Cine Europa 2013: Bigger, sweeter

SWEET 16. Cine Europa is bigger than ever. Photo from the Delegation of EU to PH Facebook

MANILA, Philippines – Cine Europa 16, happening in Manila on September 4 to 15, features not only the best of European cinema, but also classics from Filipino master filmmakers Manuel Conde and Peque Gallaga.

“What is now perhaps the largest film festival in the Philippines will this year present an original, entertaining, and thought-provoking set of 21 European movies, while reserving a special place for quality Filipino films.” said Julian Vassallo, political counsellor at the European Union Delegation to the Philippines.

Cine Europa 16 will feature, among others, Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata,” Manuel Conde’s “Genghis Khan,” and the romantic documentary “Jazz In Love,” shown recently at the Cinemalaya Film Festival.

Here, experts will delve into noteworthy links between European and Filipino films, with discussions on Filipino heritage and new Filipino documentaries.

Cine Europa 16 educational component will be held at the Shang Cineplex Premiere Theatre. The schedule is as follows:

September 8

Archiving Filipino Film Heritage (10 am)

A discussion with speakers from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Sophia Film Archives, and ABS-CBN Restoration Group.

Film screening of “Genghis Khan” (2 pm)

Manuel Conde’s “Genghis Khan” was digitally restored, based on the print screened at the 13th Mostra Internazionale d’Arte.

This print was preserved at the Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee of Biennale di Venezia.

Watch a part of the film here:

Film screening of “Oro, Plata, Mata” (4 pm)

Peque Gallaga’s masterpiece about a wealthy family during the American colonial era, finding their world shattered by the Pacific War. The film was restored by ABS-CBN.

Watch the restored trailer here:

September 14

New Pinoy documentaries (10 am)
A discussion on documentary filmmaking, with the Independent Filmmakers Cooperative.

Film screening of “Jazz in Love” (2 pm and 4 pm)
Baby Ruth Villarama’s work developed from a Goethe-French documentary workshop. The documentary presents the story of a young man in the Philippines and his earnest hospitality toward a man from Germany with whom he communicates online and falls in love.

READ: Docu on love and migration opens Cinemalaya

In line with the European Union’s effort to strengthen the connection between Europe and the Philippines, Cine Europa will travel around the country, particularly to Baguio, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

Here’s the nationwide schedule:

September 4 to 15 – Shangri-La Cineplex Cinema 2, Mandaluyong, Manila NCR
September 17 to 22 – Cinematheque Baguio City
September 23 to 29 – Cinematheque Iloilo City
October 4 to 6 – Ayala Center, Cebu City
October 10 to 13 – Liceo de Cagayan University, Cagayan de Oro
October 15 to 20 – Cinematheque Davao City

Cine Europa’s sweet 16

The 16th Cine Europa will feature 21 acclaimed films from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Admission is free.

Here are the films and the Manila screening schedule:

1. “A Royal Affair” (Denmark)

September 5, 12nn & September 10, 8pm

The festival will open with Danish entry “A Royal Affair,” based on the true story of a man who captures Queen Caroline’s heart, ultimately sparking a revolution.

2. “Barbara” (Germany)

September 5, 3pm & September 12, 3:30pm

Set in the final years of the Berlin Wall era, the film tells the dramatic story of Barbara, a doctor who hopes to leave the restrictive German Democratic Republic.

3. “Almanya-Willkommen in Deutschland” (Germany)

September 5, 5:30pm September 10, 5:30pm

The film is a “dramedy” about a family on a holiday to help Grandfather Hüseyin rebuild a house he bought in his old hometown in Turkey. The story of the family’s lineage is told by young granddaughter Canan, who is secretly pregnant.

4. “The Guide” (Greece)

September 5, 8:00pm & September 10, 2:30pm

The film follows a young man’s journey to self-discovery as he takes on a career as a tour guide for international students of architecture. He later on faces questions about his relationships and career path.

5. “Made in Hungaria” (Hungary)

September 6, 1:30pm & September 15, 5:30pm

On its 16th year, the festival will welcome a Hungarian entry for the first time.

“Made in Hungária,” set in 1963 Budapest, is a musical-comedy about a boy and his parents, who use rock n’ roll to revive a stiff and controlled Hungarian community. The film is a window into the conflicting cultural currents of 1960s Hungary.

6. “Pranzo di Ferragosto” (Mid-August Lunch, Italy)

September 6, 3:30pm & September 11, 5:30pm

It is Ferragosto, Italy’s summer holiday, and a man is tasked to entertain his 93-year-old mother and 3 other women in order to pay off his debts.

7. “La stanza del figlio” (The Son’s Room, Italy)

September 6, 5:30pm & September 12, 1:00pm

The film is a psychological drama about a family’s life after the death of their son.

8. “Les Bien Aimes” (Beloved, France)

September 6, 8:00pm & September 11, 2:30pm

A musical comedy about a mother and her daughter as they take on the joys and aches of love from 1960 Paris to modern-day London.

9. “Achtste Groepers Huilen Niet” (Cool Kids Don’t Cry, The Netherlands)

September 7, 1:00pm, September 11, 7:30pm

Based on the bestselling novel by Jacques Vriens about a young girl who struggles to play soccer while battling leukemia.

10. “Tatal Fantoma” (Phantom Father, Romania)

September 7, 3:30pm & September 12, 6pm

A professor goes on a journey to find a man who can shed light on his Romanian Jewish descent.

11. “Silencio en la nieve” (Frozen Silence, Spain)

September 7, 5:30pm & September 12, 8:00pm

During the winter of 1943, in Russia, a battalion of soldiers is given a gruesome message: dead horses scattered in a frozen lake with the body of a dead soldier. A former police inspector among these ranks is then tasked to investigate the murder.

12. “Nedodržaný sľub” (Broken Promise, Slovakia)

September 7, 8pm & September 14, 7:30pm

Based on a true story of a Jewish boy who voluntarily goes to a concentration camp after his family is taken one by one.

13. “Svinalängorna” (Beyond, Sweden)

September 8, 12:30pm & September 13, 1:00pm

A drama about a woman’s confrontation with her troubled childhood. The film is based on an award-winning novel by Susanna Alakoski.

14. “Project Nim” (UK)

September 8, 3:00pm & September 15, 3:00pm

A documentary that studies links and boundaries between the human and animal. Project Nim aims to show how an ape, when nurtured and raised like a humman child, could learn to communicate with language and to be one with human society.

15. “Dreams of a Life” (UK)

September 8, 5:30pm & September 14, 1:00pm

“Would anyone miss you?” This unsettling documentary poses the question, as it presents the story of a girl whose death had been left unnoticed for 3 years.

16. “Kautokeino-Opprøret” (The Kautokeino Rebellion, Norway)

September 8, 7:30pm & September 13, 3:30pm

A historical film based on the rebellion against the exploitation of the Sami in 19th-century Norway.

17. “Operation Libertad” (Switzerland)

September 9, 12:30pm & September 13, 8:00pm

In 1987, a small revolutionary group films their Swiss bank heist in an attempt to prove conspiracy between the financial system and dictatorial rule. The footages surface 30 years later.