Panorama of European films in Budapest

by Fabien Lemercier

25/11/2005 - In contrast to the majority American releases for this week, the company Budapest Film has been running since yesterday in the Hungarian capital the 15th European Film Festival with 18 features from 11 countries of the Old Continent, running till the 4th of December. At the heart of the event, the Muvész cinema shows off its prize for best programming won last week by the three theatres owned by Hungarian network Europa Cinemas (read news).

Standing out on the bill is the big winner at the Karlovy Vary Festival, Polish film My Nikifor by Krzysztof Krauze. Worth noting too the presence of four Danish productions: Accused by Jacob Thuesen, Manderlay [trailer] by Lars von Trier, Dark Horse [trailer] made by Icelander Dagur Kari and Manslaughter [trailer] by Per Fly which last month won the Best Nordic film for 2005. Scandinavia also brings to Budapest A Hole In My Heart by Swede Lukas Moodysson and Dog Nail Clipper by Markku Pölönen, the big winner at the recent Jussi Awards, Finnish equivalent to the Oscars.

For its part, French production is represnted by L’équipier (The mate) by Philippe Lioret and To paint or to make love [trailer, film focus] by Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu (see Focus dedicated to film), Germany with Kebab Connection by Anno Saul with a screenplay co-written by Fatih Akin, and Austria with Miss Phyllis [trailer] by Clemence M. Schönborn. As for south European film, three Spanish films (The life waiting for you by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, The Basque ball de Julio Medem and Tapas from the duo José Corbacho-Juan Cruz) and two Italian features (Alla luce del sole by Roberto Faenza and L’orizzonte degli eventi by Daniele Vicari).

(Translated from French)