group, which is specifically for men whose wives and girlfriends have left them. They are weak men, full of insecurity and remorse, who come to Detlev for help to move on. In Manuel’s quest to get Mia back, they quickly get involved and see it as the road to their own redemption too.

Is Two Seater Rocket essential festival viewing?

Two Seater Rocket borders on enjoyable, but is not essential. It takes a real troll to wish such darling characters ill will, and while you can predict the ending without ever watching a single frame of the movie, it’s still interesting to know the specifics.

Two Seater Rocket screening times Saturday, November 16,2014 – 6:00 pm – The Royal Cinema

Free events in Toronto: November 17 - 23, 2014 Posted by Aubrey Jax / NOVEMBER 16, 2014 http://www.blogto.com/radar/2014/11/free_events_in_toronto_november_17_-_23_2014/ Free events in Toronto this week include tons of chances to curl up in cozy movie theatres away from the cold, including ongoing European Union Film Fest and Regent Park Film Fest. Sometimes, though, you'll have to stand in line - wouldn't want you to totally feel like a person. The Toronto Maker Faire will also dazzle you at the Reference Library this weekend with tons of crafty programming, but you can't 3D print money. I asked.

Here are Toronto's capitalism defying events this week. If nothing looks fun, there's free therapy.

TORONTO EVENTS: 5 things to look forward to this week (Nov. 17-21) Nov 17, 2014 | Vote0 0 http://www.insidetoronto.com/whatson-story/4992539-toronto-events-5-things-to-lookforward-to-this-week-nov-17-21-/ Here's our list of 5 things to look forward to for the week of Nov. 17 in Toronto. We hope you like them.

5. The EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL continues its showing all week at The Royal Cinema.

EUFF 2014: July

by Eleni Armenakis November 18, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/18/euff-2014-july/

Bulgaria’s entry into the 2014 European Union Film Festival, July, takes its name from July Morning—a practice of staying up all night to greet the sun as it rises on July 1st. But for all that the tradition gives the film its name, it’s only a small—albeit happy—part of the film. In many ways, that’s because July is about the clash between the old and the new, and in the new world writer and director Kiril Stankov is presenting, there isn’t much room for the old ways anymore.

It’s the fundamental struggle that weaves its way throughout July’s otherwise scattered plots. The movie opens with a series of flashbacks, or forwards, before finally embarking on its road trip quest for the coast and ending with a fiery bit of vigilante justice. Dana (Kasiel Noah Asher) and Dju (Paraskeva Djukelova) are old friends whose random meeting in the street ends years of separation. But just when it seems the two are taking a trip to reconnect, Dju invites another friend, Lilli (Yana Titova) along, setting July up as a feminist escape.

As the trio search for a place to set up camp, Stankov uses their journey to comment on how Bulgaria’s exit from communism altered the country and its people. Camping on the beaches—provided they haven’t been taken over by tourists and hotels—is

now forbidden and Dana and Dju’s hippie attire feels woefully out-of-place in the burgeoning cosmopolitan of Sofia. It’s no better further out in the country where the women clash with the new order of thugs and black market businesses that are now running their former idyll.

But Stankov’s commentary, and the women’s more private struggles, get swallowed up by his bigger theme on crime turning Dju, Dana and Lilly from relatable characters into over-the-top chainsaw-brandishing heroines. It’s a loud ending that doesn’t fit the rest of the film. The interpersonal relationships and the development of the characters gets lost in a bigger condemnation of the country’s flashier issues.

Whatever it is that drove Dana to return home to “waste away” is never revealed and Dju’s bender and the reasons behind it stay shrouded in mystery. Lilly, whose quiet persona feels more accessible than the larger-than-life rebels of the women with her, never stops feeling like a third wheel as she watches the women unravel helplessly– even if she does end up forming a bridge between the past and present.

Then again, maybe Stankov’s violent swerve away from these issues comes from a desire to offer the film a happier ending, one where the players find themselves empowered in some small way to effect change for the better. Otherwise the picture he paints is of a new, darker world where the old ways and their followers have no choice but to die out. It’s a stark conclusion to reach, and for all its problems, July’s blunt humour can’t help but want to refute that idea.

B-

EUFF Review: “How To Steal A Wife” (2013) Ulkar Alakbarova / November 18, 2014 http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/18/euff-review-how-to-steal-a-wife-2013/

Original Title: Kaip pavogti žmoną Country; Lithuania Directed by: Donatas Ulvydas Written by: Jonas Banys Starring: Ramunas Cicenas, Inga Jankauskaite, Gledrius Savickas, Rimante Valiukaite Vidas is an exbanker who is sent to jail for six years, but serves only three. While he is serving his term, his wife, Laima marries Ramutis, a principal, and lives her life happily. But, everything

changes with a blink of an eye, when Vidas is released from prison. The first place he goes is his old house, where his wife lives. Seeing his wife married again does not bother Vidas at all, and he demands to stay in the house, since he has nowhere else to go. Now, being locked in one apartment, the trio has enough time to analyze their marriage, relationships, and of course, think of money and its real purpose. But will money buy happiness for those stuck in this house, or bring them unhappiness and disappointment. This is something that Donatas Ulvydas will answer in a charming way.

How To Steal A Wife opens with Laima, played by Rimante Valiukaite, watching the news on TV, where she hears that her ex-husband is being released from the prison. Laima`s current husband is not happy to hear this, and now fears for his own safety. Failing to recover from this recent news flash, the couple hears a knock on the door, and of course, Rumatis opens the door, and who he finds behind the door is someone he would not have expected. The funny situation in How To Steal A Wife begins when Vidas (Giedrius Sayickas) refuses to leave the house. And, this is understandable, since he has spent three years of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Rumatis, who has never questioned his wife about anything, and feels no jealousy towards her, now starts to worry that VIdas might attempt to fight to get Laima back. Rumatis`s fears could remain unfounded if only Laima had not started to act differently; wearing perfume and make up at home, and she starts cooking Vidas`s favorite meals. Even though Rumatis manages to sort out the danger that may cause him to lose his wife, another unexpected guest arrives, who will turn everything upside down for him.

How To Steal A Wife manages to keep its audience’s attention throughout the film. Even though North American viewers may find some of the jokes strange, , it will seem quite normal and amusing for other parts of the world. The entire film occurs in one apartment, with only four heroes. The Director examines a huge topic in his film; a question we always ask ourselves; ‘will money be able to buy happiness’? Some of us might come up our own answer, and the interpretation of the entire Ulvydas`s film, but one fact is undeniably certain, Ulvydas strongly believes that no matter what happens with Ramutis, VIdas, and Laima, and with the enormous sum of money that VIdas has hidden, happiness is something that will never be for sale.

How To Steal A Wife is one of those innocuous films that does not hurt anyone`s feelings and tries to make happy everyone. It`s a great thing to see a film these days where everyone in the movie remains unharmed and happy as never before.

Screening time: Monday, November 24, 2014 – 6:30pm

European Union Film Festival Review - How to Steal A Wife.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-film-festival-review-how-to.html Donatas Ulvydas' How to Steal a Wife resembles a stage play. All but two of the scenes take place in one apartment. The production uses miniature models as a device to break up the scenes, show activity outside of the apartment and to transition from day to night.

Ramutis (Ramunas Cicenas) is a school principal meeting the morning the day after an anniversary dinner with his wife Laima (Rimante Valiukaite). She is very happy with the prior nights events but Ramutis is glued to news on his iPhone. He soon comes across a story that changes his mood. Laima's ex husband Vidas (Giedrius Sayickas) has been released from prison 3 years into his six year sentence declared innocent by the courts.

Vidas a banker was sent to prison accused of steeling 300 million litas. It's the lead story on the evening news cameras flashing around him as he leaves prison. Ramutis is very agitated as he married Laima after Vidas went to prison thinning he may want revenge. he opens the front door to run only to find Vidas in the doorway. He is home with no plans to leave as he has now where to go and feels entitled to one half of the apartment.

Writer Jonas Banys spins a fast paced dialogue focused tale. The script features rapid fire bantering amongst the three main players one line building on the next hurdling to a rewarding payoff. Vidas opening monologue on how he ended up with a specific matters while in prison sets the tone for the verbal Olympics to come.

Although also excels with the quiet moments mainly during scenes as they prepare food where the dialogue is sparse. Another memorable exchange high on the visual aspect occurs when Vidas' new girlfriend (Inga Jankauskaite)appears at the apartment quickly taking over the task of ironing a pair of men's trousers to impress.

Rimante Valiukaite is memorable as Laima as she ping pongs back and forth between Ramutis and Vidas. She takes verbal sparring to an art form and in the rear instant she may be loosing an argument throws out the last jab before exiting the scene. Giedrius Sayickas is also strong as ex-banker Vidas. The viewer is never sure of his intentions.

Did he steal the money or not? Does he know that his new girlfriend had a history with Ramutis? Is he still interested in Laima or has he moved on? Ramunas Cicenas plays off the other two very well. Sometimes he is allied with his wife and wants Vidas out of the apartment while at other times the two men are best buddies. All the time he is trying to determine the truth about the money tapping on walls with a hammer and questioning Vidas when he senses a weakness or that he is in his confidence.

How to Steal a Wife is a dialogue driven piece that plays much larger that it's confined set. The production team used their imaginations to bring this story to the screen as an independent production. It is a film that I can recommend.

How to Steal A Wife | Donatas Ulvydas | Lithuania | 2013 | 86 Minutes.

Things to know for Monday in Toronto: Weather, traffic and events Beware of snow and ice on local Toronto roads today as periods of snow will continue throughout the day. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/17/things_to_know_for_monday_in_toronto_w eather_traffic_and_events.html Events: The European Union Film Festival also continues today and runs until Nov. 30. The festival will screen movies from across Europe at the Royal Cinema.

EUFF Interview: Donatas Ulvydas talks about “How To Steal A Wife” Ulkar Alakbarova / November 28, 2014 http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/28/euff-interview-donatas-ulvydas-talks-about-how-to-steal-awife/ Will money bring happiness? Or, will you find your happiness with one who is younger, and beautiful, or with someone less attractive, but has something to offer you that are worth more than anything in the world – love? These, and many other interesting ideas, were illustrated in How To Steal A Wife, directed by a Lithuanian filmmaker, Donatas Ulvydas, whose second film, once again, is being presented at The European Union Film Festival.

During the Film Festival, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Donatas Ulvydas to discuss, not only his hilarious film, but also something that he lives for –the process of shooting; creating a friendly and warm atmosphere on the set, to get the desired results.

MMM: Can you talk a bit more about the idea of the film?

Donatas Ulvydas: For that, I have to explain a little bit more about where I am from and maybe it will help you understand. The thing is I am from a very small country, Lithuania. When we talk about films which are produced in my country we need to understand that we have a very limited amount of viewers, so we have to think about them prior to making a new film. And, if we want to make a big budget film, or at least a European level film, we need to ask the Ministry of Culture for money.

So, it’s not that often that you get a chance to make a movie. My first big feature film- “Tadaz Blinda” was shown here at the European Film Festival two years ago and I was very proud of it and I am very happy that my films keep coming back to Toronto. After my first film, we decided to produce an independent film. We started collecting money from sponsors or private investors. However, we have to think about the box offices as well, since we need to pay the money back. So for now we are producing the best product which will sell – comedy. So that`s the long answer about “How to steal a Wife”, which is a comedy. I am making comedies, not because I am a comedy lover, but because I need to think about how to sell a product to the viewers. We found on the internet a small article about the same situation, where a husband comes home from being in prison and finds another man. That was a sign for us, so we were thinking how we could make this film. I had some examples that inspired me; Tommy Lee Jones`s “The Sunset Limited” and Roman Polanski`s “Carnage”. These two films were shot in one room, so I wanted to try the same thing. But as I said, because of the viewers, we decided to make it as a comedy.

MMM: Love is certainly the main subject of the film; however, money also plays a large part. At the end of the film, Ramutis finds a note on the money safe saying, “Money does not buy happiness”. But it seems he still gets some money.

Donatas Ulvydas: Actually, it`s not like that. Maybe because of what is written on the wall, but, in this case, it does not mean that you will find money. It was an idea to write on the wall that just because you find where I keep my money, it does not mean that you will get the money – because it`s locked in a safe. So, do not look for the money, because it won`t buy you happiness. So Ramutis gets nothing. It was just a joke for him.

It was my opportunity to send a message to the viewers that Love is more than money.

MMM: Very interesting cast. You`ve picked Ramutis, as a Principal, who looks a bit older than Laima, while her ex-husband looks much younger, but more attractive.

Donatas Ulvydas: It just happened. I honestly think that I got good actors, and a very famous one for my film. I certainly was happy to have them, so I did not think much about whether this or that actor is more, or less handsome. That was not my aim. I did it in a very simple way without any background ideas. Both actors were so good that I picked one as a first husband, the second one, as a second husband.

MMM: But what about Vilija who also looks much younger than Lamija… How did it happen that a simple story turned out to be so complicated?

Donatas Ulvydas: It was an original idea in a novel and screenplay from Miro Gavran. This woman does not have a child but it was written in a way that the same actors could act both roles. It was interesting for the theater. But we decided to have another actor/actress. And it was an idea to make her look nicer, very young, like a dream. The first aim was for a happy ending, with two couples. The second one was that you cannot be happy with just a young, nice girl, but rather, only with the one you love. So I had two couples, and they both end up being happy, because they met their love.

MMM: Talking about the scenes, I am sure it was so much fun making this kind of film. Can you share the most hilarious part of shooting?

Donatas Ulvydas: Honestly, it happens that the scenes that we were laughing at during shooting were not funny in the film at all. I was really surprised by this, but it allowed me to learn a lot about the film business.

So sometimes it happens that you shoot a very funny scene, but it`s not very funny for the audience. For example, I was really afraid that in one scene, that the important joke was used by Valdes might not be understood by a broad audience. When Valdes talks about the blood in the prison; this is the kind of humor we have in Lithuania. Everybody understands that Valdes is fooling around, but he presents it with such a serious face. This was very funny to us and we were crying while we were watching that monologue. And that was the idea when I took the script for the first time, to see if I could produce the kind of film without any big messages in it. Like in this scene, where he talks about nothing but rats and prison. Even though they are just words you can read between the lines; there is a philosophy. That`s why that scene is so important for me.

MMM: You have said once: The process of shooting is what I live for. The process will manifest the results.

What does it mean for you standing behind the camera shooting the film, or directing the actors?

Donatas Ulvydas: Thank you for this very important question. I am very happy that someone is asking me this, because it`s my credo. And I believe in it very much. I tell my students, partners or colleagues that I don`t want to go over my head to get results. I don`t want to shout on the set; I don`t want to fight with anyone. This is my philosophy. I want to be like a hippi. I want peace and love and to feel good in a shooting day. I don`t want anyone to feel angry. If I arrange to have a good atmosphere on the set, people will be happy. And that will help us to get the desired result. If I may repeat myself, I am from a small country, and filming is like a hobby for me, which means I can`t pay everybody as much as they are worth, so I have to think of other ways to show my gratitude.

MMM: For someone, who lives for the process of shooting, I would like to know what comes first for you during the process of the film: a well written screenplay; cinematography; directing; or the actors?

Donatas Ulvydas: First thing is an idea, and the message. When I say an idea, I mean a script. However, I never use the script as a bible. I like improvising. If my next film has what I want to represent to the audience, then I believe everything will fall into place. And of course, one of the important things is a crew which I never separate from the actors.

EUFF 2014 REVIEW: THE ROAD UPHILL

BY DAVID RUDIN NOVEMBER 17, 2014 http://thetfs.ca/2014/11/17/euff-2014-review-road-uphill/#.VInboWTF_r9

The Road Uphill follows brothers Fränk and Andy Schleck, who describe themselves as twins separated by five years, on their quest to win the 2011 Tour de France. Since there can only be one winner, the best case scenario involves one brother falling short of his dream. As it winds its way through the French countryside, Jean-Louis Schuller’s documentary explores the brothers’ willingness to sacrifice themselves for their sport and for each other.

When he failed a drug test in 2004, the American cyclist Tyler Hamilton claimed he had a natural advantage that accounted for his surfeit of red blood cells: he had ingested his dead twin’s cells in utero. Cycling’s governing body was having none of it and banned Hamilton for two years. But, as The Road Uphill ably demonstrates, siblinghood can be a natural performance enhancer.

As a documentarian, Schuller is more interested in brotherhood than racing. He eschews the Tour’s lesser stages and episodic structure to focus on their relationship. Beyond the majesty of its setting, his film’s biggest asset is an unusually menacing score that goes quiet as the tension rises. Amidst this lonely silence, the brothers’ ability to communicate through the slightest of gestures shines through. They have less to say than the talking heads and teammates Schuller relies upon for exposition. That is their innate advantage.

Is The Road Uphill essential festival viewing?

Yes! Like all good sports movies, The Road Uphill isn’t really about sports. It has enough cycling action to satisfy obsessives but its central relationship is compelling even if you don’t know the Alpe d’Huez from the Col du Tourmalet.

The Road Uphill screening times Tuesday, November 18, 2014 – 6:00 pm – The Royal Cinema

EUFF 2014: The Gilded Cage

by Eleni Armenakis November 20, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/20/euff-2014-the-gilded-cage/

The Gilded Cage has been described as France’s sleeper hit of the summer, and the film wastes no time showing you why. From its opening moments, director Reuben Alves’ semi-autobiographical cultural comedy dives right into eviscerating the rich neighbours of Maria (Rita Blanco) and José Ribeiro (Joaquim de Almeida), whose dependence on their doorman and her mason husband is revealed when it seems the couple might finally be able to return to Portugal.

Along the way, Maria’s snooping family gets involved, outing José’s inheritance from his estranged brother when the couple can’t find a way to tell their judgmental friends about their newfound riches themselves. Everything spirals from that in wonderfully absurd fashion as neighbours, friends and family come up with a number of schemes to keep the couple they’ve come to rely on from leaving. Blanco and de Almeida do a fantastic job playing the worn down, frequently-called-upon couple as they grow baffled by the the sudden thoughtfulness of their employers and friends, but in many ways, it’s the family and neighbours whose selfish scheming—from “sick” husbands and slick deals—fills the first half of the movie with hilarious extremes.

