17/02/2003

Cinema is the universal language of Europe and the World. 16 February saw the opening of the first-ever World Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event is dedicated to peace and non-violence and kitted out in the most brilliant Oriental hues so that it’s universal message can be perceived and welcomed the world over.
One of the festival’s strongest supporters is Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed. Organised by the Malaysian Information Ministry with the assistance of eight incredibly talented young managers with a private agency who, in the short space of just three weeks, succeeded in bringing together actors, directors and producers from 38 countries to present 50 films on the subject of non-violence to the public.

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"I thought about the violence in our world and how it has come to fill a large slice of our everyday lives," said the Prime Minister in his opening speech at the Festival. "I thought about our young people who are growing up in the shadow of images of war and violence. And I realised that only cinema has the ability to put across the true sentiments of peace and promote new and fundamental values of solidarity and tolerance".
The festival is taking place on the eve of the 13th Summit of the Non-Allied National Nations (NAN) scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on 20-25 February, and saw the world’s film industry and its peacemakers come together to support a new and original form of pacifism through the medium of film.
Beneath the most magnificent display of fireworks display, the Malaysian prime minister personally welcomed and thanked the representatives of the world’s film industry who had answered his call and come to the festival. Italy, with the enthusiastic support of its Ambassador to Malaysia, Anacleto Felicani, presented The Profession of Arms by Ermanno Olmi; Spain screened Balseros (Cuban Rafter) about Cuban immigrants in Miami, and Germany, Nowhere in Africa [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. There were also films from Holland, Switzerland, France, Bosnia, Hungary, Albania, Australia, Iran, China, Thailand, India as well as Egypt, Namibia and Ghana.
The representatives of each country were preceded by their national flags, but the hope they all shared was the same one.
The festival will end on 18 February with the awards ceremony in the august presence of His Majesty, the King of Malaysia.