While everyone is stuck at home, Cine Europa brings you to different landscapes and stories, all at the click of your fingertips www.cineeuropaph.com(link is external).
Seventeen critically acclaimed European films are on showcase at this year’s film festival. They were initially streamed for free on schedule but, if you missed your chance, you can still register and secure virtual seats through the on-demand screenings between September 17 and 29.
All registered audiences will be able to see all films in the virtual theater portal.
Cine Europa is an initiative of the EU Delegation and the EU Member States Embassies together with Goethe Institut Manila, the Philippine-Italian Association and Instituto Cervantes de Manila.
Ongoing until the end of September, Cine Europa brings 17 films from 15 EU Member States for FREE, accessible at www.cineeuropaph.com(link is external) (link is external).
What is interesting is that this year’s festival features films which are co-productions such as “Acasa my Home” (Romania, Finland, Germany); “O Que Arde” or “Fire will come” (Spain, France, Luxembourg), “I Doulia Tis” or “Her Job” (Greece, France, Serbia), “Nos Batailles” or “Our Struggles” (Belgium, France), “Das Vorspiel” or “The Audition” (Germany, France).
Here is the roster of films that will melt your blues away this pandemic:
- “Les Parfums”, from France, story of Anne Walberg, a master in perfumes who creates fragrances and sells her incredible gift to many companies. She is a diva, selfish and temperamental. Guillaume is her new driver and the only one who dares facing her. This is probably why she does not fire him.
- Kokon (Cocoon) from Germany, a coming-of-age story of Nora, a shy 14-year-old Berlin girl.
- Vlastníci (Owners) from the Czech Republic, an insight of Czech mentality through funny moments.
- Catwalk, from Sweden, a touching story about a seemingly impossible dream that comes true. The film drives a strong statement about equal value, disabled or not.
- El Cuadro (The Painting) from Spain. “For three and a half centuries the enigma of Velázquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas has remained hidden. Can we solve its mystery now?”
- Que Arde (Fire Will Come) is a captivating story of Amador, who just came out of prison, to live a quiet life until fire ruins it all. The film directed by Oliver Laxe is a Jury Prize winner in Cannes. It is also a co-production of Spain, France, Luxembourg.
- From Poland is the film, The Lure, a story about two mermaid sisters, half human half fish, end up performing in a night club. When one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man, they face cruel and bloody choices.
- Nos Batailles (Our Struggles), is an interesting Belgian film that will show you how Olivier juggles between the children’s needs, life’s daily challenges and his job, after her wife abandons the family.
- Trezon, a Hungarian film with an exciting plot and “full of unexpected twists, where nothing and no one is what they seem to be.”
- Vores mand i Amerika (The Good Traitor). “Denmark’s neutralist policy is a delicate thing” a film by Christina Rosendal that was released in 2020
- I Doulia tis (Her Job) from Greece, relates a story of a working mother, Panayiota who is trapped within a domestic environment that prevents her from achieving independence but gets an opportunity to get a new life. Sadly this is prematurely pruned…
- La Madre (The Mother) is an Italian film that talks about passions, sufferance, and torments of a priest, his mother and one of his parishioner. Originally set in a rural Sardinia by Grazia Deledda (author of the novel), it is moved by the filmmaker, Angelo Maresca to the metaphysics setting offered by the EUR building, in Rome, where everything is either black or white.
- From the Netherlands is The Warden, a story of an old man who has been the warden of a bird sanctuary for almost half a century on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. One day he receives notice that his posting will be discontinued. His happy life – in and alongside nature – comes to an abrupt end. But the warden refuses to accept his dismissal. Determined not to leave, he decides to fight back in his own way…
- Einer wie Erika (Erik and Erika) from Austria is a true story of Erik Schinegger, a world champion skier and his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in an age where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like “transgender”.
- Acasă (My Home) is a Romanian film directed by Radu Ciorniciuc and recently released in 2020. It is a powerful narration of a family who lived calmly with nature in Bucharest until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.
- Aurora from Finland focuses on: immigration and addiction. It is an enjoyable dramedy from Finnish Lapland. Conditional love between Aurora and Darian is needed to stop them from running.
- Das Vorspiel (The Audition) tells a story of Anna’s passion for violin that has gone to the borders of breaking her family. Her competitive spirit is faced by her own failure. This a co-production film between Germany and France.
What are you waiting for? Register now at www.cineeuropaph.com (link is external) and watch all these exciting films. Cine Europa is also in FB, Instagram and Twitter.