For all the laughs, there’s a serious underside to The Gilded Cage, infused as it is with Alves’ experiences of being from an immigrant family in France. Maria and José’s son doesn’t just struggle with the possibility of having to leave the only country he’s known for his parents’ dream, but also ends up revealing his own shame about his parents supposed low standing. It’s a point that’s driven home by daughter Paula (Barbara Cabrita) and her relationship with Charles (Lannick Gautry), who also happens to be the son of José’s boss.

While the whole movie is a spectacular damnation of selfishness, stereotypes and class systems, it’s a dinner between the Ribeiro and Caillaux families—coming as José’s boss promotes him to keep him with the company and celebrates the kids’ secret relationship for giving him more leverage—that ties the film’s layers together.

Part of it is seeing that however misunderstood the Ribeiros are by the people they work for, they have their own set of prejudices. No one walks away squeaky clean, and the choice to return home is complicated by how much the family has built in France—as proven by the lengths their friends are willing to go to in order to keep them.

The final act, which finally gives Blanco and de Almeida a chance to finally break out of their straight roles, keeps The Gilded Cage from slowing down once the reveals are out. And watching them exact a very pointed kind of revenge is both satisfying and poignant. But it’s the final resolutions, none particularly grandiose despite an operatic number, that take this absurd comedy of errors and ground it—and its bevy of ridiculous characters—to leave you feeling like what you’ve watched was far more than just a farce.

A-

European Union Film Festival Review - The Gilded Cage Thursday, November 20, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-film-festival-review-gilded.html The film opens with a long take of Maria (Rita Blanco) walking along an avenue in a wealthy Paris district greeting or being greeted by everyone she meets along the way. She arrives at the multi level lodge where she is concierge in time to obtain the mail and promise the owner Madame Reichert (Nicole Croislle) that she will help prepare her prize winning flowers. Maria makes sure the twins in the upper level flat are set for school while her husband Jose (Joaquim de Almeida) helps with Monsieur Zu's (Yann Roussel) bonsai tree for free.

The Riberio's are indispensable to their community. Jose is a foreman for Caillaux construction company, his project leadership specifically requested by potential customers. When he is at home at the Lodge he acts as a handyman for all of the residence not just Mr. Zu. Rosa's sister Lourdes (Jacqueline Corado) has the dream of opening a Portuguese eatery in Paris featuring Rosa's cooking called The Two Cods. Their two children are truly French son Pedro (Alex Alves Pereira) in high school and daughter Paula (Barbara Cabrita) out in the working world. So when Jose gets an official package delivered to him at work declaring him the sole heir to the family vineyard back home in Portugal the couple is conflicted on what to do next.

Writer Director Ruben Alves first feature is full of smiles and laughs stemming from the sudden change of the Riberio's fortunes. The news of their windfall gets out to the community leading each of their business and family contacts to scheme to keep the couple in Paris. Jose's employer Francis Caillaux (Roland Giraud) offers a raise and an invitation to a posh dinner meeting to discuss a new shopping mall project of a perspective new client. The fact that his son Charles (Lannick Gauttry) is now dating Paula can only help to bind Jose to him. Madame Reichert finally approves the extension to the Ribeiro's tiny apartment and hires

more help to reduce Maria's shores. Sister Lourdes dreams up an illness for her husband to keep her Two Cods dream alive. When the Riberio's find out whats going on they vow to turn the tables but their hearts are not in to being mean to their longtime friends.

The Ribero's are not into posh living first demonstrated when they spend a night at an upscale castle hotel a gift from their daughter Paula. The fancy plated small portioned room service dinner with the obligatory over attentive waiter is replaced by a hearty home cooked hearty meal scooped out of a Tupperware container.

The other being a dinner they host for Paula and Charles. They get far too over dressed serve a dinner similar to the one from the hotel where all the Caillaux were looking for was Portuguese cod as pointed out

by Charles mother Solange (Chantal Lauby).

Rita Blanco's Maria is the central performance in the film. She is selfless knows everyone's schedule, likes and needs and is happy to put hers desires last. Joaquim de Almeida turns in another strong performance as Jose. He left Portugal over thirty years ago after a dispute with his brother, has a picture of the family vineyard he looks at in his locker every day now he has the chance to go back he is wavering due to his loyalty to people in is adopted land. The film has several strong supporting roles but two rank above the others. Maria Vieira comedic turn as Rosa is the source of many a laugh in the film. She is the Caillaux housekeeper and they are all afraid of her. She is a close confidant of Maria and Lourdes and the source of the widespread leak of the Riberio's windfall. She also helps Solange Caillaux with some Portuguese phrases ahead of the dinner at the Riberio's which Solange augments with semi facts from Wikepedia.

Chantal Lauby as Solange is the other supporting comedic performance in that need of mentioning. Her half true lines at the dinner party are perfectly timed. They are only surpassed with her dressing down of Ms. Reichert when she comes looking for Jose to fix a leaky toilet during the dinner.

The Gilded Cage presents a subject relatively overlooked in cinema before. The plight of Portuguese immigrants that moved to France during the dictatorship years to start families. Their children are French with little to no Portuguese is spoken in the household. The parents toil in manual labour jobs without much status. Director Alves does a superior job of presenting the material for a film that is as advertised a light comedic romp. *** out of 4.

The Gilded Cage | Ruben Alves | France | 2013 | 90 Minutes

EUFF 2014: The Last Sentence

by Eleni Armenakis November 24, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/24/euff-2014-the-last-sentence/

Great leaders rarely make for good men. It’s a lesson that feels central to Sweden’s European Union Film Festival entry, The Last Sentence. Director Jan Troell, in trying to portray editor Torgny Segerstedt’s controversial helming of a Swedish paper during the Second World War, doesn’t shy away from revealing all of Segerstedt’s flaws while the nation’s literati celebrated him as a voice of reason.

Danish actor Jesper Christensen offers up a fiery public face for the editor as he condemns the growing Nazi rule in Germany in the early 30s and later tackles Sweden’s politicians and their position of neutrality while the rest of Europe was at war. But—and perhaps more to the point Troell was aiming for—Christensen fills Segerstedt’s private life with doubt, questioning his position as a champion, reason being Segerstedt’s troubled marriage and later on, his even more troubled affair.

The ghosts of Segerstedt’s wife and then lover join his mother in continuously picking away at the old man for all the ways he failed them, undercutting even his most bold demonstrations against growing censorship at his paper. As his lover, Maja Forssman (Pernila August), is told by her sister-in-law, a monument had been made of the man, and Troell shadows his black and white biopic with the implications of that, as much as celebrating Segerstedt’s courageous voice.

It doesn’t feel like much of a coincidence that the archived footage Troell uses of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power focuses so much on the cult of leadership he’d built around him.

The same gnawing feeling in the gut is there at parties celebrating Segerstedt—at one point he’s even being paraded around a room, mounted on a ppier-mâché horse with a lance—and even as his friends celebrate him and all he’s done, the look on his lover’s face says more about how blind they are than what Segerstedt has achieved.

It feels like an meta depiction by the director, who wasn’t sure he wanted to do another film before being approached with Segerstedt’s story. There’s obvious hesitation about turning the man into a hero despite his being one of the brave few who spoke out against the horrifying crimes being committed right next to, and sometimes inside, Sweden and the government’s decision to look the other way. Even if it had not been filmed to match the archived footage, The Last Sentence would have stood in stark contrast to any North American telling of this story simply because it refused to paint Segerstedt as a saint—and tore down that imagery so literally.

But because of that approach, the film doesn’t always work. Segerstedt’s opening rebellion quickly gets swallowed by his affair with Frossman and the impact their flouted relationship had on his wife. It establishes that this black and white film will be full of grey, but as Segerstedt’s personal troubles increase, and the shrouded ghosts of mistreated women gossiping at his bedside keep growing in number, his good work is eclipsed by his selfish private life almost entirely.

The Last Sentence makes for a fantastic commentary on how we put our supposed heroes on pedestals and how much we tend to sweep under the rug for them—and despite being released in 2012, its appearance at this year’s festival feels timely. But as the film heads methodically and darkly through its two long hours and Segerstedt grows more unlikeable with each private scene, the hero worship is so thoroughly trampled that it becomes hard to care about his accomplishments at all.

B-

Community Calendar NOVEMBER 11, 2014 http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2014/11/11/community-calendar-57 European Union Film Festival The 10th European Union Film Festival, in which a film from each member country of the European Union will be showcased runs from now until Nov. 30 at the Royal Cinema, 608 College St., Toronto. Included is the Swedish film The Last Sentence, about crusading anti-Nazi journalist Torgny Segerstedt.

Admission is free to all screenings throughout the festival. For more information, go to www.eutorontofilmfest.ca.

Eye on Arts november 13, 2014 NO ARCHIVE AVAILABLE ONLINE Arts in Brief Toronto Jewish Film Festival and the European Union Film Festival co-present The Last Sentence, highlighting Swedish journalist Torgny Segerstedt’s one-man battle against Nazism and his country’s policy of appeasement to Hitler.

Admission free. Royal Cinema, 608 College St. (at Clinton), Wednesday Nov. 19, 8:30 p.m.

The Last Sentence Filed in Arts by Sheldon Kirshner on November 12, 2014 http://sheldonkirshner.com/?p=7302

Torgny Segerstedt was a courageous Swedish newspaper editor as Europe lurched toward the precipice of World War II. A former theologian who had a knack for recognizing the face of evil, he believed that the chancellor of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, was the personification of the devil.

Of course, Segerstedt’s assessment of Hitler was not shared by all his fellow Swedes, who hewed to the belief that Sweden had no alternative but to accommodate itself to the new fascist order in Germany In accordance with this perception, the Swedish government of Prime Minister Per Albin adopted a policy of neutrality, thinking it could insulate Sweden from the turbulence engulfing Europe in the 1930s.

Jan Troell’s Swedish-language film with English subtitles, The Last Sentence, skillfully recreates the life and times of Segerstedt, who died in 1945 as the war wound down. It will be screened at the Royal theater (608 College Street) on Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m. during the European Union Film Festival.

As the film opens, Segerstedt (Jesper Christensen), a tall and dignified man with a mane of white hair, writes a scathing anti-Hitler editorial for his newspaper in the southern city of Gothenberg. His judicious boss, Axel Forssman (Bjorn Granath), seems taken aback by its vehemence. He warns him that he’s just declared war on Germany. Segerstedt couldn’t care less. He’s on a one-man mission to expose Hitler.

The Last Sentence, though, is not only about Segerstedt the crusading journalist. It’s also about Segerstedt the adulterer. He and Forssman’s Jewish wife, Maja (Pernilla August), are having an affair. Segerstedt’s wife, Puste (Ulla Skoog), is aware of it, as is Forssman. For reasons never fully explained, neither Puste nor Forssman are seriously prepared to challenge Segerstedt.

Compared with the political issues that consume him, Segerstedt’s adultery is really a distraction. The issue at hand here is Sweden’s policy toward Germany.

By 1938, Segerstedt’s enemies in Sweden have had their full of him. Much to his distress, one of his three beloved dogs is poisoned by one of his enemies.

After Albin (Kenneth Milldoff) makes a speech promising to keep Sweden out of a war, he instructs the foreign minister, Christian Gunther (Peter Andersson), to apply pressure on Segerstedt to tone down his editorials. Forssman confronts Segerstedt, too, informing him that upset advertisers are pulling out their ads from the newspaper.

In a pivotal scene rife with high tension, Albin accuses Segerstedt of compromising Sweden’s national security. Silence is acquiescence, Segerstedt retorts. Choose your words carefully so that Sweden will not be plunged into a war with Germany, Albin counters.

The Swedish monarch, King Gustav V, tries to sway Segerstedt as well. Swedes would prefer to be Germans rather than Russians, the king says in an allusion to his hatred of communism. Segerstedt is unmoved. The forces of evil, as represented by the Nazi movement in Germany, must be fought, he argues.

Troell’s film portrays Segerstedt in saintly hues, despite his blatant philandering.

Christensen, sober and serious, is completely plausible as a man of conscience who will not betray his principles to the highest bidder. The rest of the cast is also impressive.

The Last Sentence recreates a troubling era when Sweden’s fate hung in the balance. As a political drama, it works like a well-oiled machine.

News You Can Use for Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 http://www.cp24.com/news/news-you-can-use-for-wednesday-nov-19-20141.2108899 EVENTS The European Union Film Festival is on until Nov. 30 at the Royal Cinema.

Things to know for Wednesday in Toronto: Weather, traffic and events It will be windy, snowy and chilly in Toronto today. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/19/things_to_know_for_wednesday_in_toront o_weather_traffic_and_events.html

Events: Each E.U. member country is represented by one film at the European Union Film Festival, on now until Nov. 30 at The Royal. Films from Ireland and Sweden screen today.

Film Festivals This Week

BY NORMAN WILNER NOVEMBER 19, 2014 8:00 PM https://nowtoronto.com/movies/film-fests-and-screenings/community-acts/ European Union Film Festival Contemporary films from many countries reflecting the excellence, innovation and diversity of European cinema. Free ($10 adv), opening night film & reception $25. Royal Cinema, 608 College. eutorontofilmfest.ca. To Nov 30

EUFF 2014: Block 12

by Eleni Armenakis November 24, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/24/euff-2014-block-12/

There’s undoubtedly a political and social commentary being made by Cyprus’ Block 12—it’s just hard to spot underneath the film’s over-the-top ridiculousness. The film lambasts everyone through caricature, making its points but loses the thread along the way because of its heavy-handed approach.

It’s director Kyriakos Tofaridis’ first time helming a feature film, which might be why things don’t fit as well as they could. Writer Panos Stathogiannis has knitted together a complicated story about the English finding a massive patch of oil underneath the home of Costantas Rizites (Costas Demetriou) and his wife Ellou (Karmen Rouggeri). It’s further complicated by the land’s history—Greek Cypriot Costantas bought the land off his Turkish Cypriot colleague—and the inexplicable appearance of an Indian goddess of love.

The film successfully shames English meddling while imagining a tidy resolution to the island’s issues thanks to the hash-wielding women of the Rizites family. And it devotes considerable time to criticizing a younger generation of perceived dilettantes, the country’s financial crisis, certain tourists, the Americans and, it seems, whoever else might have earned the ire of Tofaridis–though in many cases the criticism feels legitimate, especially at a political level (the film’s allusion to a real oil deposit off the coast of Cyprus helps its case).

But when every character on the screen starts turning into a joke, the impact of those observations gets watered down. The side-plot with goddess Haniya slowly working her love magic on most of the Rizides clan and the meddling officials who’ve come to swindle the family out of the oil toes a dangerous line as she, on the one hand, stands up to racism and single-handedly takes on and defeats the English officials, but on the other is set up as nothing more than an available body for distribution whenever someone is in need.

It fits a bigger theme of help coming from unexpected sources. As the politicians, and even the men of the Rizides family, dread having the women find out about the oil because it will mean having to deal with them, in the end that’s exactly what it comes down to. And while it gives the women, like Haniya, a chance to prove their critics wrong, the way it plays out undermines them in the same way as Haniya. Tofaridis, who’s clearly not interested in using subtlety to get any point across, just can’t seem to handle the issue of sex with any kind of thoughtfulness.

It’s not all bad and there are some real laughs to be had, especially before Tofaridis gets lost in his attempt at re-creating Indian cinema as unapologetically as he can. Michalis Marinos does a great job as a music encyclopedia/Cypriot secret service agent trying to dance along to the Greek anthem, even if his post-Haniya breakdown takes away most of his charm. The president’s lackey, who tags along to meetings only to sit in a corner and snack, ends up as quite the scene-stealer and Rouggeri delivers far more than her on-screen husband as a put upon wife and mother. All Block 12 needed was a touch more restraint.

C

SIMON PRIBAC, Co-protagonista de EXIT: “Todo es possible”

BY ANNA BUIRA CINE, CULTURANOVIEMBRE 14, 2014 http://www.torontoentero.ca/simon-pribac-coprotagonista-exit-todo-es-posible/

lenco de actores de la película Izhod (Exit), sin haberlo ni siquiera planeado. Un día cualquiera, estando en Eslovenia, recibe una llamada de alguien que quiere hablarle de la producción de una película. Se reúne con dos hombres que lo último que parecen ser es un director y un productor de cine. En la reunión le comentan que están preparando una película, que tienen algunas localizaciones ya pactadas y le proponen formar parte de la película en el rol de policía. Le hablan de explosiones, de helicópteros, Porches y Lamborghinis… Simon busca la cámara oculta pensando que se trataba de una broma… En la siguiente reunión, le propusieron ser uno de los personajes principales de la historia, y al poco tiempo, empezaron el rodaje. Me cuenta con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja lo bien que lo pasaron grabando la película y el esfuerzo que puso todo el equipo para que saliera adelante…

Simon Pribac, googleo y me encuentro con: artista, consultor de estrategias comerciales y márketing, locutor de radio, coordinador de eventos, diplomático público, artista de música electrónica… ¿Cómo te describirías?

Multifuncional, una persona multidisciplinaria. Estudié un programa de márketing en la Universidad de York, que como la misma universidad define es multidisciplinario, y me imagino pues, que este programa produce eso: profesionales multidisciplinarios. ¿Por qué decidiste estudiar teatro y, qué tiempo dedicas ahora mismo a esta área profesional?

Empecé a hacer teatro en el instituto y seguí con él tanto en Eslovenia, mi país natal, como en Italia.

Luego empecé a trabajar en el mundo de la música electrónica como artista, e hice espectáculos y conciertos por toda Europa, incluyendo España, Alemania, y Eslovenia, entre otros. Llegó un momento en el que decidí mejorar mis conocimientos como actor con formación académica; y la verdad, creo que es lo mío. Una cosa me fue llevando a la otra, y ahora mismo no estoy trabajando en

el campo del teatro, sino que estoy más puesto en la carrera profesional de consultor de márketing.

Pero el mundo del teatro y del espectáculo es siempre una pasión.

Pasemos a hablar de Izhod (Exit), película dirigida por Dejan Babosek. ¿Qué nos cuenta esta película?

La película es de acción-drama y refleja los problemas que se encuentran los jóvenes europeos actualmente, teniendo en cuenta el contexto de crisis político-social. Eso sí, siempre con un punto satírico y de exageración. Una de las características de esta película es que “se quita los guantes” y te habla de forma directa. Como alguien comentó en su momento, esta película es una sobredosis de activismo popular con algo de redención. Es una película interesante y representa un triunfo para el cine independiente esloveno porque es la primera película que se produce para la gran pantalla con sólo dinero de entusiastas y sin ayuda del gobierno.

