Stars come out for Berlin

... Film Festival’s 70th anniversary

As the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the festival come to a close, Tom Brook reports for Talking Movies.

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28 February 2020

Stars of international cinema graced the red carpet in chilly Berlin last week to mark the opening night of the Berlin Film Festival, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. One of Europe’s major festivals alongside Cannes and Venice, Berlin is known for showing challenging, often ‘political’ films.

“I think that whenever a film questions your position it becomes political, because you have to react and understand better what your position is towards the other,” Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of the Berlinale, tells Tom Brook, from BBC World News’s Talking Movies.

The opening night was a more subdued affair than usual, as it was held on the same night as the mass-shooting in Hanau. The festivities were also marred by recent revelations that the festival’s founder was a high-ranking Nazi, reports Tom Brook.

The First Hungarian Film Festival in Davao

Cultural Potpourri 

BY MICHAEL EBRO DAKUDAO ON JUNE 21, 2019 in MINDANAO TIMES

Davao’s cinemaphiles had a good introduction to Hungarian cinema when the Embassy of Hungary in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and SM Lanang Premier presented the Davao edition of the 3rd Hungarian Film Festival (HUFF) in the Philippines last June 19, 2019. This was the first time that HUFF was held in Davao City. Welcoming the guests, which included Mindanao’s diplomatic corps, were H.E. Hungarian Ambassador Jozsef Bencze, the Hungary Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission David Ambrus, and of course, our beloved Honorary Consul of Hungary in Mindanao, Mary Ann Maceda-Montemayor.

H.E. Hungarian Ambassador Jozsef Bencze and Deputy Chief of Mission David Ambrus

The Hungarian Film Festival is already on its third year in Manila but is expanding to cover both the Visayas and Mindanao regions “to present the essence of Hungarian cinema to more and more Filipinos” as explained by Ambassador Bencze. The good Ambassador said, “The Hungarian Film Festival set its insights in Mindanao in order to fulfill its original goal to bring Hungarian cinemas closer to all Filipinos and not just the residents of the capital.” Although it is a week-long event in Manila, Davao and Cebu will have one-day screenings of the best Hungarian films from June to November of this year.

Hungary’s Honorary Consul in Mindanao Mary Ann Maceda-Montemayor with Ambassador Jozsef Bencze, Deputy Chief of Mission David Ambrus, Foreign Affairs Assist. Sec. Norman Garibay

At the HUFF launch at SM Cinema 6 last Wednesday, Hungarian director Gabor Herendi’s “Kincsem–Bet on Revenge” was screened. Director Herendi’s homegrown blockbuster is a lavish 19th century melodrama based on the true story of a legendary racehorse named Kincsem. This movie is Hungary’s most expensive local production to date and the biggest box office hit of the last 10 years. Kincsem was the most successful thoroughbred racehorse in history. The mare won all 54 of her races before she was retired in 1879. Even Budapest’s main horse racing track bears Kincsem’s name to date. The interesting two-hour long film is set against the backdrop of the 19th century political turmoil in Hungary complete with elements of love, revenge, relationships and sportsmanship which Filipino moviegoers could easily relate to. The lead actor, Nagy Ervin, a handsome and talented hunk, will definitely win the hearts of Pinays.

Representatives from the Indonesian General Consulate in Davao

According to Ambassador Bencze, the other films to be shown in Davao will include “Brazilok,” (Brazils), a surprise hit in the year 2017 in Hungary. The funny and entertaining film is about a gypsy football team named “Brazilok” which takes part in a village football championship game. The winning team’s prize is a trip to Rio de Janiero, Brazil. “Genezis” (2018) is a dramatic depiction of sin, catharsis and rebirth with biblical roots. The story is told through the journey of different individuals coming from completely varying sectors of society whose fates become intertwined in the midst of a terrible crime.

Davao’s cinemaphiles in attendance

“Moszkva Ter” (Moscow Square) is a film set in April of 1989 during the period which saw the collapse of Communist regimes in Europe. Four friends spend their evenings hanging around the clock tower in Moscow Square while all around them, the old regime is on its edge. Everyone knows that something is bound to happen; but the question is whether they make it happen or they just wait for whatever is going to happen. Lastly, the film “Tales from the Lakeside” is an animation film meant for the younger audience. Dubbed in English, Lakeside introduces a wonderful microcosm around a small lake where inspiring creatures defend their quiet corner of the world from outsiders.

Mindanao’s Consular Corps headed by Consuls Baby M. Montemayor and Joji I. Bian with the Ambassador of Hungary, Dr. Jozsef Bencze

The history of the Hungarian cinema dates back to 1896 when the first screening of the film by the Lumiere brothers was held; and the first Hungarian movie theater named Okonograph was opened to the public. By August 1911, more than a hundred movie theaters operated in Budapest. Oh yes, the Hungarian Ambassador pointed out to me that the history of the Hungarian cinema is older than that of the Philippines’ which is celebrating its 100th year this year.

