24/09/2002 - European cinema showcases its "Shooting Stars" and suggests an alternate star system to Hollywood

The Old Continent’s young film industry was a protagonist of the last edition of EuropaCinema, the Viareggio film festival that ended 21 September. During the closing event, European Film Promotion presented the seven European Shooting Stars (EFP’s annual promotion of Europe’s best young acting talent) who took part in the presentation of the Federico Fellini Platinum Awards.
The European star system is very different from its American counterpart. “As a result, actors who are famous at home, are complete unknowns on the international scene,” said Luciana Castellina, the president of EuropaCinema. “That is why the European “Shooting Stars” have, for the past five years, been presented at the Berlin Film Festival. This year’s novelty is that “Shooting Stars” has become a touring event that came to Viareggio in Italy from Haugesund in Norway.”
Do we really need a European star system? The American counterpart has always played a significant role in the American film industry. “Stefano Accorsi was the Italian representative at last year’s edition of Shooting Stars and he is Italy’s pre-eminent star,” continues Castellina. “Our Shooting Stars is unlike its American cousins, for whom a glamorous image is of paramount importance, our stars look normal and dress simply in everyday clothes like jeans.” They represent everything that’s new in their respective countries.
Enrique Alcides (Sagitario) says, “There are lots of new actors and directors in Spain and I am one of them. It is not easy because Spain does not have a proper film industry.” The situation is even worse in Luxembourg, the home of Luc Feit (Le club des chômeurs), who actually works in Berlin. “Luxembourg cinema can only exist as part of a co-production. That’s why I’m so happy that Germany exists and life in Berlin is great fun.”
Fabrizio Gifuni (Sole negli occhi) pulls no punches: “All this talk about stars is embarrassing because they are the products of people’s imaginations and specific to a given era. It is no coincidence that Italy’s stars are all linked to the post-war period when Italians needed to identify with strong symbols. Unfortunately, our collective imagination has waned somewhat, although I continue to hope that Europe will manage to build its very own collective imagination to counteract the American one.” Ireland’s Lindsey Harris (Chaos) is an optimist: “Ireland is starting to produce films that people want to see and recent films of ours could easily be screened anywhere in the world.” England’s Lucy Russel, best remembered for a French film entitled L’Anglaise et le Duc is keen to emphasise that, “more and more European films are being made with Spanish, French, Italian and other European actors and that is a novelty for us Brits.” Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir (Mávahlátur-The Seagull’s Laughter): answers her British colleague, “Europe is opening its doors and so we have to get as much experience as we can. Film production is on the increase in Iceland, but without help from the rest of Europe, especially Scandinavia and Germany, we won’t make it.” Germany’s Antonio Wannek (Wie Feuer und Flamme-Never Mind The Wall) ends on a positive note, “we have the power to create visions in spectators’ heads so let’s make films as a way of finding new solutions and a new vision of the future for our children.”