Imagen promocional Exit/Izhod (película del European Union Film Festival) En esta película interpretas el personaje de Andrew: trabaja en una agencia de viajes local y decide emprender ¡el viaje de su vida! ¿Te parece que este personaje refleja una mayoría de la población de la sociedad actual?

Yo diría, que indirectamente, refleja aspiraciones de mucha gente que están viviendo una situación bastante difícil en este contexto europeo. Se habla de diferentes niveles de corrupción, llegando también a la corrupción moral. Así que la película comparte unos sentimientos que reflejan este periodo actual y la parte de la gente que lo está viviendo. Y no sólo en Europa, se podría hacer extensible a otras partes del mundo. ¿Crees que mucha gente piensa en hacer un gran paso o un gran cambio en sus vidas, pero hay poca que realmente se atreva a hacerlo?

Los cuatro personajes principales son lo que podríamos llamar “típicamente eslovenos”; conformistas, intentando no causar problemas, que en cierta forma también refleja la mentalidad canadiense… Y el personaje que yo interpreto es muy tranquilo, tratando de ser agradable y buena persona, aunque un poco patoso… una cosa sí tiene, su primo. Andrew tiene un primo que vive en una isla tropical, no sabemos muy bien de qué trabaja pero vive allí y tiene negocios y mucho dinero. Pues este primo, que curiosamente es serbio, no esloveno, es el que mantiene el coraje y le da el apoyo a Andrew para que pueda hacer algo diferente. Gracias a él, Andrew pasa de ser el chico tranquilo y conformista al convencido que coge el toro por los cuernos en cualquiera de las situaciones que se le aparecen. ¿Todos necesitamos este primo, o esta persona que nos dé apoyo o coraje para hacer un salto?

Muchas veces sí que necesitas esto en la vida. Muchas veces la gente piensa mucho, y tiene sueños y a veces… evidentemente no sugeriría a la gente que robara a un banco, pero sí que hicieran pasos y se animaran a hacer ciertos cambios. Puede ayudar que tengas a alguien que te de coraje, y que sobretodo te diga: “¡Puedes hacerlo! ¡Realmente puedes, y lo tienes que hacer ahora!”. La verdad es que ahora mismo en Europa, hay muchos jóvenes que buscan mejores opciones y tratan de dar el salto a nuevos países para mejorar su situación… ¿Qué es lo que más te gusta de Andrew, el personaje que interpretas en esta película?

Me gusta mucho su transformación como persona. Me gusta como este chico pasivo y tranquilo se convierte en un atracador de bancos, e incluso disfruta más de esta experiencia que sus compañeros, que en un principio eran más agresivos y estaban más motivados para pasar a la acción.

¿Me puedes contar alguna anécdota del rodaje?

Fue muy divertido grabar esta película, entre otras cosas, porque grabamos en distintos países como Eslovenia, Francia y Mónaco. Recuerdo un día en que el productor me dijo, “oye mira, mañana grabaremos por la tarde, así que esta noche puedes salir y divertirte”. Estábamos en Francia, y dije pues por qué no… Al día siguiente, el productor me despierta al amanecer y me dice, “venga Simon ven conmigo a Mónaco que me tienes que ayudar con la coordinación y logística de unos helicópteros para la película…” Total que me arrastró hasta un Lamborghini que teníamos para la película y, técnicamente, me desperté dentro de él de lo rápido que conducía.

Imagen promocional del actor EslovenoCanadiense Simon Privac en Exit/Izhod (película del European Union Film Festival) Regresamos a Toronto… ¿Cómo crees que el público va a recibir esta película?

Creo que esta película ofrece una perspectiva de cómo la gente está viviendo y percibiendo la situación de crisis en Europa. Creo que por lo general, la gente que vive en Toronto no tiene una imagen correcta o global de lo que está ocurriendo allí y cómo la gente joven se ve afectada por esto. Evidentemente, la película lleva la situación a un extremo, pero pienso que es una buena manera de hacernos reflexionar. ¿Las películas europeas difieren mucho de las americanas?

Generalmente sí, lo puedes detectar a simple vista, aunque siempre hay directores de los dos lados que intentan hacer el cine del otro. En el caso de Izhod (Exit) el director creo que quiso adoptar un poco el estilo de cine americano separándose un poco de lo que entendemos por películas europeas.

Es un experimento interesante.

Hace tiempo que vives en Toronto… ¿Mantienes tu relación con tu país natal? ¡Sí! Voy a Eslovenia como mínimo una vez al año. A veces es para participar en espectáculos de música electrónica, a veces para representar la película… Una vez me llamaron también para hablar en el parlamento, fue curioso. La verdad es que mantengo una relación estrecha y fuerte con mi país, aunque vivo en Canadá. Y no te creas, cada vez que termino un proyecto pienso en volver a Eslovenia… ¡Y luego me dan otro proyecto! Quizá algún día… ¿En qué proyecto estás trabajando ahora mismo?

Pues la verdad es que es bastante curioso porque en esta película interpreto finalmente a un atracador de un banco… y en mi vida actual, estoy trabajando en un proyecto de márketing para un banco.

Ya para terminar… ¿Todo es posible? ¡Todo es posible! Como diría el primo Alexander en el set de la película: “Si tienes huevos, ¡todo es posible!”.

Podréis disfrutar de esta película y ver Simon Pribac en acción el jueves 20 de noviembre, a las 8:30 de la tarde, durante el European Union Film Festival.

EUFF 2014 REVIEW: EXIT

BY SEAN KELLY NOVEMBER 19, 2014 http://thetfs.ca/2014/11/19/euff-2014-review-exit/#.VInXcGTF_r9

Peter Volk (Aljoša Kovačič) is a young man who regularly parties with his best friend Andrew (Simon Pribac) and their girlfriends Lara (Katarina Jurkovic) and Sara (Gea Erjavec). Tired of the routine of their lives, the four decide to start their lives fresh on a lifetime holiday. However, when Peter finds that all his family’s money has been swindled away, a plan is put into motion to rob one of the biggest banks in Slovenia.

It is obvious right from the hard rocking opening credits that the satirical heist film Exit is aspiring to be a cool little genre picture. The film isn’t entirely successful in this regard, especially since the first half of the film is quite weak, with these four friends not being particularly likeable. This is especially true in regards to their very hedonistic viewpoint on life, with them regularly getting high on cocaine and going clubbing. Lead protagonist Peter narrates the story, which includes the need to describe every single new character, no matter how large their role.

Exit improves somewhat in the second half, as the heist gets underway and thing starts to blow out of proportion as the police and media arrive on the scene. This is where the film develops its satire, as a sociopolitical context makes this bank robbery much bigger than it was initially intended to be.

Is Exit essential festival viewing?

Exit is probably not as cool or smart a film as it thinks it is and the first half of the film is pretty cringe-worthy. However, the film might still be worth seeing for the central bank heist and sociopolitical satire.

Exit screening times Thursday, November 20, 2014 – 8:30 pm – The Royal Cinema

EUFF Interview: Simon Pribac talks about ‘Exit’ Ulkar Alakbarova / 1 week ago http://moviemovesme.com/2014/12/03/1004/

The Slovenian film Exit is played as a part of the European Union Film Festival in Toronto, in which all films are screened at the Royal Cinema. Exit is quite an interesting film about two best friends, who agree to help the other rob a bank. I had a chance to speak with Simon Pribac, who played Andrej in Exit, over the phone in Toronto. And here is what he had to tell me about the character he played.

MMM: You play a character that tomorrow, if there is an opportunity to rob a bank; it seems Andrey would be there first.

Simon Pribac: I don`t think so. Andrej is very quiet on the outside, but very wild on the inside. At the beginning it looks like his girlfriend a bit wild, but he is a bit quiet, and reserved. I think, in his personality, Andrej is always hiding that desire to do something really out there, and this is one of the opportunities that comes for him.

MMM: How did Peter and Andrej end up requesting the ministers to resign? Was it because they felt they would be in charge if they held hostages? Why did they turn everything into politics?

Simon Pribac: They were living through a time of crisis in Europe. It was not a typical bank robbery. So, they decided, -we will take what is ours, plus expenses, and it was dangerous. So their first motivation was to get back what was stolen from Peter. They also lived through the time of crisis on different levels. Because right now, Europe is facing political and moral crisis. It`s very engraved in them..

And when things escalate, they find they have the power to change things. They decide to jeopardize it.

MMM: “Exit” is your first film experience. How did you end up playing Andrej?

Simon Pribac: I studied acting at Ryerson University. And one day I was in Slovenia. . I was there doing an internship for a PR Agency, and all of a sudden, I got a a phone call to meet with the director and producer. And, all of a sudden, we started shooting. It was real.

MMM 4: You used to be a performer in the electronic music scene, under the stage name ‘Mc Flasher’. You were one of the co-organizers of Canada`s largest Latin festival- Salsa on St. Clair. And now, you`re an actor, and founder of the international organization ‘Final Flash’. Is there anything left you have not done?

Simon Pribac: I like art, organization and marketing. Those are the things I revolve around; whatever I do it is always touched upon by marketing, performance and organization.

MMM: In 2012, you gave a speech in Parliament, in Slovenia, on the subject of Diaspora, Youth and Opportunities. Can you talk about that?

Simon Pribac: There are so many opportunities out there, especially for the Slovenia community. They are not utilized to their full extent. There are many examples of opportunities out there that could be implemented. This would help the community on both sides of the ocean to develop and prosper.

EUFF 2014: Exit

by Sarah Khan November 27, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/27/euff-2014-exit/

Slovenia’s entry into this year’s European Union Film Festival is an infuriatingly awful clusterfuck of clichés called Exit. The film takes the simple concept of a bank robbery and turns it into a nonsensical claptrap that tries far too hard to be clever and unique.

Exit follows two couples who are so sick and tired of their routine lives that they decide to quit it all and go live on a tropical paradise, funded by the massive inheritance of one of these four. But when they go to the bank to retrieve this fortune, they learn that the company in which it had been invested has gone bankrupt leaving the investors high and dry. Heartbroken, the friends all but give up until one of them decides that robbing the bank which led them astray was their solution and set out to plan the perfect scheme to fund their fantasy. Facing ridiculous obstacles, like a second group of robbers who decides to rob the same bank at the same time and a pair of testosterone-driven detectives, the friends struggle to fight their way to their dream.

Sure, it sounds like a great movie, but it is not. Its most obvious flaw is that it exudes that cringeworthy feeling of “trying too hard.” From bizarre camera angles that run the gamut of Scorseseesque to a handheld camcorder, dreadful over-the-top acting and scenes oozing with too many clichés the audience can’t help but flinch at its banality. The film’s only sex scene is the worst of them all for it’s shot with coloured mood lighting behind silhouettes, appears simultaneously for both couples and looks like it was ripped off from a 90s soft core porno.

Couple that with the bizarre plot twists–such as the fact that a renowned hacker requested 20,000 Euros be donated to a children’s hospital as his payment or the fact that, when cornered, the two males embark on a joint soliloquy about political corruption during negotiation with the police or,

best of all, the “twist” ending of the film–and you’ll be squirming with embarrassment for the film.

The biggest flaw, however, is the fact that the two women who make up half the main cast are hideously underdeveloped. They seemingly only differ in their hair colour and names (just barely, since they are called Lara and Sara) and seem to be nothing more than a way to keep the film from being a total sausage fest.

Overall, this movie could easily be mistaken for one made by film students who have watched too many kitschy thrillers and have more gumption than talent.

F

Weekend events in Toronto: November 21-23, 2014 Posted by Aubrey Jax / NOVEMBER 20, 2014FILM http://www.blogto.com/radar/2014/11/weekend_events_in_toronto_november_2123_2014/ November film festivals This weekend the film fests number less than November weekends past, but they're free, free, free. Chose between European Union Film Festival (Nov 15-30) at the Royal and Regent Park Film Fest (Nov 19-22) at Daniel's Spectrum. I'm kidding, you don't have to chose. Happy watching.

EUFF 2014: West

by Sarah Khan November 27, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/11/27/euff-2014-west/

Everyone thinks of the Nazis when they think of horrific times in German history, but the nearly 30 years that the Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin were a lesserknown horror. West gives us a poignant look at the agony that came hand in hand with crossing from the East and starting life anew in the West.

Three years after the death of her boyfriend, Nelly and her nine-year-old son, Alexej, decide to leave the German Democratic Republic in the hopes of making a new life for themselves in the western Federal Republic of Germany. Nelly pretends to marry a West Berliner in order to successfully cross the Berlin Wall and, after that, she and Alexej find themselves the residents of an emergency refugee house where the past which Nelly was trying to escape catches up with her. The Allied Secret Services who govern West Berlin interrogate her on information about her late boyfriend who they suspect was a spy. The trauma of the daily interrogations and her growing sense of paranoia force Nelly to decide whether or not she is willing to forget the past and move on or let it haunt her and Alexej forever.

West is a remarkable work of cinema which is near perfect in every way. The spectacular acting is what’ll jump at you before anything and it deserves to be acknowledged. Jördis Triebel’s portrayal of dedicated, emotional yet fierce,

independent single-mother Nelly, rightfully won her the 2013 Montreal World Film Festival and 2014 German Film awards for Best Leading Actress. Relative newcomer Tristan Göbel often steals the scenes as the adorable yet sadly mature Alexej and the handful of supporting cast only add to the film’s excellence.

On top of that, the film’s plot is rock solid. I’m always most critical of story than anything else and there is not a single thing about which to complain when it comes to the story of West. The story is linear without being monotonous, succinct without feeling rushed and even educational without being boring. It beautifully illustrates Nelly’s inner and outer turmoil as she attempts to move away from a past that refuses to leave her alone. The story is heavy and full of action, taking the audience on a ride of welcomed highs and lows.

Add to that the superficial things one expects in a good movie–excellent camerawork that isn’t distracting, beautiful cinematography that takes you back to the groovy 70s and the tactful administration of both light- and heavyhearted moments–and you’ve got a movie that is as close to perfect as a film can get.

Despite the heavy subject matter and its depiction of one of the worst times in German history, you’ll walk away from West with a big smile and an incurable feeling of hope. For that alone this film deserves watching and re-watching.

A+

Limbo. Movies Reviewed: The Homesman, West https://danielgarber.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/limbo-movies-reviewed-the-homesman-west/ West (Westen) Dir: Christian Schwochow It’s the 1970s and Germany is divided. Nelly Senff (Jördis Triebel) is a beautiful and successful scientific researcher in East Berlin. She has a long-distance relationship with her Russian lover Vassily, who regularly visits her and their son Alexey (Tristan Göbel) in Berlin. But when he dies in a car crash, her life, and that of Alexey, is changed. She finds the endless interrogations and stripsearches in the DDR humiliating and unbearable. And when she applies for an exit visa, her good job disappears. So when they finally successfully cross over to the West, she expects to find, freedom, privacy and a well-paying job.

Instead, they end up stuck in a strange, no-mans-land called the Emergency Refugee Centre.

East Berlin is still held by the Soviets, while West Berlin is occupied by the US, French and British military – a relic of WWII, kept alive by the cold war. She is strip-searched in the west side, too, given cards to punch, and turned down from working. And she is soon called into regular interrogations with John, a black American intelligence officer with a pencil thin moustache (Jacky Ido). She becomes paranoid after he hints that her Russian lover might still be alive, and that Stasi might be spying on her.

Meanwhile, back at the dormitory, her son attaches himself to a new father figure, Hans (Alexander Scheer).

Hans was a former Germany West : Westen Toronto EU Film Festivaljailed dissident in the East, but, in spite of this, some people suspect him of being a Stasi informer.

Nelly is suspicious too, but she fails to see he’s the only one helping poor Alexey handle the constant bullying.

They don’t like the (Easterners) there. Her paranoia grows as her happiness seems unreachable. Nelly is left wondering is the West any different from the East?

This is a fascinating, semi-autobiographical movie that has an historical connection. It was written by a mother and directed by a son who had crossed over from the DDR themselves. I remember meeting refugees from the East living in West Berlin, but never knew what they had gone through. Very illuminating, realistic look at Berlin in the 1970s.

The Homesman opens today in Toronto, check your local listings, and West plays tonight at a free screening at the Royal. It’s part of the EU film festival which runs for another week. Go to eutorontofilmfest.ca for details.

EUFF Review: “West” (2013) Ulkar Alakbarova / November 22, 2014 http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/22/euff-review-west-2013/ Original title: Lagerfeuer Directed by: Christian Schwochow Written by: Heide Schwochow, Julia Franck (novel; “Lagerfeuer”) Cinematography by: Frank Lamm Casting: Jordis Triebel, Tristan Göbel, Alexander Scheer, Jacky Ido, Anja Antonowicz, Ryszard Ronczewski, Andreas Nickl, Polina Voskresenskaya, Hendrik Arnst, Michal Benthin The past has a way of hunting down those who desperately try to run away, but, how far will this person go to forget and leave behind something that was so close to their heart? West, directed by Christian Schwochow, follows Nelly, who sees her future as bright and exciting living in the West of Germany. But, her painful and tragic past follows her, when she has to make a tremendous choice; leave behind the past, and live a happy life on the other side of the Wall, or forgets her plans for the future and make her life intolerable by living a life that will bring her nothing but endless suffering.

West begins with its heroes, Nelly, East German (Jördis Triebel), and her son, Alexej Senff, who stand outside kissing a family member goodbye – Nelly`s fiancé, who is also Alexej`s father. This takes place in 1975. Three years later, West brings us back to the same moment, outside of the house where Nelly and her son live. This time, there are only two of them, because Alexej`s father was killed in a car accident. Because of this,

Nelly immigrates to thewest2 West, The Federal Republic of Germany, where she thinks can start a new life with her young son, who is wise beyond his years.

No sooner do Nelly and Alexej arrive in the West, when the Allied Intelligence Agencies begin to interrogate Nelly and demand information about her dead boyfriend, who is suspected to have been a spy. The questions are endless, and cause Nelly to relive her sensitive and heavy past. This soon becomes an obsession for her which puts her relationship with her son at risk, and also their delicate, and seemingly, happy future.

West has the indescribable power to keep its audience interested and engages the viewer in the story from the beginning to the end. Even when you reach the middle of the film, you are still curious about what else West has in store. The most amazing thing is, you will be asking yourself a lot of questions throughout the film, but the questions are answered immediately, before you have a chance to get bored. This would have never happen if not for the contribution of Christian Schochow, who felt as well as understood, the entire story, which is based on Julia Franck`s novel, Lagerfeuer.

