EU Film Festival 2008

EU Film Festival Schedule, December 11-21, 2008, at Vista

For the 17th year running the European Union Film Festival 2008 (EUFF) will be bringing the best in European cinema to Chiang Mai.

This year’s festival will give Thai audiences the chance to enjoy 17 films from 17 EU member states.

Taking place in Bangkok from November 27 to December 7 at SF World Cinema, Central World, the festival will then move to Chiang Mai from December 11 to December 21 where the films will be screened at Vista Kadsuankaew.

Tickets for Bangkok screenings cost 100 baht while Chiang Mai tickets are 70 baht.

All films are shown in the original language with English subtitles except for the UK entry Control which is subtitled in Thai.

Speaking about the festival Dr. Friedrich Hamburger, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand, said, “For 17 years the European Union Film Festival has given Thai film lovers the chance to enjoy European cinema at its best. This year’s festival boasts an outstanding line up, showcasing the diversity of European cinema and the talent of its filmmakers.”

He describes the variety of themes which run through this year’s festival lineup:

Sense of place and society is explored by a number of films. In the Czech Republic’s Empties a literature professor, unable to understand his students, abandons his post to work in a local supermarket; Bulgaria’s Monkeys in Winter explores in three mini films the stark choices that life can present; Portugal’s Skin looks at racism as a rich, beautiful and intelligent woman faces discrimination due to her color; while Spain’s El Balancín de Ivan sees a family hide out from a brutal military regime in 1970s Argentina.

The strength of family ties are the focus of Sweden’s Darlecarlians where three sisters return to a small village to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday; the Netherlands’ Northern Lights follows the fallout when a father-son relationship unravels; Poland’s It Will Be Well tells a story of a young runner who vows to help his ailing mother by making a pilgrimage; while Italy’s The Ball follows a young boy’s efforts to set his mother up with the right man.

The forces that divide cultures are examined in Germany’s powerful and multi-award winning The Edge of Heaven in which a Turkish son finds it in his heart to forgive his father while a German mother decides to forgive and help her daughter's Turkish lover. The cross-cultural theme is also explored in Luxembourg’s Arabian Nights in which a train conductor leaves his comfortable and familiar surroundings to travel to Algeria in search of a mysterious woman.

Also taking part in the festival are Austria’s Come, Sweet Death in which a failed, alcoholic cop investigates one last case; Belgium’s King of the World tells a story of the rise and fall of a young boxing champ; Finland’s The Leaning Tower sees an ailing couple journey to Italy in an attempt to see Pisa’s leaning tower; France’s Ulzhan follows a quest for treasure and love across Central Asia’s endless steppes [see picture]; Greece’s One Day in August sees three couples take their marital problems on holiday; the UK’s multi-award winning Control is a biopic of doomed Joy Division singer Ian Curtis; while Hungary’s Porcelain Doll comprises three fairy stories with magical farmers coming up against the laws of the surrounding world.

The European Union Film Festival in Chiang Mai is organized by the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand, the embassies and the cultural institutions of the European Union Member States in collaboration with the Vista Group.

Screening schedule, at Vista in Kad Suan Kaew.

Date	Title	Time	Country
Fri 12 Dec	El Balancin De Ivan + Porcelain Doll	18.00	Spain + Hungary
	Darlecarlians	20.00	Sweden
Sat 13 Dec	Skin	12.30	Portugal
	It Will Be Well	14.30	Poland
	Leaning Tower, The	16.45	Finland
	Edge of Heaven, The	19.00	Germany
Sun 14 Dec	Northern Lights	14.00	The Netherlands
	Arabian Nights	16.00	Luxembourg
	Come, Sweet Death	18.15	Austria
Mon 15 Dec	One Day in August	19.30	Portugal
Tue 16 Dec	Monkeys in the Winter	19.30	Bulgaria
Wed 17 Dec	Skin	19.30	Portugal
Thurs 18 Dec	Ulzhan	18.00	France
	Northern Lights	20.00	The Netherlands
Fri 19 Dec	Arabian Nights	18.00	Luxembourg
	Edge of Heaven, The	20.15	Germany
Sat 20 Dec	Monkeys in the Winter	12.00	Bulgaria
	El Balancin De Ivan + Porcelain Doll	14.30	Spain + Hungary
	One Day in August	16.30	Greece
	Control	18.45	U.K
Sun 21 Dec	Ulzhan	14.00	France
	Ball, The	16.00	Italy
	Darlecarlians	18.15	Sweden
	Empties	20.15	Czech Republic

The Synopses

Here are the synopses of the films as prepared by the European Union Film Festival.

