Bringing a little bit of Europe to Australia
A new film festival, Europa! Europa, will arrive on Australian shores next month, showcasing a spectacular selection of European cinema. The AJN looks at the films that will inspire and entertain.
For the first time, the world’s best new European films are coming to Australia. Europa! Europa, brought to audiences by the same team who presents the Jewish International Film Festival, will include premiere screenings, live music and special events.
The inaugural program was launched on Sunday and includes 43 of Europe’s “most innovative, audacious and daring films” from 42 countries.
In his welcome, artistic director Thomas Caldwell explained that a festival dedicated to European cinema was essential.
“Europe is not just the birthplace of cinema, but throughout the history of the moving image it has helped define and innovate world cinema by offering a much-loved alternative to the dominant forms of visual storytelling established by Hollywood,” he said.
“Cinema from Europe has always been close to the hearts of Australian audiences, whether it be cinephiles wanting to see something new or more casual film lovers seeking an experience of cultures outside of their own.”
Europa! Europa will open with The Souvenir: Part II, the sequel to the autobiographical feature The Souvenir by British filmmaker Joanna Hogg. Starring Tilda Swinton and her real-life daughter Honor Swinton-Byrne, the film takes audiences through a young filmmaker’s life as she tries to find her voice in the aftermath of tragedy.
Closing the festival is France, a 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or nominated satire analysing the French media landscape through the eyes of a star journalist, whose world is turned upside down after she injures a pedestrian in a traffic accident.
The festival will screen Evolution in Sydney only, a powerful drama which traces three generations of a Jewish family from World War II through to modern-day Berlin. Evolution screened last year as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Another film of note is Sundown, directed by Michel Franco, whose mother is from Haifa. Sundown premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year and is described as “a riveting and incisive study of class disparity and familial strife”.
“The movie has a dreamlike – and sometimes nightmarish – quality as it reveals layers of the psyche of a tourist far more troubled than he appears to be at first and paints a portrait of every strata of Mexican society,” wrote Hannah Brown in The Jerusalem Post. “Every time you think you know where the story is going, Franco expertly pulls out the rug from under you. Even the most basic facts about the characters are different from what most viewers will assume to be true.”
The festival features mostly Australian premieres, and some state-based premieres, as well as submissions from 13 countries across Europe for best international feature film at the 94th Academy Awards.
Caldwell said, “I am thrilled to present Europa! Europa’s incredible inaugural program, brimming with bold and daring Australian premieres which encapsulate the unrestrained spirit of European cinema and span the full cultural breadth of the continent.
“From terrifying Scandi-horror to acclaimed titles direct from Cannes and powerful ruminations on the experiences of refugees in Europe – the festival gives Australian audiences the opportunity to see Europe’s hottest titles fast-tracked to their local cinema.”
Europa! Europa screens at Classic Cinemas Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas Hawthorn, and Ritz Cinemas, Randwick from February 4-27. Bookings: europafilmfestival.com.au