Jรถrdis Triebel, who plays Nelly, is superb. Her performance is quite restrained, but at the same time, it`s amazing to see how she feels so comfortable in Nelly`s skin. You will become completely absorbed in her excellent performance. She has been recognized as the best actress in a Leading Role at the 2014 German Film Awards. Tristan Gรถbel, who plays Alexej, is terrific. While watching him, you find yourself conflicted as to whether laugh or cry.

West touches on quite a sensitive subject matter for Germans, however, this film manages to not to be political at all, and remains a touching and profound story of a woman who stays strong in an impossibly humiliating situation, occurring on the EastWest border. West gives an insightful look into the immigration experience, and the relationship between a mother and son, who as no one else can, becomes his mother`s savior; who has an ability to make her forget her painful past, and live in the beautiful present, to build a promising future.

European Union Film Festival Review- West Monday, November 17, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-union-film-festival-review-west.html The setting is East Berlin winter 1975. A woman and child exit a building make snowballs and take up post as the side of the door. A man exits the door and is pelted by the other two. He goes after the child laughingly but soon has to leave giving the child his sweater to help keep warm.

The story jumps ahead three months the woman again emerges from the same door with the child this time with their luggage packed as they hop into a waiting car and head toward the checkpoint for West Berlin. It's at the crossing where Nelly (Jordis Triebel) experiences the first instant of interrogation on her trip. Her son Alexej (Tristan Gobel) has to go to the bathroom taken there by a solider. Nelly is next removed from the car then forced to undress and remove her jewellery in a small room. When she returns Alexej is back in the vehicle and they cross to the West. Now on the other side the pair are dropped off at the West Berlin Refugee centre. Nelly is given some money, credit for 7 days worth of meals and a room with a set of bunk beds for her and Alexej in Block B. She is also given a card with twelve spots that she has to get stamped in order to become a citizen of the West enabling her to get a full time job and a place to live outside of the Centre.

Based on a self biographical novel by Julia Franck director Christian Schwochow weaves a tale that shows that forces on both sides of the Cold War benefitted when people lived in fear. Nelly has to answer questions from the Allied Security Services to earn one of the stamps. When she is asked day after day by CIA agent John Bird (Jacky Ido) why she came to the West she answers to avoid treatment similar to what she is currently enduring. It appears that officials on both sides of the wall are working the theory that Alexej's father Wassilij (Carlo Ljubek) a leading Russian Physicist and possible Stasi informant did not die three years go as believed but instead disappeared or defected and is now living anonymously in the West. This theory leads Nelly to believe both sides are watching her. Rumours of Stasi informants in the camp also get her guard up. The whisper of information effects everyone in the Centre especially Hans (Alexander Scheer) who befriends Alexej but is shunned and abused by other residents having been branded with the rat tag.

At first Nelly fights the interrogations and physical prodding but eventually realised cooperation is the best way to earn the stamps for their freedom. However her paranoia continued to mount as evidenced by a complete meltdown when Alexej leaves her a surprise gift in the apartment that she is sure was placed in her home by someone who broke in with bad intentions.

The film is rewarded with an excellent performance by Jordis Triebel in the lead role of Nelly. She brings the viewer right back to the high tension of a time in the not too distant past from her original overreaction to her son being taken to the washroom at the border as an act meant to separate them. In one moment she is defiant with the officials and security forces the next friendly and if it serves her purposes willing to use her female charms to achieve a goal.

Christian Schwochow brings to the screen a story set in a clandestant time that appears to have been very long ago. Much of the scenes in the interrogation room at the border, the Centre apartment hallways and inside the apartments themselves are dark perhaps a sign of the expected fate of many of the residence. It's an effective telling of an under explored subject and well worth the watch. *** Out of 4.

West | Christian Schwochow | Germany | 2014 | 102 Minutes.

Mariano Barroso: “No soy mala persona”

BY ANNA BUIRA CINE, CULTURADICIEMBRE 2, 2014

Hoy tengo el honor de compartir unos minutos con Mariano Barroso, director, guionista y productor de cine español. El motivo principal, hablar de su película “Todas las mujeres” presentada recientemente en el European Union Film Festival. La película cuenta la historia de Nacho, un veterinario, que se enfrenta a las mujeres que han significado algo en su vida. Ante él aparece su amante, su madre, su psicóloga, su compañera, su ex-novia y su cuñada. Con todas ellas tiene cuentas pendientes y a todas ellas se tiene que enfrentar para resolverlas.

“Todas las mujeres” fue primero una serie de 6 capítulos de televisión, y luego se presentó como película. ¿Por qué decidiste pasar la serie a película?

El proyecto inicialmente era una película. Lo que ocurrió es que apareció la posibilidad de hacerlo en formato para televisión, por el canal TNT en España y entonces le dimos formato de serie. Pero nunca renunciamos al formato ni a la duración del largometraje. La historia siempre estuvo concebida para comprimirla de forma que se fueran acumulando las historias del personaje. En términos de edición, primero editamos la serie, y luego editamos la película con nuevos cortes y nueva banda sonora. ¿Qué os inspiró a ti y a Alejandro Hernández para crear el guión de está película?

Me parecía interesante contar el retrato de un hombre visto por seis mujeres que formaran parte de su vida; que cada una contara su visión, como si de un prisma se tratara donde cada mujer es una cara y juntando todas ellas obtenemos un retrato del personaje masculino. La realidad es tan complicada que me gusta pensar que es la suma de todas las visiones que hay sobre esa misma realidad. Y cada una es distinta. Me parecía que era una buena manera de contar la historia de este personaje, mostrándolo desde los diferentes puntos de vista.

Hablando de Nacho, el personaje principal… en seguida nos damos cuenta de que es una persona llena de inseguridades y que evita siempre la confrontación. ¿Crees que este personaje refleja una parte de la sociedad masculina española o mundial?

Sí, alguien dijo que la película era un retrato del machismo y estoy de acuerdo, es un retrato de esa parte del comportamiento masculino que encubre una actitud muy cobarde porque efectivamente, lo que Nacho está intentando todo el rato es evitar la confrontación. Seguramente porque le han hecho mucho daño e intenta escabullirse de estas situaciones de confrontación. Pero al final es un hombre que busca la ayuda de todas estas mujeres para enfrentarse a otro hombre, su suegro.

La especie humana como tal da para muchas películas…

Claro, ¡sí! En esta película, por ejemplo, intentamos reflejar la ambivalencia de este personaje, de este especimen, que a nivel moral es un tipo impresentable y detestable, pero que a nivel humano es tierno y abrazable; sobre todo porque está pidiendo ayuda, lo cual es una manera de reconocerse necesitado e indefenso, lo cual despierta ternura en el espectador. Esta ambivalencia, estas contradicciones que tenemos los seres humanos dan lugar a retratos posibles de personajes llenos de misterio, de muchas capas que se superponen. Capas que vas descubriendo y que nunca acabas de descubrir porque el ser humano es infinito. ¿Puedes explicarme alguna anécdota del rodaje?

La casa donde vive el personaje era mi propia casa en ese momento, y se la dejé a Eduard, al actor, para que viviera en ella. Él dormía en mi cama y luego era también la cama del personaje, y entonces llegamos a un punto que era muy curioso (se ríe)… porque a Eduard lo despertábamos para rodar y había días que cuando rodábamos escenas de cama ya le decíamos ¡Eduard, no hace falta ni que te levantes porque rodamos en la cama! Él aprovechaba para seguir durmiendo unos minutos mientras iluminábamos…

Imagen promocional de la película "Todas las mujeres" del director Mariano Barroso. Torontoentero.ca

Con qué frase de las que dice Nacho a lo largo de la película te identificas más: “No soy mala persona”

“Me encanta este problema” “Esas cosas no se avisan” “No se habla de esto con una madre” Aunque solo por tener que decirlo, te convierte en sospechoso… pero ¡sí soy una buena persona!

Hay otra también que es la que usamos en el póster que dice “por qué os empeñáis todas en que diga la verdad”…

En muchas de tus producciones, Eduard Fernández aparece como personaje principal. ¿Por qué él para poner cuerpo y voz a tus personajes?

Primero de todo porque es un actor enorme con una humildad tremenda, una ternura apabullante y con una parte oscura muy potente que muestra esas dos capas de las que te hablaba antes. Pero sobre todo porque es un grandísimo actor y nos entendemos muy bien, ¡nos divertimos mucho trabajando juntos!, que es fundamental. Trabajar y rodar con Eduard es como jugar; descubrimos cosas, nos reímos, y esto es muy gratificante. ¿Qué significa para ti que hayan seleccionado “Todas las mujeres” en el Festival Europeo de Cine de Toronto?

Un honor por muchas razones. Toronto es una ciudad de cine. Esta ciudad tiene el festival de cine más relevante del mundo. Me siento muy conectado con Toronto, porque tengo gente aquí a la que quiero mucho. Toronto también es una ciudad que admiro por toda la inmigración y la mezcla de culturas. Es una ciudad muy cosmopolita, activa, concienciada, llena de vida… Además tiene el café Future en Bloor St. y el Bar Italia en College Street, suficiente para perderse en ellos… ¿Cómo crees que la audiencia canadiense va a recibir esta película?

“Todas las mujeres” ha estado en muchos países, Estados Unidos, República Dominicana, Argentina, Holanda, Francia, Reino Unido, Italia… Yo tenía curiosidad por ver cómo los distintos públicos recibían la película. Para mi sorpresa, la recepción es muy similar en todas partes. La gente se ríe y reconoce a los personajes en las mismas escenas y en las mismas facetas. Les despierta este sentimiento por una parte de desprecio y por otra de ternura; lo quieres matar, pero también lo quieres abrazar. En Ámsterdam, en Madrid, en París, en Roma, en Buenos Aires… espero que también en Toronto.

Te formaste profesionalmente tanto en América como en Europa. ¿La forma de hacer cine es muy distinta? ¿En qué se parecen y en qué son diferentes?

Es completamente distinta, opuesta incluso te diría. La diferencia está principalmente en que el cine norteamericano nació de un grupo de gente que eran principalmente inmigrantes y que la mayoría iban huyendo del nazismo. Esto les obligó a explorar y a producir películas que conectaran con el público porque necesitaban comer. En cambio, en el cine europeo se permite más la parte artística o de experimentación. Esto tiene de positivo que el cineasta puede ser más libre a la hora de hacer películas, pero por otra, a veces se olvida del público, y en definitiva es para quién hacemos las películas… ¿En qué proyectos estás trabajando en este momento?

Estoy con varios proyectos. En España se vive una situación bastante lamentable tanto política como social, con la corrupción metida hasta el fondo del sistema. En la industria cinematográfica o artística, a pesar del sabotaje por parte del gobierno, estamos defendiéndonos como podemos. Si me apuras, ahora más que nunca estamos activos. Tengo un par de guiones para los que estoy buscando financiación.

Ya por terminar… ¿Un grito?

Un grito… ¿El de la película dices? Nacho dice “lo mío es un grito de alguien que no puede más”, pero yo no me identifico con ese grito. Yo sí puedo más… Quiero más. Ese sería mi grito, “¡Quiero más…!” Más cine, más teatro, más música, más danza, más magia…

Daniel Garber talks to director Mariano Barroso about his new film All The Women at Toronto’s EU Film Festival https://danielgarber.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/daniel-garber-talks-to-director-mariano-barrosoabout-his-new-film-all-the-women-at-torontos-eu-film-festival/ Nacho is a cattle vet in his 40s in present-day Spain. He inseminates the cows at his father-in-law’s ranch. Life is dull. So when he hears of a plan involving rustling some cows and selling them across the border in Portugal, he jumps at the chance. He doesn’t like his wife’s father and could use the extra cash. But something goes wrong, that could wind up with him in jail. Nacho needs help and money. So he turns for advice to the women in his life — all the women.

All The Women, (Todas las Mujeres) is also the name of a new comedy/drama. Adapted from a Spanish TV series, the movie is a collection of short scenes of Nacho talking with the women in his life: his wife, his mother, a lover, an ex-girlfriend, his sister-in-law and a psychiatrist. This movie’s a big hit in Spain and won a Goya prize — the Spain’s Oscars.

I spoke with Spanish director Mariano Barroso in Madrid by telephone. He talks about Nacho’s character– both mean and loveable, reactions to the movie by All The Women EU film fest Spainwomen and men at festivals around the world, what he changed from the TV, why this movie is like an “internal” road movies, the nature of the dialogue, the “cruelty” of the script, the most difficult female character to portray, the film’s rural setting, his cinematic influences (Coppola, Scorcese), theatrical influences (Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill) and the director’s visit to Toronto.

His film ALL THE WOMEN is having its Toronto debut this Saturday at 6 pm, at Toronto’s EU Film Festival.

European Union Film Festival: Clownwise Review

BY STACIA KISSICK JONES ON NOVEMBER 24, 2014 http://nextprojection.com/2014/11/24/european-union-film-festival-clownwisereview/

Clownwise (2013) Cast: Julie Ferrier, Kati Outinen, Krystof Hádek Directors: Viktor Taus Country: Slovakia | Luxembourg | Czech Republic | Finland Genre: Comedy | Drama Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the European Union Film Festival.

For more information on the festival visit www.eutorontofilmfest.ca and follow the European Union Film Festival on Twitter at @EUFFToronto.

It was 1985 when Oskar (Didier Flamand) fled communist Czechoslovakia for France. One-third of the noted Czech political comedy trio known as Busters, his departure was the fatal blow to the group. The two remaining members, Max (Oldrich Kaiser) and Viktor (Jirí Lábus), struggled to find their own way after the breakup, while Oskar’s family endured hostility from a Communist Party

angry at his defection. Nearly thirty years later, after being hailed as “The King of Clowns” in much of Europe, Oskar has returned to Prague for his final performance, facing a skeptical public and the complicated relationships he left behind.

Clownwise, alternating between bittersweet nostalgia and dark comedy, features a host of fine supporting performances desperately searching for a plot. A mash-up of tropes about art, aging, love and death circulate aimlessly around the character of Oskar, a lightly sketched ladies’ man with almost no discernible talent for comedy. Oskar is not a clown in the American sense of the word, but a mime artist, a silent performer with a well-regarded Pagliaccio-style character that made him famous in France. Flamand shows his solid talent for pathos and fairs well in straight dramatic scenes, but he appears to lack the comedy gene, and at times it’s impossible to believe Flamand’s Oskar could ever have been considered the “King of Clowns.”

Not so with Kaiser and Lábus, two actors who have finely honed comedic and acting skills used to great effect as the comedians left behind when Oskar defected. Max, a clown whose revolutionary stylings prior to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia made him popular with the public, is implied to have sold out, now enjoying a cushy Hollywood-like career and a wife half his age. Meanwhile, Viktor is stuck in a crumbling old home, nursing his wife Sylvie (a terrific Kati Outinen) and decades-old grudges, all while honing an impressive mastery of feces-based insults.

As Mel Brooks says, “Comedy is protest,” and Kaiser’s and Lábus’ famous real-life comedic partnership is no stranger to protest. Their experiences, both while Czechoslovakia was under communist rule and afterward, give Clownwise its only texture and substance. This real-world partnership also allows for a few in-jokes, but when their characters finally meet toward the finale, this relationship becomes the sole impetus for their behavior, an accidental breaking of the fourth wall that is so manipulative it’s a little offensive.

Clownwise steadfastly refuses to allow its characters much depth. Some of this is perhaps due to the English subtitles, riddled with so many errors that it’s a certainty that something was lost in translation. When Max’s age changes not once but twice, for instance, it’s impossible for nonCzech speakers to know if that was an intentional joke or just a typo. Not every moment that lacks clarity can be blamed on subtitles, however. Oskar’s girlfriend Fabienne (Julie Ferrier) is so insubstantial, for instance, that we’ll never know if she has self-consciously styled herself as Guilietta Masina in La Strada on purpose or if the filmmakers just thought giving her that hat was a neat idea.

Fabienne only exists as yet another person who falls apart because of Oskar’s inattention. When he left for France all those years ago, everyone around him crumbled, but it’s unclear why. Oskar is a light romantic lead at best, a low-impact womanizer whose screen presence is so inadequate Clownwise would make more sense if he were revealed to be a ghost floating around his own past. In a sense, he is, but it’s a past that lacks structure due not to his own inattention but a lack of attention to the narrative. There are some touching moments and subtle scenes of slightly dark, wry comedy that are very effective, but they’re swallowed whole by a series of forced interpersonal conflicts that lack emotional weight. Clownwise desperately wants your laughs, your sighs and your tears, but can only elicit a couple of chuckles and maybe a smirk.

5.2

MEDIOCRE

There are some touching moments and subtle scenes of slightly dark, wry comedy that are very effective, but they're swallowed whole by a series of forced interpersonal conflicts that lack emotional weight. Clownwise desperately wants your laughs, your sighs and your tears, but can only elicit a couple of chuckles and maybe a smirk.

Things to know for Tuesday in Toronto: Weather, traffic and events More wind and a 30 per cent chance of flurries expected today in Toronto. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/25/things_to_know_for_tuesday_in_tor onto_weather_traffic_and_events.html Events: The European Union Film Festival continues today with movies from the Netherlands and Hungary.

News You Can Use: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 http://www.cp24.com/news/news-you-can-use-tuesday-nov-18-2014-1.2106960 Â EVENTS: The European Union Film Festival is on at the Royal Cinema until Nov. 30 featuring films from over two dozen countries across Europe.

Estonian entry at the European Union Film Festival Estonian Life Kultuur 31 Oct 2014 EL (Estonian Life)Eesti Elu http://www.eesti.ca/estonian-entry-at-the-european-union-film-festival-estonianlife/article43448

“Flowers from the Mount of Olives” will be screened on Monday, November 24, at 18.00. at the Royal Cinema, 608 College St., (west of Bathurst). For more info: eutorontofilmfest.ca.

Estonian nun Mother Ksenya lives in a Russian Orthodox Convent at the Mount of Olives alongside Jerusalem. Although inside the convent’s cementr walls the clock is never set and life still follows the Julius calendar, the 20 years the Mother Ksenya has spent there have passed in a flash.

She is now at the second-to-last level in the hierarchy of th nunnery. She is heading toward the Great Schema – complete silence. But now she is still allowed to tell the story of her life.