(l-r): Betbet Pichon, Neneng R. de la Paz, Consul Joji I. Bian, Tisay Torres and Co.

For more information or updates on the film showing, please visit the Embassy of Hungary facebook page. Congratulations to H.E. Ambassador Jozsef Bencze, Deputy Chief of Mission David Ambrus and Hon. Hungarian Consul in Mindanao, Mary Ann Maceda-del Rosario. Thank you for sharing with us, Davaoenos, your interesting Hungarian films. And thank you, Ambassador Bencze, for the story on Hungarians in our midst since the turn of the 20th century that we know so little about. Oh yes, I love those Hungarian sausages definitely.

Family-focused CINE EUROPA tours 9 Philippine Cities

By Ibarrao C. Mateo, GMA-TV

The 17th edition of the annual Cine Europa, which begins on Thursday and runs until Sept. 21, showcases 23 movies from 17 countries with a theme focused on the varied cinematic interpretations of contemporary European families.

According to Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines political counselor Julian Vassallo, instead of the festival's usual three-city roadshow this time it will go on a tour of nine cities around the country.

After the Manila leg from Sept. 11 to 21, the festival will move on to Baguio (Sept. 23 to 28), Iloilo (Sept. 30 to Oct. 5), Cebu (Oct. 10 to 12), Leyte (Oct. 16 to 19), Tacloban (Oct. 21 to 26), Davao (Oct. 28 to Nov. 2), Zamboanga (Nov. 4 to 9) and Cagayan de Oro (Nov. 13-16).

In a message, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said “events on the ground”—the three-week attack on Zamboanga City by followers of Nur Misuari—prevented them from taking the festival to Zamboanga last year, “but we are confident we will succeed this time around.”

“For the first time, we will screen our movies for audiences in Zamboanga as well as Baybay, Leyte and even Tacloban, where we especially hope to attract those displaced by Typhoon Haiyan,” Vassallo said.

“Going to as many cities as possible is very important to the European cultural group, which is keen to reach the four corners of the Philippines. The fact that the Philippines has 7,107 islands doesn't help, but we are doing our best,” he added, strongly alluding to the logistical and technical demands of screening in nine cities with varied theater facilities suitable for a film festival.

The changing family

Vassallo said the European family has changed dramatically, both in demographics and composition.

“Far fewer children means much smaller families. With often both parents working, the dynamics at home have changed. Add to that the number of single-parent families and the number of marriages that break down, and you have a very different picture of the European family from just 50 or 60 years ago,” he said.

However, the senior EU diplomat said that to conclude from this that present European families are weakened and disintegrating is premature and wrong.

“Some of these movies we are presenting tell a different story. They illustrate that while in some senses European families have changed beyond recognition, relationships can be as strong as ever, maybe even stronger,” he said.

“Fewer children means more time for individual attention. There is today a much clearer appreciation and demand for quality time with our children. And when was the last time you heard a parent repeat that horrible old mantra that children should be seen but not heard?” he added.

Lectures

The festival will have an educational section aimed at encouraging young people to consider a career in cinema and to expose Filipino filmmakers to the opportunities for collaboration with their European counterparts.

The section will feature the screening of three recognized Filipino cinematic jewels, to be accompanied by lectures.

On Sept. 12, Filipino film producer and educator Alemberg Ang will moderate a lecture-forum on film appreciation, to be followed by the showing of Maryo de los Reyes' FAMAS award-winning “Magnifico” (2003) at 2 p.m. and Auraeus Solito's Cinemalaya award-winning “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (2005).

On Sept. 20, a group of cultural officers from Spain, Italy, and France will hold a forum with Filipino filmmakers, to be followed by the 3:30 p.m. screening of Lav Diaz's “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan.”

“Norte” won the Pardo d’Oro at this year's Locarno International Film Festival and the Best Film award at Serbia's Pancevo International Film Fest.

The three films were chosen to point out the similarities between families in the Philippines and European countries.

The educational forums will be held in Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, then at the University of San Carlos in Cebu on Oct. 10.

The 2014 Cine Europa formally opens on Sept. 11 with the 8 p.m. invitational screening of Romania’s “Pozitia Copilului” (Child’s Rose) at Cinema 2 of the Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza.

Running from September to November this year, Cine Europa is one of the country's longest film festivals, if not the longest.

Participating countries this year are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland.

Admission to Cine Europa 17 is free for all screenings in all locations during the festival. Film details may be extracted from eeas.europa.eu/delegations/philippines.