Best of European films in the City

Some of the best films from the European region are being screened in the City as part of the 19th European Film Festival.

Though the festival started last week, it will continue through this week too. Nineteen award-winning films are being screened in national languages, with sub-titles in English. Among them there are languages like Hungarian, Irish, Danish and Lithuanian – many of which viewers may hear for the first time. But best of all the films portray Europe’s fascinating diversity and its rich cinema tradition.

So far, a series of films like Killing Bono, Sneakers (Bulgaria), Bright Vision (Ireland), Love Me or Leave Me (Slovakia), Hope is a Strange Place (Portugal), Love Is Like a Poison, Blind Spot (Luxembourg), Garbage Prince (Finland), Aching Hearts (Denmark), Fresh Air (Hungry) and Lessons of a Dream (Germany) have been screened.

Even if you who have missed these films, you can look forward to catching up on another batch of films in the remaining four days of the festival. On Thursday at 6 pm, Spanish film Don’t Be Afraid will be screened. It will be followed by You Am I, a romantic 90-minute long Lithuanian film, at 8 pm. Don’t Be Afraid is a poignant story revolving around child abuse. As a child Silvia’s father begins to molest her. When her mother discovers her daughter playing a similar game with her dolls she asks who taught her that. When Silvia tells her Daddy, her mother calls her a liar and the abuse continues. The abuse continues for years until Silvia finally confronts
her father.

On March 9, Italian film Easy will be screened. Thereafter, Brides, a film from Greece will take you back in  time. Set in 1922, Brides is the story of a mail order bride (a woman who lists herself in catalogues and is selected by men for marriage, one of 700), aboard the SS King Alexander, who falls in
love with an American photographer.

On March 10, a film about a 19-year-old ex-convict who attempts to build a new life amidst his guilt in Breathing will be screened. This is an Austrian film. On the same day, at 8 pm, Belgian film On the Sky will be screened. On the last day of the festival Shocking Blue from The Netherlands will be screened and Snowboarders by Czech Republic.

All the films are being screened at British Council, Kasturba Gandhi Marg at 6  and 8pm.