Awards: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Locarno International Film Festival, Bratislava International Film Festival, EstDocs Jury Award. Director: Hellika Pikkov. Runtime 70 minutes.

Release date 2014.

This article also ran in the following media outlet:

European Union Film Festival Review - Flowers From the Mount of Olives Tuesday, November 18, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-union-film-festival-review_18.html When we first see Mother Ksenya she is walking towards the camera from a distance twisting her wrist ball striking alternately on a block of wood as she approaches. She has achieved every step she can in the Monastery except one the Great Schema a vow of silence but the Mother Abbess does not think she is ready. Ksenya will take it if it comes but in the meantime she will carry out her duties at the Convent. She would not mind taking a vow of silence as she does not want to speak to many people anyways and does not know many of the newer nuns. Your first impression is that you are viewing a kind old woman who has been quietly devoted to the church for decades. That is until she begins to tell her story.

As the decision on the final step approaches director Heilika Pikkov is permitted to have unique access to the convent and speak to Ksenya about her life and capture daily life at the Convent.

They start from the beginning Ksenya's birth in Estonia in 1928, pictures present on screen showing her soon after birth and her patents as young adults. She did not have many friends as a child and her memory of her parent's marriage was them fighting all the time. Her father had a moment of indiscretion that inspired her mother to turn her against her father. The attempt did not work even when her mother left for another man taking her with her. She always excelled at school and was at the top of her class with early plans to be a pilot or an aeronautical engineer.

The narrative film flips back and forth from Ksenya telling her life story to the every day activities in the monastery. Pikkov's lens captures a postrig sacrament as a novice becomes a nun receiving her habit for the first time, the nuns fussing over the precise positions for golden

standing candlesticks, and a group of nuns in the kitchen kneading bread to make loafs and buns.

Another sequence focuses on a num preparing to sound the bell for morning prayers. She does not just swing the clapper against the inside of the bell instead she works it back and forth closer and closer before it begins to strike.Yet another documents the olive harvesting process.

Ksenya continues her tale seated on the ground with a shoebox filled with old photos. She begins to sort though photos of former boyfriends and pauses longer when she gets to each of her three prior husbands. She tells of her time while still in school she became a translator for the Germans during the Second World War. She was on hand when the raided farms, carried a gun and was seen by some as a traitor to her country. But it was through this position that she was able to escape first to Latvia and then to freedom after the war.

The daily life at the monastery is filled with regular chores in particular taking care of plants. The Convent has a reputation in the area and people bring all of their sick plants to them for rehabilitation. Ksenya calls it their magic soil and once planted the plant is healthy again in a couple of days. During one scene She maliciously presses blossoms into a book with painstakingly slow accuracy. The nuns are often twisting, turning and manoeuvring loss stalks into different shapes and forms.

We do get some details on her former husbands. The first marriage was to a German at 18, the next to Enn who helped her recovery from an addiction and she followed to Australia. The third to a fellow academic when she worked as an Oncologist in Australia their union lasting 23 years.

Until approved for her last step Mother Ksenya now at 83 years old will continue her duties of service. She has 400 people that she prays for regularly and her duties include giving both religious and psychological advise. With the many places she has lived and spend significant time she is easily able to communicate in multiple languages. In Australia as she was approaching 50 she felt a calling to the church beginning to spend more time in the spiritual world and less in the secular one until her new Spiritual Father told her it was time to take her vows. When her Spiritual Father moved to the Russian Orthodox Convent outside of Jerusalem she followed. Her next step will be the final one of monastic life . If she does not get permissions she will continue along with her formal duties, gardening, pressing flowers and taking care of her family of turtles Markus, Lisa and Versa. If she does this film will serve as a compelling account as any of the last telling of the story of their life. *** 1/2 out of 4.

Flowers From the Mount of Olives | Heilika Pikkov | Estonia | 2013 | 69 Minutes.

EUFF Documentary Review: “Flowers from the Mount Of Olives” (2013) Ulkar Alakbarova / November 24, 2014 http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/24/euff-documentary-review-flowers-from-the-mount-ofolives-2013/

Original title: Õlimäe õied Director: Heilika Pikkov Screenplay: Heilika Pikkov Music composed by: Sven Grünberg Producer: Ulo Pikkov Genres: Documentary film, History, Drama Running time: 70 minutes

Everyone has their own story to tell. This is why documentary film is important to let people speak up about their experience in a compelling and creative way to make us think and analyze our life.

When we walk on the street we pay no attention to other people; we are all deep in our own thoughts. And when, for example, we see nuns crossing the street, we might not pay attention to them at all. Perhaps because we see no difference between them and the other people walking on the street. But, have we ever asked ourselves why and what made the nun became a nun?

Are they a nun by choice or by destiny? We may never know the answer to this question, however, “Flowers from the Mount of Olives” does not attempt to answer this question, but rather, gives a hint of the answer, telling us the life changing moments, and the circumstances that made her who she is now – Mother Ksenya. flowers_from_the_mount_of_olives_2013_2Next to Jerusalem, in a Russian Orthodox Convent, in the Mount of Olives, lives the 82 year-old Estonian nun, Mother Ksenya. Inside the convent, life still follows the Julius calendar, where Mother Ksenya has spent her last twenty years. In the hierarchy of the nunnery she has achieved the second-to-last-level. She is heading towards complete silence, the Great Schema. But before that, thankfully, she has been given permission to tell the story of her life – the life that was full of ups and downs.

Mother Ksenya was born February 20, 1928, in her parent`s bedroom. The marriage of her parents was very romantic, until the moment her father cheated. When she was a little girl, she witnessed nothing but screaming and fighting. Unfortunately, this is how Mother Ksenya grew up – in the middle of the battles of her loved ones. Later, as she grew, Mother Ksenya believed that marriage meant that people lived together yelling and throwing things at each other.

So she promised herself she would never get married. However, believe it or not, before Mother Ksenya becomes a nun, she is married three times. Her first marriage did not last long, and by the age of 20 she was already divorced. Her second marriage literally saved her life, because one of her previous men made her a morphine addict which she found almost impossible to overcome.

Happily married, she moved to Australia, but soon after buried her second husband. Even though Ksenya had found the church long ago, before she became a Mother, she had many dreams for the future. And one of them was to become a scientific researcher and she actually worked hard to become an oncologist, researching cancer. Her third marriage also did not work out well, but that did not break Ksenya’s spirit.

These, and many other events, lead her to the church, where she finds peace and harmony in her life. As soon as she becomes a nun, Mother Ksenya vows never to leave the convent to the end of her days on earth, and accepts God as her Father, and the church as her Mother. In Flowers from the Mount Of Olives, Mother Ksenya carefully buries all her painful and disturbing memories, but agrees to dig them up to tell the story of her life and her life in the convent. And, while she is telling us her story, she never forgets to execute her main duties; to pray for people, advise on religion, and play with the turtles.

Skype interju SZASZ ATTILAval https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=budQJ76QOHU&feature=youtu.be

November 25.-én a torontói Európai Uniós Fulmfesztivál keretében mutatják be Szász Attila rendezésében A Berni követ című magyar filmet.

A rendezővel készítettünk Skype-os interjút.

EUFF 2014 Review: The Candidate

BY DAVID RUDIN NOVEMBER 25, 2014 http://thetfs.ca/2014/11/25/euff-2014-review-candidate/

Nothing changes no matter who wins, so who fucking cares,” declares Adam Lambert (Marek Majesky) in the opening stages of Jonas Karásek’s The Candidate. In a fit of pique, the smarmy advertising executive wagers that he can get a complete unknown named Peter Poton elected to the Slovakian presidency. He puts his crack team, a political Ocean’s 11 for which the only entry requirement is a jaunty haircut, on the case and goes off to drink. Later, he beds his assistantcum-mistress and only occasionally interrupts his drinking and womanizing to offer his team guidance.

Lambert’s description of politics also applies to The Candidate, which aims for political satire but, like its protagonist, is merely a stunning portrait of cynicism. Lambert swaggers through the film.

Colleagues and Karásek’s camera simply look on in admiration. His ideas are inane – Money wins elections! Invoke national heritage! – but are accepted as words of wisdom. Is it too much to ask that film about stealing an election at least involve a clever heist?

A young Slovak hired to snoop on Lambert narrates the first and last five minutes of The Candidate. His irreverence, which is The Candidate’s greatest asset, is shunted to the margins of

the story. By the time he returns to explain the film’s coda, Karásek’s fawning over Lambert has done its damage. The poor snoop is left to pick up the dregs of The Candidate’s plot.

Political apathy can be thought of as the point at which you cannot even be bothered to root against candidates. You start wishing that everyone would go away already. The Candidate may lack any insight into the causes of apathy but it sure captures that feeling.

Is The Candidate essential festival viewing?

No is both the answer to the question of whether this film is essential viewing and the title of a far superior film about an advertising executive trying to win an election. Go see it instead.

The Candidate screening times Wednesday, November 26, 2014 – 6:00 pm – The Royal Cinema

European Union Film Festival: Kandidát Review

BY ANUBHA DEY ON DECEMBER 2, 2014 http://nextprojection.com/2014/12/02/european-union-film-festival-kandidat-review/

Kandidát (2013) Cast: Marek Majeský, Monika Hilmerová, Michal Kubovcík Directors: Jonás Karásek Country: Slovakia | Czech Republic Genre: Comedy | Thriller Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the European Union Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit www.eutorontofilmfest.ca and follow the European Union Film Festival on Twitter at @EUFFToronto.

Kandidát, directed by Jonáš Karásek, is a Slovakian satire showcasing the symbiotic relationship between advertising agencies and politics.

Adam lambert (Marek Majeský) is an advertising superstar, poster boy for someone who has made it big and a cheating husband. His agency resembles something right out of a furniture magazine and swarms with blonde femme fatales in their skirts with whom he

may or may not flirt around with, men in chic ties. He is powerful, rich, has all the right connections and is aware that he is mostly untouchable. He gets an assignment from a bishop to campaign for a relatively unknown candidate two months before the presidential elections. A bit hesitant in the beginning, he accepts it only to realise that a rival, Ivan Muller, is campaigning for the rival candidate who has an advantage of being fairly popular with the masses. Without a thought he places a bet, the winning candidate’s agency gets to keep the loser’s empire. This raises the stakes and somehow Lambert manages to create favourable pre-poll results. Will he be able to turn the tables and make his client win the elections?

The film for some parts is seen from the perspective of a certain guy, who along with an accomplice spies on Lambert. The crisp editing carries forward the story in an effective, concise way. The trailer itself is incredibly impressive. The cinematography leads the narration like a dream. Everything is quick and brief, no scene is irrelevant and every information crucial in this tantalizing drama. Given the set designs and the content, the film portrays modern lifestyles and trends in the developed countries well.

The story is like one of those films where you are hooked till the end. The cinematographers and the editors deserve an applause for giving such a thrilling feel to the film. Kudos to Tomáš Juríček and Maťej Beneš. Every frame is like an art piece. Also a shout out to their art director for the locations and sets. Everything seemed planned and well-thought over, from the fonts to the clothes to the furniture. I also loved the references to modern tools like drop box, web and photoshop, entities that really are the basis for everything these days, we hardly hear these terms in a film.

A little restraint on the acting and the dialogues would have made this a classier film though. Adam lambert’s character is likeable as a harsh playboy, but could have been better as someone who thinks before he acts, and really deserves the empire he has created for himself. If only Adam lambert’s character had a bit more finesse, restraint and attitude, he would have made the perfect rascal. His body language was also way off and he looked awkward at times, which sort of blows away his rich, spoilt brat cover and makes him look fake. At some places the shots might be cut too soon. Other than this, this is a film I wish I had been fortunate enough to experience in theatres. What I also loved about the film was the whole style of narration. Everything is pretty much linear except for the end which hits you like a bomb. Not a single second of the film is dull. Kandidát manages to show how public opinion can be swayed to suit other purposes. What makes this film unique is it actually makes a media campaign seem like a bank heist. Chic, fast-paced and humorous this movie makes for one very entertaining and visually clean film.

7.7

GREAT

Refreshing content, brilliant visuals. Definitely a Kandidát for a worldwide release.

EUFF Review: “Saul: The Journey To Damascus� (2014) Ulkar Alakbarova / 2 weeks ago http://moviemovesme.com/2014/11/30/euff-review-saul-the-journey-to-damascus-2014/

Directed by: Mario Azzoopardi Written by: Mario Azzopardi, John Patus Produced by: Tashi Bieler, Nathan Graham Black, Agnes Bristow Cinematography by: Russ Goozee Country: Malta Cast: Kyle Schmid, John Rhys-Davies, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Callum Blue, Kris Holden-Ried, Brittany Bristow, Malcoml Ellul, Dan Cade, Leif Bristow, Brent Crawford, Larissa Bonaci There was a time when people used to live and breathe for what they believed in. Religion divided society into two categories; those who believe in God, but not the Son of God, and those who believe in God, and in his Son as well. Saul: The Journey To Damascus takes place just after Jesus`s crucifixion, when those

who start to follow him lose their lives, while the others continue their journey to Damascus, to spread the word of God, and his Son’s word. But one man, Saul of Tarsus, strongly disagrees that Jesus was the Messiah, or the son of God, and willingly sentences anyone to death if they admit that they are one of his followers. A fateful accident will make him believe in what he has denied all the time- his blindness.

Saul: The Journey To Damascus begins with Stephen (Dan Cade), who has been sentenced to death by stoning for his faith in the Son Of God. Even though Johanna (Brittany Bristow) and Ester (Larissa Bonaci) try to stop the execution, Saul (Kyle Schmid, A History Of Violence, Copper) is steadfast in his decision. But before Stephen dies, he forgives Saul for what he has done. Being a dedicated leader and an ardent fighter for his faith and traditions, Saul follows the group of people, along with Mary Magdalene (Emmanuelle Vaugier), Johannah (Brittany Bristow) and Addai (Callum Blue).

And the twelve, along with Johanna and Mary Magdalene, decide to go to Damascus, where they can spread the word of Jesus, and escape from Saul, who tries to hunt them down. But while on this mission, Saul, who denies the existence of the Son of God, is blinded. However, during his blindness, Saul starts seeing and understanding more than when he was sighted. Once Saul joins the Christians, he must escape his former allies who want him pay the ultimate price for his “betrayal” – death.

Saul: The Journey To Damascus is an epic Biblical movie, directed by Mario Azzopardi. This is not the first time he has touched upon a religious subject in film; the first one was “Savage Messiah”, with Polly Walker. In his new film, made for TV, Azzopardi does not try to make a Hollywood style Biblical film, but rather concentrates on the story without overloaded or unnecessary distracting scenes which can take the audience away from the entire story. The costume and cinematography of “Saul: The Journey To Damascus” is fascinating enough, since this film was made for TV. The entire cast also does a good job delivering a convincing performance.

The film does not lose its meaning and manages to keep the audience interested in the story, even though some of them might take the subject matter too personal, due to religious reasons.

Despite the fact this is a sensitive subject, Azzopardi`s film does not aim to change the audience`s opinion on certain things, such as when Saul, even though he accepts the existence of God, shows no mercy to anyone who follows Jesus Christ.

The important message that is delivered in Saul: The Journey To Damascus is, it does not matter what you believe in, as long as your faith doesn’t harm anyone, and brings nothing but purity, acceptance and love.

EUFF Interview: Tashi Bieler talks about Saul: The Journey To Damascus Ulkar Alakbarova / 1 week ago http://moviemovesme.com/2014/12/04/euff-interview-tashi-bieler-talks-about-saul-thejourney-to-damascus/

Tashi Bieler is one of the producers of a Canadian-Maltian biblical film about Saul, whose life and faith for everything changed during his journey to Damascus.

During the European Union Film Festival, I had the great pleasure of talking with Tashi Bieler right before the screening of Saul, The Journey To Damascus- about how and where the film was made.

MMM: How was the idea of making this film born?

Tashi Bieler: The film actually was circulating for quite a long time, from one producer to another until we finally found a way of having it produced, because sometimes biblical films are expensive to make. Biblical films are sometimes very big for the audience, and

people go to see them. So the market was right. That`s why EONE and LEIF FILMS sort of found our way, to come together over various projects; to connect the dots. When EONE came on board, this gave the project the green light. The notion of filming in Malta really came from Mario Azzopardi and attached itself to the film. That really allowed the film to be made at a budget level everyone could afford. When you turn the camera 360 degrees – everything was there.

MMM: What about the cast? Did you already know who would be casted?

Tashi Bieler: No, we went through a casting process. SO we used a couple of different casting directors; one from UK, another one in LA, and Canada, and just started looking for an actor, who stood out, to play the role of Saul. So we went to some Canadian actors we already knew from a few other shows. Kyle Schmid was an easy decision, because he is really wonderful; sparkly eyes, and a smart actor.

MMM: I heard there was an intermission during screening of the film in Malta.

Tashi Bieler: I don`t know what happened during the screening in Malta, because I was not there, but they did have lots of intermissions during the screening in Malta, so people could get up and walk and talk. (laughs) MMM: Where was the film itself filmed?

Tashi Bieler: It was filmed primarily at Fort Ricasoli, which is one of the key filming locations in Malta. It’s an old Fort that has been used for many different films, including “Gladiator” and the Mini Series, Julius Cesar. Different parts of the fort were transformed into Roman streets. There is a lot of value in the set; parts are very old, with ancient stone, and rock. And part of the set was built, and leftover, from another show-. so we used both. Dino Banelo, a Maltian designer, drew water painted plants for the set ahead of time. So, you can look at each area of the fort, and see how he transformed it, color wise and space wise.

MMM: What about cinematography?

Tashi Bieler: Russ Goozee is a Canadian cinematographer. He is interesting and was chosen by us because of his extremely varied background. He`s done everything from life doc, to straight up drama and comedies. He also spent quite a lot of time doing docs in Jerusalem and Israel, so he sort of has a sense of that typography and what the Mediterranean quality of life might be. Because, we knew if we brought someone from Canada, we wouldn’t have somebody with the sense of that area and time. That`s how everything started, and then when we got there, he had already worked with the director and with the production designer. He made this all look real.

MMM: What is your expectation from the European Union Film Festival?

Tashi Bieler: Oh, I think it`s wonderful that people actually get to see something far reaching that was made with Canadian participation, because you would not think that kind of film would be made in Canada .