Come, Sweet Death (2001)

Original Title :	Komm, Susser Tod
Country :	Austria
Category :	Dark comedy
Director :	Wolfgang Murnberger
Principle Cast :	Josef Hader, Simon Schwarz, Barbara Rudnik.
Awards :
Length :	108 min

Simon Brenner is a failed cop but successful dope-smoker and alcoholic who now works as a paramedic for a private rescue service waging a ruthless war for patients against a rival business. Things fall off the stretcher when Brenner suspects his German colleague of a double shooting, whereupon he half-heartedly investigates the crime and, a few corpses later, unravels a murky ploy, roughly to do with State subsidies.

King of the World (2006)

Original Title :	Koning Van De Wereld
Country :	Belgium
Category :	Drama
Director :	Guido Henderickx
Principle Cast :	Kevin Janssens, Koen de Bouw, Jan Decleir, Josse De Pauw, Katelijne Damen,
Awards :
Length :	105 mins

King of the World tells a story of the rise and fall of a young boxing champ, who, in the last days of World War II, boxes his way to become European champion. Will his shoulders be strong enough to bear the weight of success?

Monkeys in Winter (2006)

Original Title :	Maimuni prez zimata
Country :	Bulgaria
Category :	Tragic drama
Director :	Milena Andonova
Principle Cast :	Bonka Ilieva-Boni, Diana Dobreva, Angelina Slavova
Awards :
Length :	111 mins

Dona is a single mother living in the suburbs of Sofia in the early 1960s. Being abandoned by her boyfriend and threatened by local bailiffs, Dona desperately agrees to marry an elderly man only to discover that he is a reprehensible pedophile. Flash forward to 1981, Lucretia is attempting to get impregnated so she won't have to move back to the countryside after graduation. In the third and final story, the wife of a wealthy real estate tycoon watches their once-happy life slip into discontent when she discovers that her husband is infertile.

Empties (2007)

Original Title :	Vratné Lahve
Country :	Czech Republic
Category :	Bitter-sweet comedy
Director :	Jan Sverák
Principle Cast :	Zdenak Sverak, Daniela Kolarova, Tatiana Vilhelmova, Jiri Machacek, Nela Boudova
Awards :
Length :	103 min

Czech literature teacher Josef realizes one day that he no longer understands his pupils and quits his job. What he does not know is that in doing so he will lose his sense of place in society. He finds himself isolated in his flat with his wife. After a few vain attempts at finding a decent job he accepts a position at a refundable bottles counter in a local supermarket. Surrounded by characteristic people and at the centre of a city community, Josef finally finds his way back to his own life.

The Leaning Tower (2006)

Original Title :	Kalteva torni
Country :	Finland.
Category :	Tragic comedy
Director :	Timo Koivusalo
Principle Cast :	Martti Suosalo, Liisa Kuoppamaki, Seela Sella, Risto Salmi, Mats Längbacka
Awards :	2007: Jussi awards Best Supporting Actress Seela Sella
Length :	96 mins

Johannes is suffering from a life-curtailing disorder and dreaming to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He meets a girl while building a leaning tower from wooden discs in the park of a mental hospital. She also dreams of seeing the Leaning Tower. The grandmother of the girl, a former ballerina who once toured Europe, promises to take her granddaughter to see it in Italy and to rediscover her early life’s dreams. The mother of the girl, who is Johannes’ nurse, goes after them when they don’t come home on the plane they should.

Ulzhan (2007)

Original Title :	Ulzhan
Country :	France.
Category :	Adventure, drama
Director :	Volker Schondorff
Original idea Written by	Jean-Marie Cambaceres and Régis Ghezelbash Jean-Claude Carrière
Principle Cast :	PhilippeTorreton, Ayanat Ksenbai David Bennent
Awards :	Festival de Cannes 2007: Official Selection “Tribute of the 60th Anniversary” Toronto Film Festival 2007: Official Selection Pusan Film Festival 2007: Official Selection
Length :	95 mins

Somewhere in the endless steppes of Central Asia lies a treasure. One man holds the key to it, a fragment of an ancient map. But in his restless quest, Charles isn't looking for fame or glory. He is looking for a way to heal his wounded soul. He is looking for love. Ulzhan felt it the first time she laid eyes on him.

