WORLD SPICE
Tired of Hollywood and Cable TV? Let the Cine Europa Filmfest Inject Some Flavor Into Your Viewing.
by Lionel Valdellon

published in The Manila Times : September 1998

It is one thing to watch testosterone-driven, wise-cracking men blow up a renegade asteroid in a film where dialogue is made inaudible by sound effects, and it is quite another seeing a mother and her pre-teen children till farmlands for an abusive father, in a movie where every smile is a victory against despair. While it's true both are entertaining, emotion-packed and have equal claim to the silver screen, one reeks of commercialism and the other smells more like art. If you enjoy films of this type---the kind that treats the viewer as an intelligent human rather than a roller-coaster patron---then there is reason to celebrate.

Cine Europa is an ongoing film festival sponsored by the European Union (EU) at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall's The Cinema, that runs from September 3 to 13. The festival showcases 11 critically-acclaimed films from 10 EU member states: The Music Teacher (Belgium), Daens (Belgium), Breaking The Waves (Denmark), Good Deeds (Finland), Will There Be Snow For Christmas? (France), Beyond Silence (Germany), Pizzicata (Italy), Character (The Netherlands), La Flor De Mi Secreto (Spain), House Of Angels-The Second Summer (Sweden) and The Wings Of The Dove (United Kingdom). And the best part? Free admission for all with daily screenings at 2:00, 5:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Cine Europa is unified Europe's first combined cultural and informational activity in the Philippines, and was launched with a gala night last September 3. Ambassadors and representatives of the EU were present, as were members of the press and distinguished guests. There were cocktails and a hearty amount of Asti Cinzano before the initial screenings of Daens and The Music Teacher.
After seeing too many American romantic comedies and big-budget action flicks, this festival comes like a breath of fresh air. First off, most all of these films have garnered awards from around the globe. Then of course there are the different ways European film-makers approach the onscreen narrative. Take a peek at the first four films the festival is showing.

Breaking The Waves is the juggernaut of the four. At a hefty two hours and thirty-eight minutes, it's no joking matter---literally and figuratively. The movie is about Bess, a simple, pious small-town girl and Jan, the outsider she marries. They're in love, Bess discovers the pleasures of sex. However, a work-related accident paralyzes Jan from the neck down and nothing is the same again. As his condition worsens, Jan convinces Bess to have sex with other men. At first she cannot. But because her forays coincide with Jan's health improvements, Bess starts to believe she is actually helping Jan recover. Soon Bess' church excommunicates her, Bess' mother shuts her out, and the town doctor is convinced she should be admitted to a mental institution. Can a simple girl's faith truly move mountains?
___This film, directed by Lars Von Trier, is the 1996 winner of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix. And it's worth every stirring minute. Shot using the "MTV/I'm-Using-A-Handicam" approach, the images come at a quick and disjointed rate, cutting back and forth between characters. It adds to the raw, untamed ambience of the film's setting. But the real lynchpin is actress Emily Watson's performance as Bess because it is she who draws you in from casual observer to involved participant. You are forced to choose between Bess' faith or the town's facts.

The Music Teacher, a 1988 film by Gerard Corbiau, is set to a stirring soundtrack of operatic arias from the likes of Puccini, Wagner, and Mozart. Here, a famous and successful opera singer named Joachim Dallayrac retires, much to the surprise and dismay of his audience. Dallayrac moves back to his estate with his accompanist and companion Estelle and a single protégé named Sophie. Along the way, he finds a thief named Jean whom the maestro feels can become a world-class tenor. Dallayrac instructs them, seeking to perfect their unpolished talent. When a singing contest sponsored by Dallayrac's old rival is announced, Jean and Sophie must go without the support of their teacher. Are they truly ready?
___The screen becomes a canvas for director Corbiau's delicate portrait of the music teacher in a tale about loving and letting go. Once again, the action is more internal than external, the plot a mere outline on which to hinge the characters' engaging personalities. Additional highlights: the lush Belgian landscapes and the dialogue that approaches poetry.

Then of course you have a movie like Good Deeds. It's an entertaining romp through Helsinki, Finland with two best friends, Sanna and Heidi, who intend to play good samaritan matchmakers with a sad old man they meet in an unemployment line. The duo enlist the aid of a postman named Risto in their mission to spread a little happiness. But as their plan starts to come apart at the seams and their friendship is tested, the girls bring about some painful confrontations. In the end they realize how they've overlooked sharing happiness with the people closest to them---those who most need their attention.
___This one has the words "romantic comedy" tattooed to itself in neon colors. And yet, despite the typical predicaments the characters fall into, the movie possesses a charm all its own brought about by the giggly, naïve heroines (played by Kaisu Kurla and Elins Knihtila).

Will There Be Snow For Christmas? is a simple enough story. A mother and her seven young children tend a large vegetable farm in France. The father is an abusive, egotistic man who cares more for his crops and profits than his family. It turns out later on in the film that the father has another "official" family elsewhere, and that the protagonists are illegitimate (which explains the children's hostility). Despite a harsh life of farm work and an absence of indoor plumbing and heating in their small house, the mother is single-handedly able to create a home filled with laughter and simple joy.
___Director Sandrine Veysset tells the story by showing the family's daily chores and not much more, with the camera following along almost in real time. No fancy plots. By the end of the movie, nothing is truly resolved. But along the way you are caught up in the drama of their daily struggles and realize what a significant symbol snow becomes to a family tied as much to the land as to their father.

For a complete and updated schedule of screenings, please call 633-4491 or visit the Web site at www.shangrila-plaza.com. MTRCB Film Classifications may be confirmed at the ticket office.

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