European Film Festival Review - I'm an Old Communist Hag Wednesday, November 26, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-film-festival-review-im-old.html Emilia (Luminita Gheorghiu) is a pensioner quietly living in a small Romanian community with her husband Tucu (Marian Ralea). Tucu visits the local market to obtain a few items for their apartment and for his wife's cooking while Emilia's tends to the home when she's not touring around town admonishing old men for drinking away their pension money. She often shows kindness to her former cleaning lady Maricica (Coca Bloos) who is now homeless living in a clunker car outside of Emilia's building. One day she receives a call from her daughter Alice (Ana Ularu) announcing that she is on her way home in 10 days from North America for a visit with her American fiancee Alan (Collin Blair). The pending arrival of her daughter makes Emilia take a close look at her current situation making her realize that her stake in life was better during the Communist era under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Director Stere Gulea mixes in flashbacks with current day to show the build up to the most special moment in Emilia's life as factory foreman being chosen to shake the hand of Ceausescu in a visit to the then thriving town factory in 1989. The flashbacks are in black and white showing Emilia joking with co-workers meeting with the plant boss about the ceremony along with receiving precise instructions on how to behave in Ceausescu's presence from Communist party

officials. Security was so tight that Tucu and grade school aged Alice were not allowed on the grounds.

In the present the plant is closed, rundown and abandoned. A director is filing a documentary about 1989 August 23 celebrations called Life During Communism. The production team asked Emilia first for her Communist Party card then to appear in the film. On a visit to the set she wanders over to the plant meting a former co-worker who is acting as a security guard for the building sparking an idea in Emilia's mind. Alice and Alan arrive under different circumstances then expected. The financial crisis hit them directly. Alice's company pulled out of Canada moving back to the U.S while Alan's big ideas have not found a solid hold landing them on shaky ground with the bank circling around their home. Their predicament serves as another sign to Emilia that the Communist ways were more stable. She had a guaranteed job, a freshly painted apartment, people were not sleeping on the street plus she had hopes that Alice would become an engineer in the plant allowing her to stay at home.

Luminita Gheorghiu is the centre of the production playing Emilia. She is rooted in the old world, often an object of amusement by the younger generation due to her staunch communist values by evidence that her young relative would think of her first when the local film needed a communist party card considering that everyone else burned theirs. Emilia's response to the director as to why she did not do the same; She wanted to be ready if the Communist came back to power. Marian Ralea is well suited for the role of Tucu. He is far mellower that his wife, willing to roll with the punches that life throws his way greeting each new situation with a smile and a laugh.

I'm an Old Communist Hag is a look at two worlds pointing out the flaws in the expected good one while noting some of the positive elements of the presumed bad one. Emilia romanticizes the past in order to cope with sparse conditions in the present. Director Gulea does balance Emilia's fervor with comments from others who have their hopes and dreams crushed under the Ceausescu regime. But in the end Emilia and Tucu take action locally that has positive effects for her daughter on the other side of the Atlantic. *** out of 4.

I'm an Old Communist Hag | Stere Gulea | Romania | 2013 | 97 Minutes

Toronto's European Union Film Festival

BY BRYEN DUNN NOV 28, 2014 IN ENTERTAINMENT http://www.digitaljournal.com/a-and-e/entertainment/toronto-s-european-unionfilm-festival/article/417695 This free festival has grown to now showcase 28 contemporary films drawn from each of the EU’s member countries. The EUFF is a unique festival and the only one in the world to bring together disparate EU Consulates and local cultural institutes for collaboration. There are still a few great features to enjoy this weekend, and here's a rundown on each.

Friday November 28th Vis a Vis (Croatia) 6:00PM A director is working on a new film. The acclaimed actor he wants for the role of the father criticises the quality of the script and his choice for the role of the son.

The director invites the actor cast for the role of son to join him on the island of Vis so they can work together on the script and on the character he is supposed to play. The director wants to find out if he made a good choice in casting him.

Due to the island's isolation during winter, the two of them are unexpectedly faced with their own frustrations, which intertwine with the film's plot in a strange way.

Life Feels Good (Poland) 8;30PM The film is a chronicle of Mateusz's life, a man suffering for cerebral palsy, who in his early childhood had been diagnosed as a person with no contact with the outside world. During the retrospect we see his life from childhood in the early 80s to the present time and accompany him in sad, as well as in happy moments.

Saturday November 29th A Place Called Home (Greece) 6:00PM Written and directed by Greek filmmaker Maria Douza, and winner of Best Feature Film at the 2014 San Francisco Greek Film Festival, this powerful character piece is the story of Eleni, a London-based cardiology professor who travels to Greece to visit her estranged father yet finds nothing at home is the way she expected. Eleni has been estranged from her father, Kyriakos, for many years. Kyriakos has never forgiven her for leaving home. When Eleni's husband is posted to China indefinitely, she decides to visit Greece and make peace.

When she reaches home, nothing is as she expects it to be. A woman from Serbia is living with Kyriakos, looking after him and his estate. It seems Kyriakos has been keeping a few secrets of his own.

Sunday November 30th Fasten Your Seatbelts (Italy) 3:00PM This is an encore presentation of the opening feature originally screened on November 15th. Elena and Antonio are not made for each other: they are too

different, in terms of character, life choices, worldview and the way they relate to others. They are total opposites.

However they are overwhelmed by a mutual attraction that they should avoid.

Not only because they are not compatible, but also because Elena is engaged to Giorgio, and Antonio is engaged to Silvia, who is Elena's best friend. Plus Fabio, Elena's best friend, hates Antonio because he is openly homophobic. Initially, between Elena and Antonio, there is physical attraction and this is the first real turbulence in Elena's life. Everyone will have to deal with the unexpected in a sudden storm of passion that changes all the rules of the game of their relationships. This will not be the only turbulence in Elena's life.

Best of EUFF 6:00PM An encore screening of the best-attended title, where there were the greatest number of people unable to get in.

Audience Choice Award 8:30PM A second screening of the most voted upon movie over the course of the festival.

Show up early for this one!

All screening are at The Royal, 608 College St Free admission on first come basis, or seats to any screening can be secured for $10 by booking in advance via the website.

Blood in the Snow film festival focuses on horror http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2014/11/27/blood_in_the_snow_film_festival_focu ses_on_horror.html#

In brief: The European Union Film Festival wraps its 15th edition at the Royal this weekend with free screenings of four more titles fresh to Toronto including Vis-à vis, an acclaimed effort by Croatia’s Nevio Marasovic that plays Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.

European Union Film Festival Review - Vis -A- Vis Thursday, November 27, 2014 http://flickhunter.blogspot.ca/2014/11/european-union-film-festival-review-vis.html "O.K. I'm ready" followed by a punch to the face are the first images on the screen in Nevio Marasovic's Vis-A -Vis. The young director (Rakan Rushaidat) is huddled with his producer (Daria Lorenci) who has set up a meeting with a potential main actor (Janko Volaric Popovic) in between scene on the latter's popular soap. The Main Actor sporting studio blood on his wardrobe from the above noted punch is happy to do the role but has questions about the actor playing his dad in the script. They agree to do a read as the Main Actor has to return to the set next door for his next scene.

The Director is next off to see the famous actor (Kresimir Mikic) who he had in mind when he wrote the role of the father. Their breakfast meeting does not go well. The Famous Actor is interested but reports that the script it to long, he is not keen on a soap opera guy playing his son not to mention that they are only about three years apart. The Famous Actor is also not sold on using the island of Vis as a setting. The intimidated director tries to explain his thinking but ends up taking the advise of the famous actor to go to Vis over the new years holiday to work on the script. As he still has to do the read the Main Actor agrees to go as well.

Writers Marasovic and Rushaidat weave a multi layered tale. The two men head to Vis Island for 3 days staying at the Director's family home on the island. While there both speak of unresolved emotional events in their lives for the first time strangely to a person they just met. The Main Actor SMS buzzes constantly as he periodically displays his fetish for water as a tool to calm himself. They do some reading, the Director works on the scrip and the men are much closer when the retun to the mainland 4 mornings later.

Rakan Rushaidat is well suited for the Director role. He has to defend himself as this is his first film, the subject matter is personal and his resume consists of a student film and a couple of years of commercials. Janko Volaric Popovic is the surprising driver of the films as the Main Actor. He starts off arrogant yet defensive of his soap opera pedigree, then distracted by the constant SMS messages but continues to grow and evolve as the piece progresses to eventually knowing the intricate nuances of the scrip inside out as an immediate personal relationship unravels. Kresimir Mikic role is supporting as the Famous Actor. He is only in four scenes but commands them all playing the iconic veteran presence well.

Vis- A-Vis is a strongly written spirited film. The dialogue and interaction between the main characters are its strength. The production takes a jagged turn well past the three quarter pole that completely flips the direction of the original narrative but as the new turn plays out its clear that the new path is the correct course correction. It is a film that I can recommend. *** out of 4 Vis -A-Vis | Nevio Marasovic | Croatia | 2013 | 81 Minutes.

Film Festivals This Week

BY NORMAN WILNER NOVEMBER 26, 2014 5:35 PM https://nowtoronto.com/movies/film-fests-and-screenings/be-very-afraid/ European Union Film Festival Contemporary films from many countries reflecting the excellence, innovation and diversity of European cinema. Free ($10 adv). Royal Cinema, 608 College. eutorontofilmfest.ca. To Nov 30.

Greek Film to Be Presented at Toronto EU Film Festival Ioanna Zikakou - Nov 24, 2014 http://canada.greekreporter.com/2014/11/24/greek-film-to-be-presented-at-toronto-eufilm-festival/

The Italian Cultural Institute director Adriana Frisenna and the Consul General of Greece in Toronto Alexandros Ioannidis participated in the 10th European Union Film Festival opening ceremony, on Saturday, November 15. The festival is scheduled to take place in Toronto, Canada from November 15 to 30, 2014.

Greece and Italy will be this year’s honored countries at the festival, as representatives of their respective successive six-month EU Council Presidencies for the current year, 2014.

In his opening speech, Alexandros Ioannidis stressed the festival’s special and symbolic significance, since it represents the multidimensional culture of the European Union’s 28 member states which not only unites economic interests, but mainly the universal values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Greece will participate in the festival with the movie “A Place Called Home” (original title “To Dentro kai i Kounia”), by Maria Douza, starring Mirto Alikaki, Mirjana Karanovic and John Bicknell which will be screened on November 29, at 6 p.m., at The Royal Theatre, in Toronto.

Maria Douza graduated as Film Director from the National Film and Television School of England, in greater London, in 1994. In 2003, she started writing her first feature screenplay “A Place Called Home,” which played at many festivals, winning the Astron Best Feature Film Award at the San Francisco Greek Film Festival, and another seven awards at the Cyprus International Film Festival, including the Golden Aphrodite Best Feature Film Award and Best Screenplay Award.

EUFF 2014: A Place Called Home

by Eleni Armenakis December 8, 2014 http://www.cinefilles.ca/2014/12/08/euff-2014-a-place-called-home/

A house can hold a lot of secrets—or at least that’s the gist of A Place Called Home, screening at the European Union Film Festival in Toronto. But the Greek film says a lot more about the modern day ex-pat than it does the intricacies of families.

Eleni (Mirto Alikaki) left her silent childhood home and her native country behind to become a doctor in the UK, while her father, Kyriakos (Ilias Logothetis) was taken from Greece as a child when the communists fled to the Soviet Union after losing the Greek civil war. For Kyriakos, returning home as an adult was everything, and he dreams of passing on what he struggled so long for to his daughter. But for Eleni, who’s now got a husband and child as well as a prestigious new position at a hospital, Greece has nothing to offer.

The tension between them is only complicated by the transfer of Eleni’s husband to an office in Shanghai and an anxious call from her father begging her to come home for a few days—all of which leads to Eleni returning to Greece with her confused daughter in tow. Weaving in Greece’s tenuous relationship with immigrants, Eleni is surprised to find a Serbian woman, Nina (Mirjana Karanovic), living with her father.

The film is a quiet one, focusing on Eleni’s internal struggle with the legacy her father wants her to inherit. And while plenty of secrets come out, the revelations are never as explosive as they threaten to be—but that doesn’t make them any less potent.

Given how a number of Greek festival films tend to reach for extremes, A Place Called Home is refreshingly simple, living in the limited, sometimes stagnating walls of the house as the family finally begins to work through its issues.

But most compelling is the contrast—and ensuing clash—between Eleni and her father, expressing the significant change a single generation has undergone in the face of a crisis. Eleni is the first to name Greece’s failings whenever the country is brought up, while her father is committed to the nation and his dreams for how to make it better. Neither perception is wholly wrong or right and it’s interesting to watch writer and director Maria Douza—in her feature length debut—navigate the opposing interpretations.

Although a more rewarding experience is watching Eleni slip into the rhythm of her father’s house and finally build up relationships with her father and Nina. As she moves from aggressive and isolated into that new place, Eleni finally comes into her own. It’s a compelling and dreamily shot—though occasionally clunky—journey that dives into family, the idea of home and, surprisingly, female bonding realistically. It may not answer all the questions it asks, but Douza certainly asks the right ones— and watching Eleni and her family struggle with them is gratifying.

B+

European Union Film Festival: A Place Called Home

BY JOHN TOWNSEND ON NOVEMBER 29, 2014 http://nextprojection.com/2014/11/29/european-union-film-festival-place-called-homereview/

A Place Called Home (2013) Cast: Mirto Alikaki, Mirjana Karanovic, John Bicknell Directors: Maria Douza Country: Greece Genre: Drama Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the European Union Film Festival.

For more information on the festival visit www.eutorontofilmfest.ca and follow the European Union Film Festival on Twitter at @EUFFToronto.

Family and homecoming have always been strong, well used themes for Greek filmmakers and Maria Douza has drawn on these for her debut feature film. A Place Called Home, or ‘The Tree And The Swing’ to give it its original title, is a character piece that offers a more contemporary slant while remaining true to its traditional roots.

Eleni (Mirto Alikaki) is a strong willed Greek woman living in London. The same day her own highly valued career takes off she discovers her husband is being forced to relocate to China or risk losing his job, and obviously wants her to join him. At the same time she is avoiding phone calls from her estranged father Kyriakos (Ilias Logothetis) who wants to discuss things Eleni absolutely does not. Now that the stable home life she treasures is threatened she resolves to head to Greece with her young daughter to reconcile with her father and contemplate the future.

A Place Called Home displays its messages boldly and clearly. This is a film about population displacement, of where home really is and what truly defines it. Is it simply your homeland, the place you were born and raised? Is it where your heart is, where your family lies and where you settle? Douza, who also wrote the piece, asks these questions and more, and whether you feel she answers them satisfactorily may well depend on your own viewpoint. The resolution will perhaps be a little too neat and predictable for some, offering happier solutions than perhaps appeared likely going in to the third act. Further study of the problems and consequences of displacement and racial tensions are touched upon and teased but are quickly dispensed with, offering little in the way of further comment. This would perhaps become more frustrating if the likeability of what’s on screen wasn’t so successful.

All that said A Place Called Home is a thoroughly enjoyable film while you’re watching it. As soon as the film is over however it could well become completely forgettable, offering little of anything new.

The performances are very much key to A Place Called Home as this is where the emotional foundations are. Despite Eleni being the focal point around which her convoluted family structure rotates this is very much an ensemble piece and as such any weakness would have been problematic. Fortunately Douza has assembled a cast that convincingly and comfortably inhabit their roles, and their interactions are completely natural and resonate with recognisability. There is a slight nagging that some are underserved a little, with the younger characters given little real scope to develop, but on the whole the film moves along at a pleasant, steady pace with little chance for too much thought. There is also the occasional misstep concerning certain characters motivations, their actions not quite sitting happily with what you’ve already been told about them.

All that said A Place Called Home is a thoroughly enjoyable film while you’re watching it. As soon as the film is over however it could well become completely forgettable, offering little of anything new. The film says nothing original about family or home, simply reaffirming what you already know but it is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, if ultimately little more than that.

6.0

OKAY

A Place Called Home says nothing original about family or home, simply reaffirming what you already know but it is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, if ultimately little more than that.

EUFF Interview: Maria Douza talks about her film “A Place Called Home” Ulkar Alakbarova / 3 days ago http://moviemovesme.com/2014/12/10/euff-interview-maria-douza-talks-about-her-film-a-placecalled-home/ Broken relationship; abandoned home; people, who immigrate to different countries for a better life or chose to stay in their hometown and keep struggling. These and many other important problems are raised in the film A Place Called Home written and directed by Greek filmmaker Maria Douza.

The film received the Best film award at this year’s EUFF (the 24th European Union Film Festival in Toronto).

During the festival, I had a great pleasure to meet and talk to Maria Douza about the meaning of her film, as well as such sensitive subjects as immigration, crisis and the importance of showing kindness in human hearts whenever there is an opportunity.

MMM – The North American title of the film is ‘A Place Called Home’, while it is also known as ‘The Tree and a Swing’. What is the reason behind these title choices?

Maria Douza – There is sometimes confusion in this regard. ‘The Tree and a Swing’ is the translation of the Greek title of the film, while ‘A Place Called Home’ is the international title. I think the latter is a very appropriate title which was given by the sales agent who bought the film. It was after the film was finished and had been to some festivals already. But when the sales agent bought it, the first thing he suggested was changing the title, because this title is more commercial and closer to the film and more appropriate for the story. ‘The Tree and a Swing’ comes from an image from the film. There is a scene when the tree is cut and you see a swing. I did not think about creating a symbolic title intentionally – I just thought I would borrow the title from this image in the film.

MMM – What inspired you to write that kind of story?

Maria Douza – I think the time. I started writing it in early 2003 – many years ago. At that time, the subject of immigration was (and still is) very topical in our life and in Greek society. The Greek society, for the first time, was confronting the advent of immigrants from Eastern Europe, from Albania: they started coming already in the 90s. That was some kind of a

second reality that we experienced in Greece and the people were growing very xenophobic, very negative and so on.

And everybody wanted to deal with this issue somehow. You could not ignore it. But I didn’t want to approach it in its narrow contemporary context. I didn’t want to make a story about a war immigrant, who arrives in Greece and goes through all these problems and the racism. I wanted to view the subject in the wider context of a phenomenon that is associated with humanity and its history – with human history, in fact. Because I strongly believe that people have always been moving and will be moving. They have been moving by desire, they have been moving my necessity, they have been moving by force. And we – Greeks, are a Diaspora nation. We have moved in our history like nobody else, or probably as much as the Jews. So, as nation, as culture and as people we should be more able to understand those who now move to us and of course now, because of the crisis, we begin to move again and we start migrating again. Although I didn’t want to make a topical movie, it is very contemporary in a way, because this is still a very strong problem. On the other hand, it is also timeless in the story.