The Edge of Heaven (2007)

Original Title :	Auf der Anderen Seite
Country :	Germany
Category :
Director :	Fatih Akin
Principle Cast :	Nurgül Yeşilçay, Baki Davrak, Patrycia Ziolkowska, Nursel Köse, Tuncel Kurtiz, Hanna Schygulla
Awards :	European Screenwriter 2007 Official German entry for the Oscar: Best Foreign Language Film 2007 Prix Lux 2007, European Parliament Golden Orange Film festival Antalya 2007: Best Director & Best Edit & Jury Special Recognition Award Cannes 2007: Prix de Scénario & Prix du Oecuménique
Length :	122 mins

Nejat disapproves of his widowed father's choice of prostitute, Yeter, for a partner. But he grows fond of her when he discovers she sends money home to Turkey for her daughter. Yeter's sudden death distances father and son. Nejat travels to Istanbul searching for Yeter's daughter, a political activist, Ayten, who has fled to Germany where she is staying with a young woman, Lotte. When Ayten is arrested and denied an asylum plea, she is deported and imprisoned in Turkey. Lotte travels to Turkey, where she gets caught up in the hopeless situation of freeing Ayten.

One Day in August (2002)

Original Title :	Dekapentavgoustos
Country :	Greece
Category :	Comedy-drama
Director :	Konstantinos Giannaris
Principal Cast:	Akylas Karazisis, Eleni Kastani, Hristos Mitselos, Maria Ioannidou, Aimilios Heilakis, Amalia Moutouzi, Stathis Papadopoulos, Mihalis Iatropoulos,
Awards :	-
Length :	100 mins

Three couples living in the same apartment complex head out with their marital problems on vacation. Fanis and Morfuola are a blue collar couple whose children have given them more than their fair share of challenges. Their vacation goes awry when their daughter disappears. Kostas and Katia are a pair of thirty-somethings who have begun to lose interest in each other. In the last couple, Sandra is ready to give up on Mihalis, her drug addict husband, when he accidentally kills a man. Meanwhile, a stranger is rummaging through their apartments, searching for something other than money.

Porcelain Doll (2005)

Original Title :	A porcelánbaba
Country :	Hungary
Category :	Drama
Director :	Péter Gárdos
Principle Cast :	Lajos Bertók, Sándor Csányi, Judit Németh
Awards :	2005: Budapest Hungarian Film Week: Best Director: Péter Gárdos, Best Supporting Actor: Sándor Csányi, 2005: Matad'or (Main Prize) 2005: Moscow International Film Festival: Russian Film Critics' Special Mention
Length :	73 mins

Based on three fairytales by the Hungarian fabulist Ervin Lázár, the earthy, lovable farmers of Porcelain Doll live by their own laws, at least until they come up against the laws of the surrounding world. Resurrections, magical villages, music, and bureaucratic bogs ensue.

The Ball (2006)

Original Title :	Liscio
Country :	Italy
Category :	Family drama
Director :	Claudio Antonini
Principle Cast :	Laura Morante, Antonio Catania, Umberto Morelli, Antonio Catania, Glorgia Brunacchi, Giordano Di Pietro, Edoardo Baietti, Massimao Ciavarro, Gianni Coscia
Awards:	Nice 2007: Best Feature Film
Length :	80 mins

Raul, a12-year-old boy, lives with his mother whose love life is distressing. She is the lead singer in an orchestra, founded by Raul’s grandfather. Raul sees her suffering due to the sad endings of her relationships. He wants to help her by finding the right man. Raul embarks on a number of clumsy attempts to set up a meeting between his mother and his music teacher. Not only does his plan end happily, but it enables Raul to understand an important life lesson.

Arabian Nights (2007)

Original Title :	Nuits d’Arabie
Country :	Luxembourg
Category :	Adventure
Director :	Paul Kieffer
Principle Cast :	Jules Werner, Sabrina Ouazani,
Awards :
Length :	110 mins

When Georges, a train conductor first meets Yamina, an Algerian woman, she is just a passenger whose ticket he needs to inspect. But the next day, she’s aboard the train again, on the run from mysterious assailants. As she shares her story, his compassion grows into fascination, friendship and even love. For Georges, Yamina represents an exciting and exotic distraction in his well-ordered life. When she suddenly disappears, Georges determines to find her, discovering along the way that neither she nor Algeria are anything like what he expected.