It is a very small family story, which takes place over five days. We have different members of the family, who were scattered all over for different reasons in different times. They come together for a holiday in Greece. Each one of them represents one type of migration. The main character is a woman (Eleni), who has chosen to live in London. She is a cardiologist, has a career and is married to a British guy. Her father was a refugee child after the civil war in Greece after the Second World War. He was dislocated to Yugoslavia (then Yugoslavia). There is also a third character – a woman from Serbia – Nina, who has come as an economic immigrant. The story starts when Eleni’s husband loses his job because the bank shuts down and is posted to China – another uprooting, another movement. Our main character faces a dilemma – whether to go with him and drop the job she just acquired or to live away from him for a while until they figure out what they are going to do. And then she makes this journey back to Greece in order to see her father and make amends with him, because they have been estranged. While in Greece, she encounters Nina, who works and lives in the house. From the things that she experiences in her journey, she comes to a decision about what she is going to do in her life.

So, all the subjects, all the sub-plots in the story have to do with people having to decide what to do – where their home is going to be.

MMM – It seems that you like to study human relationships and how certain difficulties can have impact on their lives.

Maria Douza – Yes. I think it’s a difficult thing to achieve when you write a script – to really get into the depth of the relationships. I think other people do it better. It’s difficult, it’s complex, but I am interested in it. I am attempting to do it.

This film is multi-layered: it has the subject of migration, the relationships of people, and the relationships of generations – the parent – children relationship. So, it gives a kaleidoscopic view of how migration reflects relationships in a family and family structure. It does not deal in depth with each character’s psychology, because it creates a bigger picture of these different versions of migrations and choices from different perspectives.

MMM – Speaking about the crisis – in the film you show Greece as one of the European countries that majorly hit by the crises, but not the only one. Eleni is a successful doctor and lives in more successful country – England. Meanwhile, talking with her father Eleni mentions that it is not only him having problems; she is trying not to lose her job and her husband is lucky that he is sent out to China and not fired like many other people in the bank.

Maria Douza – I am trying to base the story in present reality. I didn’t very consciously think that I want to state the crisis in general; I use what reality offers me now to talk about what I want to talk. I don’t want to talk about the crisis, but by the way, it’s there. The story is a contemporary story, so the crisis and my understanding of it will be there. I think of it as an element of reality that serves my drama. That’s my approach. I don’t care to make a film just about the crisis.

MMM – What would you say about Nina’s character?

Maria Douza – I built Nina’s character and her presence in the house so that people would think that she is here to lour him and to exploit him and become his girlfriend or something like that in order to play with the ordinary, trivial prejudices people have when they see a woman helping an old rich man. The immediate reaction is – ‘oh, she is after his money’. I mean, she is trying to play lover, only to then tell that she is something much more than you suspected – much more complex. And then in the end of the film, as I told you in the beginning, I don’t want to show her as an immigrant who has come here, who is totally destitute and weak. She has come here with an agenda and is a real person, not just a romantic image. I wanted to make Nina a real character with her own problems. And her problems are again related to the house, to home.

This is what the actress Mirjana Karanovic, who played Nina, liked in the role. She is a very famous actress in Europe and the Balkans. You could call her Meryl Streep of the Balkans. And when she came, she told me that what she liked in the script was that we didn’t only stay in her quest for love. She has come here, she has something to demand and ask and love gets in the way.

MMM – I am afraid the next question is a bit of a spoiler. The father tells Eleni that you can’t turn the time back. How you, as a writer and director, managed to help them to fix their broken relationships?

Maria Douza – I think sometimes we can put aside old grudges in a moment. You can suddenly let go guilt, accusation, bitterness, anger – just in one minute. You are filled with love and your emotions are overwhelming. It is not because the other person with whom you have problems suddenly started to love you, but because you discovered your ability to love, your ability to be more open to others and you are prepared to forgive and accept. Also, when time passes, one has to

drop some old complains, because there is little time left. So I think in that scene Eleni realizes that she had a share of responsibility for her relationship with her mother and that it wasn’t her father’s fault, but hers as well – something she had preferred to forget. When she realizes that she had part of the role in these difficult relationships and having experienced this whole journey, she is emotionally loaded, she has worked out lots of things coming back to her homeland. Now she knows her father is seriously ill, things have been revealed, she has learned a lot about things about the past and about herself. And I think because she has learned about herself, she is prepared to forgive and to express her need that she had as a child to be loved. And now he is too old and it’s easier. Maybe it’s not always like that in reality, but sometimes it is.

You know what I want to say with the film, against all the trend of being very harsh and very denouncing of bad things in the reality. I want to say that the potential to be kind is there and we just need an opportunity, a set of conditions to bring it out. We have it in us.

MMM: Sometimes humans are worse than animals, because the animals also kill, but nobody told them it’s bad, they don’t know, while humans they know that it is bad, but they are still doing it. But you are right, because we always have something good inside – you have, I have, many have. And if there is a little opportunity to show how kind one heart can be towards the other, we’ll have to show that.

Maria Douza – Yes, it helps. Because there is so much talk about how bad we are. There have to be stories of how horrible and violent we are, or how corrupt we are in Greece. We have been defamed as nation, as people because of the crisis. Everybody thinks that we are thieves, unreliable. And then I choose to make a film and say – listen, there is the potential. We do have, we have been, we can be, we will be – generous, giving, loving. That’s all. And that’s why many people are moved by the film. It’s not something tragically, it’s not melodramatic, but they are moved by that element.

MMM: Greece is one of the most beautiful countries. Can you talk about the locations that you have picked?

Maria Douza – I wanted the film to take place in the countryside because of the political reality of the immigrants: the refugee children that left Greece and went to Yugoslavia were mostly from North Greece. So the film should be set in Macedonia – I mean North Greece. I had the idea of this old house, because I wanted to play with the contrast of this fantastic house, that everybody would want, but Eleni didn’t want it, because she has made some other choices. It somehow illustrates her decision of not to be in Greece, not to have anything with her past, not to have anything to do with her family. She refuses to have a beautiful house because she’s so estranged from all this. So, that was the reason – it is realistic and in a way metaphorical. But, since we had very limited budget, we didn’t shoot in Macedonia. It’s all shot in and around Athens – we have the mountains and beautiful beaches and we just had to stay in Athens and do what we could.

The interior of the house is in the heart of Athens – dilapidated, old ruin. You can see it, we have a website and there is a section of behind the scenes. So you can see how it was and how we made it. It’s very well art directed. Nobody notices, but it’s totally art directed. London is in Athens, everything is in Athens. We didn’t have any money to go anywhere (laughs).

MMM: Even though there was crisis in Greece and the problem was sponsoring and the money, it seems that it had no impact on the film, because you actually deliver it in a way that it seems …

Maria Douza – It’s a high production value. It was made with 500,000 Euros – this is the nominal budget, but the real money was 300,000. The rest was – my salary, that I didn’t take, the producer’s salary, that he didn’t take, free services – the production company gave us the editing, we got the camera for free. The money we had to actually make this movie was 300,000 Euros, but the cost was 500,000 – nothing more.

MMM: So, home is where your heart belongs and you called your film ‘A Place Called Home’ Maria Douza – That’s true. Yes – where your heart belongs, but your heart belongs where you are accepted, respected, where you are loved. You choose to live in a place that receives you with acceptance and love.

MMM: What made you become a film director?

Maria Douza – I think that films are the most fascinating art. We are all fascinated, everybody is fascinated. So I was watching good films form a very-very young age, because my father was a cinefile and he would take me to watch all the Bergman’s, Fellini’s, Wajda’s, Mizoguchi’s films when I was 15-16, when I was an adolescent. And I was so impressed and mesmerized by those films. I thought – this is what I want to do for my life. I didn’t do it immediately, it took a very long time, but it was a very conscious desire and choice from a very early age. And it was a time, when I would say I want to become a film director, and people would ask – what is it? Now it’s a job that we all know what it is, but at that time it was not. Then I studied history and after that I went to study film in England and it took me many years. Then I became a mother and I stopped my career for a while, because motherhood is a huge chapter in one’s life and it’s very difficult to combine filmmaking and motherhood. Because filmmaking is like you make your own child and I already had children to raise and it was difficult to make another one and look after it. So it took longer than I hoped. And I thought time doesn’t come back as the film says.

The Perils of Resistance: The Last Sentence and This Life Sunday, November 30, 2014 http://www.criticsatlarge.ca/2014/11/the-perils-of-resistance-last-sentence.html

O ne of Toronto’s less acknowledged film festivals, the European Union Film Festival, is just wrapping up its tenth edition (it ends today). Somewhat fanciful in nature, it is comprised of entries, one per country, from the 28 countries who comprise the European Union. (Countries that never joined the EU, like Norway and Switzerland, are unrepresented here. Admission is free, though this year patrons are being allowed to book specific films online if they commit to a $10 donation.) But there is no overarching theme in the programming, which can include features, documentaries, even shorts (last year’s UK program) from this year or recent years. Nevertheless, as in most film festivals, themes can be found. The two Scandinavian movies I checked out, Jan Troell’s The Last Sentence and Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis’s This Life, hailing from Norway’s neighbors, Sweden and Denmark, respectively, both deal with resistance against the Nazis and tell little-known stories about genuine heroes. But only one of them attains the level of art.

The Last Sentence (2012) (Dom över död man in Swedish, which translates as Judgement on the Dead; neither title is memorable) begins with a newsreel of Hitler in 1933, just risen to power, unspooling in a Swedish movie theatre and then pans to the visage of an angry elderly man, who is practically jumping out of his seat in rage at what he sees on screen. That man is Torgny Segerstedt (Jesper Christensen, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac: Volume 1), editor-in-chief of Göteborgs Handels-och Sjöfartstidnin, one of Sweden’s most liberal newspapers and a diehard critic of Nazi Germany. That stance initially serves him well, as his fellow Swedes, like him part of the country’s elites, are of similar inclination; but when World War Two erupts and Sweden – worried about the twin threats of the Soviet Union, which has just attacked its neighbour Finland, and Nazi Germany, which makes noises about occupying the country – opts for neutrality and appeasement, Segerstedt begins to find himself the odd man out. His card playing cronies, including Sweden’s prime minister, his society friends and even the Swedish King start pressuring him to tone down his anti-Nazi editorials, lest he jeopardize his country’s security and freedom. But Segerstedt is adamant that he will practice his democratic right of free speech come what may.

Filmmaker Jan Troell What makes The Last Sentence particularly compelling and memorable is that Troell, who co-wrote the film with Danish writer Klaus Rifbjerg, who brought the story to him, never sugarcoats the man. Segerstedt’s anti-Nazi stance is undoubtedly heroic, but he’s more than a bit of an asshole in his personal life. He is is brazenly carrying on an affair with his publisher and best friend’s wife Maja (Pernilla August) and treats his dogs better than his long suffering wife Puste (Ulla Skoog), whom he can barely tolerate. The fact that he is still reeling from the loss of his teenage son to tetanus is no excuse for Segerstedt’s boorishness. The point, of course is that good people can still behave badly and that heroes aren’t necessarily always admirable. In that light, The Last Sentence is thus an apt bookend to Troell’s earlier film, and masterpiece, Hamsun (1996) which movingly chronicled the life of Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun (author of Hunger, 1890, and Victoria, 1898), who through a startling naïveté actually supported Hitler during his occupation of Norway. Hamsun (Max von Sydow) began the film as a fool and traitor but soon was revealed to have understandable, albeit misguided and supremely wrongheaded reasons for his behavior, acts he later came to bitterly regret. The indelible scene where Hamsun meets Hitler and quickly realizes what kind of man the German dictator really is makes that point admirably. (In The Last Sentence, the Swedes who want Segerstedt to stay quiet have legitimate reasons to be concerned about him; they’re ultimately wrong, as one must remain true to one’s moral beliefs, but the possible consequences of Segerstedt’s tough-minded editorials should the Nazis use them as an excuse to invade Sweden are quite tangible and genuine.) Troell’s fine films, also including As White as in Snow (2001), a tragedy about Sweden’s’ first female aviator, and Everlasting Moments (2008), an impressionistic account of a stifled working class woman in early 20th Century Sweden who wins a camera in a lottery and becomes a photographer, have a similar, emotional impact as they showcase real people, warts and all. (Regrettably, the only films of Troell's to have an international impact were his early films The Emigrants (1971) and The New Land (1972), epics about Swedish emigration to America, which I don't believe are available on DVD in North America. And of his recent movies, including The Last Sentence, only Everlasting Moments had a commercial release in Canada. This is one great moviemaker, who outside of film festivals – The Last Sentence snagged Troell a best director award in Montreal – virtually no one knows.)

That The Last Sentence is shot in ravishing black and white – Troell shares cinematographic duties with Mischa Gavrjusjov – does evoke comparisons with Steven Spielberg’s superb Schindler’s List (1993), which is not inappropriate. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), the German industrialist who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis, also comes across negatively at first, until Spielberg gives him a reason for caring – his noticing a little girl lost among the panicked Jews in a ghetto – but Spielberg almost undoes the movie near the end by giving Schindler a (fake) speech where he laments not doing more to save the Jews, the one sentimental flaw in the film.

Troell never succumbs to sentiment in The Last Sentence. Segerstedt also has regrets but his primary concern is over preserving his reputation – which he fears may not survive his death, as people forget, all the more so if the Nazis were to win the war. But he also knows that he’s been a shit to those he loves, including his dutiful daughter Ingrid (Johanna Troell) who can’t abide her parent’s marital difficulties, but he, nevertheless, acts powerless to behave differently. (The film takes some dramatic license, as all historical based movies invariably do, as Torgny and Puste also had a grown son, who is absent here.) Nor does Troell spare his countrymen’s ambivalent feelings about Sweden’s Jews. Their laudable sheltering of occupied Denmark’s entire Jewish population is, for some odd reason, not mentioned in the movie – it ought to have been – but their praise of Sweden’s ‘excellent’ Jews (including Segerstedt’s mistress, Maja ) as compared to Berlin’s not-so-wonderful lot is a barbed commentary on their genteel anti-Semitism. Segerstedt also periodically talks to his dead mother, a ghostly apparition which is likely Troell’s nod to his famous filmmaking compatriot Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal (1957), Fanny and Alexander (1982)) and one that ought not to work – it’s since become a filmic cliché – but does.

Anchoring all this is Christensen’s remarkable lead performance; he makes the imperious, prickly Segerstedt into a truly tragic figure who stood proudly tall for what he believed in, yet failed miserably in so many other aspects of his life. I don’t know if even Swedes know about Segerstedt and what he did during the war but, if they don’t, they should. Fortunately one of Sweden’s, and the world’s, finest filmmakers brought his story to our attention. If this

turns out to be Troell’s final film – he is 83 now and hasn’t made a movie since – The Last Sentence will be a terrific swan song to a too often anonymous but creatively stellar career.

Facing 'justice' in This Life I once interviewed filmmaker Pierre Sauvage, director of a powerful documentary called Weapons of the Spirit (1989), about a French village called Le Chambon-sur-Lignon that saved some 5000 Jews from the Nazis – Sauvage was born in Le Chambon – and he said something that has stuck with me since. Heroes, he pointed out, contrary to the Hollywood stereotype, just act; they do not spend their nights wondering if they should do the right thing or engage in agonizing self-reflection about what they ought to be doing. That type of matter of fact heroism is the one aspect of This Life (Hvidsten gruppen, 2012) that rings emotionally true. The brave Danish family at the centre of the movie, whose subheading is "Some Must Die, So Others May Live," who decide they cannot do anything but resist the German occupiers of their country, simply, even stubbornly, adopt this approach despite entreaties from many of their fellow Danes not to do so. In fact, they actually take more risks than Torgny Segerstedt ever did – they face the death penalty for their acts; comparatively, despite some threats against his life, which come to naught, Segerstedt only paid the price of ostracism and shunning for his anti-Nazi stance. But This Life, telling the true story of ‘The Hvidsten Group’, comprising an innkeeper, his family and some fellow villagers, many of whom paid the ultimate price for their resistance, manages to reduce its heroes to heroic types, less individuals than symbols of good allied against Nazi tyranny. As such, it’s not as emotionally fraught at The Last Sentence nor as dramatically involving.

Even an early (stilted) scene in the film wherein arguments are raised against resistance – despite saving their Jewish populace from the Nazis, a remarkably singular act during WWII, Denmark generally cooperated with its German masters – is set up only to make its heroes look good. No real quarter is given to those who, understandably, fear retribution from the brutal Nazis, though the resisters generously grant grace to those who opt out of their anti-Nazi plans, which eventually consists of hiding weapons and the occasional resistance fighter, dropped into Denmark by British airplanes. (The Danes have it easy at first since the German soldiers stationed in quiescent Denmark tend to be lackadaisical and inattentive and not the ruthless types who would be posted to more dangerous areas.) And the contrary suggestions to resisting the Nazis disappear right afterwards in this sloppily written movie (by Ib Kastrup, Jørgen Kastrup and Torvald Lervad), as do those opposing villagers themselves. That omission makes no dramatic sense as their views play a large part in the fate of those who resisted later on. (This Life doesn’t manage to balance the personal and the political nearly as well as The Last Sentence did.)

Since This Life, unlike The Last Sentence, fails to achieve genuine resonance or give a deft sense of the eddies and swirls of the rural town in Jutland where it is set, the movie is eventually boiled down to a mere ‘Will the Nazis capture our heroes or not?” template. Of course, we know what will happen to these men and women so as a dramatic underpinning of the movie, that suspenseful scenario – though reasonably effective – eventually hits a wall. By film’s end, as the resisters nobly face German ‘Justice’, feel-good moviemaking is the order of the day.

Oh, they show some weakness in the face of possible death, but not too much nor are they allowed to behave badly. That’s simply not interesting, believable nor compelling. Again, The Last Sentence rings truer in its storytelling.

I’m not surprised This Life was the number one grossing local film of 2012 in Denmark; no doubt, it makes Danes feel good about themselves, even if the tale of 'The Hvidsten Group’ was atypical – and it likely was. Admittedly, the movie is well made and acted but Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis’s direction is still pedestrian and uninspired. Unlike Jan Troell, a real talent, who brought his prickly protagonist to vivid, indelible life, This Life, ultimately, fails to do justice to these unique folks who deserved to be commemorated properly. Riis and company have actually made them seem less then they undoubtedly were.

Current & Upcoming Events http://www.czechevents.net/events/details/5770-european-union-film-festival-toronto-2014 Title: European Union Film Festival Toronto 2014 When: 11.15.2014 - 11.30.2014 Where: The Royal - Toronto Category: Film

It's that time of the year again – EUFF is unveiling its exciting lineup!

28 Films 28 European Countries 2014, a very special year for us as we're celebrating our 10th Anniversary.

10 years of great cinema, top talents, and joyful moments.

And we wouldn't be here without you, so thanks for all your support!

EUFF is hands down the best way to travel through Europe without ever leaving Toronto!

15 Days, 28 Films, 18 Premieres, and so much fun!

We're thrilled to be back this year with a high quality program! We were so pleased to welcome so many of you to EUFF 2013 and can't wait to see you again this year with plenty of great films to see.

From documentary to drama, you're sure to find a film that's right for you!

Click here to discover our full lineup!

Fasten your sealtbets for the Opening and Closing Nights!

This year, we're very excited to open the festival with the Italian film Fasten Your Sealtbets by Ferzan Ozpetek on November 15th. Tickets will be available on October 30.

For our Closing Night, come and enjoy a Taste of Greek cinema with A Place Called Home by Maria Douza on November 29th.

General Admission to screenings is free, except for the Opening Night.

Don't want to miss out on a great film? Secure your seat by booking in advance for $10.

Get Your Tickets Now!

Venue: The Royal Street: 608 College St West City: Toronto State: Ontario

Toronto Weekend Festivities – Nov 21-23 http://www.lovethiscitytv.com/weekend-festivities-nov-21-23/ See films like “Good Vibrations” “West” and “The World Belongs to Us” at the biggest European film festival in the city, brought to you in collaboration with various European Union consulates in Toronto. The European Union Film Festival brings you films from across the European Union.

Free Films at the Royal Cinema November 18, 2014 • aleksawal https://mytorontolife.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/european-union-movie-festival/

Yes, you read that right: FREE! Up until November 28, you can check out two free movies every single night, one at 6:00 pm and the other 8:30 pm, from different European Union countries. On November 29, Greece’s “A Place Called Home” runs at 6 pm and the festival wraps up on November 30 with a rerun of the opener at 3 pm (Italy’s “Fasten Your Seat Belt”), best of the festival at 6 pm, and the Audience Choice Award winner at 8:30 pm. All screenings are at The Royal Cinema at 608 College Street (conveniently in Little Italy) and for film details and trailers, check out the schedule.

From dramas to comedies to crime thrillers and documentaries, this festival not only covers all 28 EU countries but also every genre. Personally I’m looking forward to UK’s Good Vibrations (November 21, 8:30) a comedy about a radical, rebel and music-lover in 1970s Belfast, as well as Spain’s All the Women (November 22, 6:00 pm) about a man settling debts with the five women who have been important in his life – his mistress, his mother, his psychologist, his girlfriend, his ex-girlfriend and his sister-in-law.

Keep in mind, if you want to guarantee yourself a seat, you can book online in advance for $10. Otherwise, entrance is on a first come, first serve basis so there is bound to be a line for the more popular films. By the way, all films are 18+, so leave the kids at home and have fun! This is a great chance to check out some movies you might never get to see in Canada otherwise.

The European Union Film Festival Offers Free Screenings November 17, 2014 | By Lori Bosworth http://www.torontonicity.com/2014/11/17/the-european-union-film-festival-offers-freescreenings/ The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) brings films from across the European Union to Toronto from November 15-30, 2014. The festival, which takes place at the Royal Cinema, is a collaboration between the various European Union consulates in Toronto and the biggest European film festival in the city. This year’s festival features several films from over two dozen countries across Europe. Many of the films being screened are making their Canadian premiere after winning awards across Europe. And the best part is: admission to all films is free

**OPENING NIGHT** ITALY – FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek *Canadian Premiere* Elena and Antonio are overwhelmed by a mutual attraction, despite their incompatibility and other issues; Antonio is engaged to Elena’s best friend Silvia, and Elena is engaged to Giorgio. Fabio, Elena’s other best friend, hates Antonio because he is openly homophobic. This attraction, first only physical then later emotional, creates turbulence in not only Elena and Antonio’s lives, but everyone else’s as well.

Screens Saturday November 15 – 9:00 pm – Special VIP + Reception event Screens Sunday November 30 – 3:00 pm – regular, free screening LITHUANIA – HOW TO STEAL A WIFE, Directed by Donatas Ulvydas *Canadian Premiere* An upbeat holiday comedy with characters trying to figure out if love is really stronger than money. Can you imagine what would happen if we locked a woman in a small apartment with her husband and her ex? And what if the latter was also accused of stealing and hiding an insane amount of money? Is the “first cut” really the deepest, especially when it involves amounts numbering in millions?

Screens Monday November 17 – 8:30 pm

IRELAND – BALLYMUN LULLABY, Directed by Frank Berry This documentary follows Ron Cooney, a dynamic and funny man who’s been helping his community through music for 15 years. His music challenges the negative views that are held in the area-views that have the potential to hold his students back. Ron and his composer work with students to produce a collection of music that gives voice to their story. Ballymun Lullaby is a story that needs to be heard.

Screens Wednesday November 19 – 6:00 pm CZECH REPUBLIC – CLOWNWISE, Directed by Viktor Taus *Toronto Premiere* Oskar, Max and Viktor, were once a superstar clown trio. After thirty years of suffering on and off the stage as solo performers, they decide to risk everything to find out whether there really isn’t one more show left in them. They re-stage the famous clownery that launched the group’s career while also facing the hardest challenge yet: clowning their way out.

Screens Monday November 24 – 8:30 pm HUNGARY – THE AMBASSADOR TO BERN, Directed by Attila Szász *Toronto Premiere* August 16, 1958: two Hungarian immigrants break into the Hungarian embassy in Bern and take the ambassador hostage. As the Swiss police surrounds the building and a group of Hungarian immigrants shows up on the street to demonstrate, a tense, twist-filled hostage drama plays out behind the closed doors of the embassy. Based on a true story about the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.

Screens Tuesday November 25 – 8:30 pm SLOVAKIA – THE CANDIDATE, Directed by Jonás Karásek *North American Premiere* Based on the novel by Maroš Hečko and Michal Havran. The Candidate is a witty political farce, indirectly depicting not only political but also wider malignancies of a post-communist society instantly transformed into money-ruled, rightist one. “You are not the one, who chooses the head of the country!”

Screens Wednesday November 26 – 6:00 pm FRANCE – ONE OF A KIND, Directed by François Dupeyron *Toronto Premiere* Frédi is an ordinary man, except for his miraculous power to heal people by his touch-a power he has always rejected. The news of his gift gets out, bringing crowds to his home. Despite his ability, Frédi cannot heal his own anxiety, epilepsy, nightmares or self-doubts. After meeting Nina, an alcoholic suffering from depression, Frédi’s convinced that helping her might may clear enough space in his heart to love again.

Screens Thursday November 27 – 8:30 pm **CLOSING NIGHT** GREECE – A PLACE CALLED HOME, Directed by Maria Douza *Toronto Premiere* Eleni has been estranged from her father, Kyriakos, for many years. Kyriakos has never forgiven her for leaving home. When Eleni’s husband is posted to China indefinitely, she decides to visit Greece and make peace. When she reaches home, nothing is as she expects it to be. A woman from Serbia is living with Kyriakos, looking after him and his estate. It seems Kyriakos has been keeping a few secrets of his own.

Screens Saturday November 29 – 6:00 pm

European Union Film Festival http://www.toronto.com/events/european-union-film-festival/ Overview EUFF brings films from across the European Union to Toronto, in a joint collaboration between the various European Union consulates in Toronto and the biggest European film festival in the city. This year’s festival features several films from over two dozen countries across Europe, and many of the films being screened are making their Canadian debut after winning awards in their home countries and across Europe.

Click here for the schedule of films. | Admission to all films is free.

Photo courtesy of eutorontofilmfest.ca

The 2014 European Union Film Festival Published: Thursday, 06 November 2014 23:21 | Written by Gilbert Seah http://torontofranco.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93&catid=21&Itemid=183

THE EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL 2014 Celebrating their 10th Anniversary, the official European Union Film Festival (EUFF), a not-forprofit organization, strives to reflect the excellence, innovation, and diversity of European cinema in Toronto, the world’s most multicultural city. Founded in 2004 as a salve to Hollywood monotony, this free festival has grown to now showcase 28 contemporary films drawn from each of the EU’s member countries. The EUFF is a unique festival and the only one in the world to bring together disparate EU Consulates and local cultural institutes for collaboration. Represented countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. http://www.eutorontofilmfest.ca/ The full line up: Full line-up: Austria – TWO SEATER ROCKET, Directed by Hans Hofer *Canadian Premiere* Belgium – THE WORLD BELONGS TO US, Directed by Stephan Streker *Toronto Premiere* Bulgaria – JULY, Directed by Kiril Stankov *Canadian Premiere* Croatia – VIS-À-VIS, Directed by Nevio Marasovic *Canadian Premiere* Cyprus – BLOCK 12, Directed by Kyriakos Tofaridis *Canadian Premiere* Czech Republic – CLOWNWISE, Directed by Viktor Taus *Toronto Premiere* Denmark – THIS LIFE, Directed by Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis Estonia – FLOWERS FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, Directed by Heilika Pikkov Finland – ROAD NORTH, Directed by Mika Kaurismäki France – ONE OF A KIND, Directed by François Dupeyron *Toronto Premiere* Germany – WEST, Directed by Christian Schwochow *Toronto Premiere* Greece - A PLACE CALLED HOME, Directed by Maria Douza *Toronto Premiere* CLOSING Hungary – THE AMBASSADOR TO BERN, Directed by Attila Szász *Toronto Premiere* Ireland – BALLYMUN LULLABY, Directed by Frank Berry Italy – FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek *Canadian Premiere* OPENING Latvia – PIANO PLAYER, Directed by Ilona Bruvere *International Premiere*

Lithuania – HOW TO STEAL A WIFE, Directed by Donatas Ulvydas *Canadian Premiere* Luxembourg – THE ROAD UPHILL, Directed by Jean-Louis Schuller Malta – SAUL: THE JOURNEY TO DAMASCUS, Directed by Mario Azzopardi Netherlands – BOYS, Directed by Mischa Kamp Poland – LIFE FEELS GOOD, Directed by Maciej Pieprzyca Portugal – THE GILDED CAGE, Directed by Ruben Alves Romania – I’M AN OLD COMMUNIST HAG, Directed by Stere Gulea *Toronto Premiere* Slovakia – THE CANDIDATE, Directed by Jonás Karásek *North American Premiere* Slovenia – EXIT, Directed by Dejan Babosek *Canadian Premiere* Spain – ALL THE WOMEN, Directed by Mariano Barroso *Canadian Premiere* Sweden – THE LAST SENTENCE, Directed by Jan Troell *Toronto Premiere* United Kingdom – GOOD VIBRATIONS, Directed by Lisa Barros D'sa, Glenn Leyburn Box office info.

General Admission to EUFF screenings is FREE Availability works on a first-come, first-served basis.

Seats to any screening can be secured by booking in advance Advance Reservation: $10 (all service fees included) Opening Night Reception + Film: $25 Advance reservations and tickets to Opening Night will be available at eutorontofilmfest.ca FILM CAPSULE REVIEWS: ALL THE WOMEN (TODAS LAS MUIERES) (Spain 2013) *** Directed by Mariano Barraso The film is an adaptation from the TV series of the same name in which veterinarian Nacho (Eduard Fernández) interacts with a different woman in each episode. Director Mariano Barroso’s film compresses the story in which Nacho meets a series of women that come to play in his life after a theft of bullocks from his father-in-law goes wrong. ALL THE WOMEN he encounters include his lover, his wife, an exgirlfriend who he asks for legal advice, his mother, his sisterin-law, and finally a psychologist who he hopes will label his behaviour ‘temporary insanity. The latter woman nails it on the head. Nacho does not solve his problem but creates a so-called solution that itself causes a problem with the result in an unending set of problems. This is an interesting film aided by Fernandez’s performance. Though the film might sound like a comedy, the film is not, though there are comedic touches. This is a serious dramatical character study of a man who would be a textbook case for a psychiatric medical course. The film is compelling and works. It is the best of the few films I have seen in the EUFF so far.

Trailer: http://hanoigrapevine.com/2014/08/screening-film-todas-las-mujereswomen/#.VFUlDvTF968 BOYS (JONGENS (Netherlands 2013) *** Directed by Mischa Kamp BOYS (JONGENS) tells the story of Sieger (Gijs Blom), a sporty, rather quiet 15-year-old boy who discovers love during the summer holidays. Sieger is training in the new athletics team for the national relay championships and meets the intriguing and unpredictable Marc (Ko Zandvliet). The friendship that develops seems nothing out of the ordinary, but Sieger secretly harbours stronger feelings for Marc. Yes, this is a youth gay story. Though the coming out and coming of age story is not new fodder, BOYS is earnest in its story telling. A subplot involves a conflict between Sieger’s elder brother and their father. It takes a while before the relationship unfolds, which

might be taken by impatient audiences as teasing. Still, BOYS, actually a TV movie, is a pleasant, entertaining and light love and coming of age story.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn8rVEFurBE CLOWNWISE (Finland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, 2014) ** Directed by Viktor Taut For a movie about clowns, Taut’s comedy drama is not the least bit funny, not even the clown routines. Here are the stories: Oskar, Max, and Viktor were a celebrated clown trio in Czechoslovakia 30 years ago. At the height of their popularity Oskar leaves the group to seek fame and fortune elsewhere in Europe. The breakup was not on the best of terms, and now Oskar is coming home. Max, a sly Oldrich Kaiser, has fathered two children with a much younger wife who has just been diagnosed with colon cancer. A robust Jiri Labus plays Viktor, whose wife and former clown partner, delicately played by Kati Outinen (the Aki Kaurismaki films), is now suffering with Alzheimer’s. The film is confusing at the beginning with the 3 characters - who is who and who is with whom. Life is the comedy - yes, we get the obvious metaphor. And what could be sadder than a comedy about clowns? CLOWNWISE is a clichéd drama with good intentions, but that is not enough.

EXIT (IZHOD) (Slovenia 2013) ** Directed by Dejan Babosek Bored twenty somethings take things in their own hands to make a difference in this lazily written and awfully acted film, The actors appear to mistake screaming and shouting for acting. Peter and his girlfriend Lara and Andrej and his girlfriend Sara come to a realization that they do not want their lives to continue in the same direction. They make the first step toward changing their lives by investing all of their inherited money, but when they want to collect it they find that the bank manager swindled them. In despair they decide to rob a bank and get their money back with interests. The robbery is shown at the start of the film and returned with the robbers’ story told in flashback. Judging from their care-free and silly actions, no one would really be on the side of the robbers. The only interesting characters are the older Inspector Hocevar (Ludvik Bagari) and the reckless Detectic Coiz (Yuri Bradac) who bungle up the hostage situation.

(Opening Night Film) FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS (Allacciate le Cinture) (Italy 2013) ** Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek The opening film of the EU Film Festival is Ferzan Ozpetek’s (FACING WINDOWS, STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH) new comedy drama that was shortlisted as one of Italy’s entries to the Oscar’s Best Foreign Film nominations. As the title FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS implies, life is no easy ride, especially not for Elena (Kasia Smutniak). Elena is free-spirited and drawn towards her best friend’s Antonio (Francesco Arca) who is conservative, hard-edged, and openly homophobic. But Elena ends up 13 years later married to her boyfriend named Giorgio (Francesco Scianna). and have two children together. But the film takes a dramatic turn with Elena contracting breast cancer. The film is shot in the sun-drenched scenery from the Apulia region of Southern Italy. The trouble with this film is that Ozpetek has to much up his sleeve and too many incidents happen with him trivializing issues like death, homophobia and friendship. If everything turns up with laughter, its is acceptable to him. The mix of drama and comedy does not flow well, with the dramatic turn in the second half of the film creating too tense an

atmosphere. The jagged time-line storytelling is odd too, with him placing Elena’s confrontation with her best friend placed as the climax of the film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50v5h3qSE5M ONE OF A KIND (MON AME PAR TOI GUERIE) (France 2013) *** Directed by Francois Dupeyron An odd drama about a faith healer. Frédi (Gregory Gadebois, nominated for Best Actor Cesar) is a born healer who can save people by touching them with his hands. His mother bequeathed this gift to him.

When she dies honours her by putting his aptitude to good use. But the film is not about faith or faith healing, but how Fredi learns about love and life despite the ailures of everyone around him, including his disported father (wonderfully portrayed by JeanPierre Darroussin). Yves Angelo’s camera loves to blind the audience with the bright sun, likely reflective of the gift that Fredi possesses. There is noclimatic ending to this tale, just an observation and mediation on life. You take what life gives you and make the best use of it.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XwBILnvhY8 VIS-A-VIS (Croatia 2013) *** Directed by Nevio Marasovic Marasovic has been praised as Croatia’s rising director with his latest film as one of the best Croatian films. But since Croatia has a small film industry compared to the world, all the praises should be taken with a grain of salt. VIS-A-VIS tells the story of a director who plans to make a movie on the island of Vis. Puzzled by some issues with the screenplay, he visits the island to isolate himself with his leading actor.

He plans to see whether this person is suitable for the project and make corrections to the screenplay as well. But instead of working on the aforementioned problems, the characters begin to open up to each other, and their private issues come to the forefront. The film is all right but not exceptional nor the idea novel. It is another case of art imitating life and vice versa.

Marasovic started this film with no synopsis and his film shows. It sort of rambles around. He does not make it a point to make his characters likeable or the audience to connect with them.

The positive result is a kind of authenticity to his characters.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF6zOQ0C0No This article also appeared in the following media outlets:

http://alphasmagazine.com/the-european-union-film-festival-in-toronto/

http://afrotoronto.com/articles/67-movies/1306-the-2014-european-union-film-festival

All pictures taken by GAT during EUFF are available here:

http://bit.ly/EUFF14photos

Publicity handled by