Northern Lights (2006)

Original Title :	Langer Licht
Country :	The Netherlands
Category :	Drama
Director :	David Lammers
Principle Cast :	Raymond Thiry, Dai Carter, Melody Klaver (DEEP), Fikret Koc, Monique Sluyter
Awards
Length	90 mins

Two years after the death of his wife and daughter, Lucien, the owner of a boxing school in Amsterdam-Noord, is forced to take care of his son and fight for what he still has left. To Lucien, the training and well-being of the kids he's coaching means everything, but he's estranging his 15-year old son Mitchel. After a violent confrontation with his son, he slowly descends into solitude and everything he cares for starts to fall apart.

It Will Be Well (2007)

Original Title :	Wszystko Bedzie Dobrze
Country :	Poland
Category :	Heart Warming Drama
Director :	Tomasz Wiszniewski
Principle Cast :	Adam Wersta, Izabela Dabrowska, Daniel makolski, Beata Kawka
Awards :	Polish Film Festival, Gdynia 2007: Best Directing for Tomasz Wiszniewski, Best Actor Award for Robert Wieckiewicz, Best Music Award for Michal Lorenc. Portugal Film Festival, 2008: Best Actor – Silver Dolphin – Robert Wieckiewicz
Length	96 mins

It Will Be Well tells a story of a young runner who vows to help his ailing mother by making a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Jasna Góra and seeking out the blessing that could cure her. Pavel's mother is gravely ill while his father is a hopeless drunk. Perhaps with a little help from his sympathetic coach, a struggling alcoholic, Pavel can summon the strength and conviction needed to make this crucial pilgrimage and find out if miracles really exist.

Skin (2006)

Original Title :	Pele
Country :	Portugal
Category :	Drama
Director :	Fernado Vendrell
Principle Cast :	Daniela Costa, Francisco Nascimento, Manuel Wiborg,
Awards :
Length :	102 Mins

Olga is a young mulatto woman who in spite of being rich, beautiful, and intelligent, feels discriminated against because of the color of her skin. The entire plot is set in the early 70's, when Portugal had a dictatorial government and lots of racism in its society. Issues like racism, the female condition, and the spoilt lives of high-society figures are the main themes of this movie.

El Balancín de Ivan (2002)

Original Title :	El Balancín de Ivan
Country :	Spain
Category :	Short film
Director :	Dario Stegmayer
Principle Cast :	Juan Diego Botto, Malena Alterio, Ernesto Alterio, María Botto, Blas Migliore, Juana Migliore
Awards :	2003: Alcalá de Henares Short Film Festival : Best director 2003: Las Palmas Film Festival: Best Short Film 2004: Cartagena Fil Festival: Best Short Film
Length :	20 mins

Ana goes back to the house where she spent of her childhood during the Argentine dictatorship. Once there, remembers the last moments she lived with her brother Iván and her parents. Ana's memories immerse us in the reality of her family, which hides from the police and the military during the brutal 1976 dictatorship.

Darlecarlians (2004)

Original Title :	Masjävlar
Country :	Sweden
Category :	Drama
Director :	Maria Blom
Principle Cast :	Sofia Helin, Kajsa Ernst, Ann Petrén, Lars G. Aronsson
Awards :
Length :	94 mins

The story revolves around three sisters who grew up together in a small village in the province of Dalecarlia. The youngest sister, Mia, who left home at an early age for life in the big city, returns for her father’s 70^th birthday celebrations. At the community centre, the party gets under way. Old conflicts are brought to life, things start to hot up, and pretty soon it is not only the cat who is in trouble.

Control (2007) – With Thai subtitle

Original Title :	Control
Country :	UK
Category :	Biography drama
Director :	Anton Corbijn
Principle Cast :	Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara
Awards :	2008 BAFTA Film Award (nominated for Best British Film and Best Supporting Actress) 2007 Cannes Film Festival (Golden Camera - Special Mention) 2007 British Independent Film Award (Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Most Promising Newcomer)
Length :	122 mins

Biography of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, from schoolboy days to his suicide at the age of 23. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes, Ian joins a band, and his musical ambition begins to thrive. Soon though, fears and emotions that fuel his music slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Ian’s tortured soul consumes him.