Lux prize 09 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT film prize inter v ie ws
The European Parliament unveils the three contending films for the LUX Prize 2009 under the auspices of the 66th Venice International Film Festival.
EASTERN PLAYS Director - Kamen Kalev
STURM Director - Hans-Christian Schmid
WELCOME Director - Philippe Lioret
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Doris Pack - President of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament
«There is no European conscience neither emotion nor European identity if we don’t keep in mind the specific histories of each country, that is to say if we don’t watch European films in order to discover the soul of Europe».
Fatih Akin - Director Auf der anderen Seite, winner of the LUX Prize 2007
“The LUX Prize is the most innovative award for European cinema. The sponsored subtitles enabling the laureate to present his film all around Europe is a great idea, and the election process draws attention to foreign productions from 'babylonic' Europe which otherwise would have remained unknown. Hopefully the European Parliament will continue to promote our diverse and rich cinematographic culture through the LUX Prize».
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The three contending films for the LUX Prize 2009 unveiled at the 66th Mostra in Venice
Left to right: Klaus Maeck (Co-producer of Auf der anderen Seite, member of the LUX Prize 2008 Selection Panel), Fatih Akin (Laureate of the LUX Prize 2007), Doris Pack (EP Culture & Education Committee Chair), Kamen Kalev (director of Eastern Plays), Britta Knöller (Producer of Sturm), Emmanuel Courcol (co-screenwriter of Welcome). @ Andrea Avezzù, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica 2009.
Press Conference, Palazzo del Casinò, Lido di Venezia
Left to right: Kamen Kalev, Britta Knöller, Emmanuel Courcol, Klaus Maeck, Doris Pack, Paolo Baratta, President of La Biennale di Venezia.
EP Culture & Education Committee Chair Doris Pack with the representatives of the three contending films
Left to right: Britta Knöller, Kamen Kalev, Doris Pack, Emmanuel Courcol. @ Andrea Avezzù, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica 2009.
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Kamen Kalev - Director EASTERN PLAYS
«Neonazi movements are not more present in Bulgaria than in other European countries. Intolerance is not exclusive to a single country, nor does it belong only to right-wing political forces. All politicians have the same responsibility -to help people outgrow their prejudices and learn to live together.»
Hans-Christian Schmid - Director STURM
«One of the main reasons for me for making and also watching films in cinema is that they can tell an audience how diverse our lives in different countries and circumstances can be. I am very interested in seeing how individuals get along in diverging societies, when they are confronted with all kinds of social and economic changes. I like to be part of their -sometimes poetic and sometimes very real- lives and fates, and how they are told by filmmakers all over the world. Films need to travel and the LUX Prize can help a great deal to make these films be seen and understood all over Europe. What more could one ask for?»
Philippe Lioret - Director WELCOME
Emmanuel Courcol, co-scriptwriter, with Philippe Lioret, of Welcome, reminded us «when a love story bumps into geography, human law and the absurd world order. The Amsterdam Treaty aimed at establishing an “area of freedom, security and justice” for Europeans. The selection of Welcome by the LUX Prize is an encouraging sign. We see this as a sign of support for the values which the film defends – commitment, solidarity and open-mindedness – against all attempts to go backwards.»
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Kamen Kalev - Director EASTERN PLAYS
“The world as a smaller and better place”
Besides the documentary aspect of a main character played by a non-professional actor and his real, tragic fate, Kamen Kalev’s feature debut has a wider concept and message.
Cineuropa: As you were saying, Eastern Plays was inspired by your desire to make a movie about Itso and his life. But apart from that authentic element, another storyline (about his neo-Nazi brother and Itso’s acquaintance with the Turkish girl) makes its way into the film, transforming reality into fiction. What motivated you to develop the script in this direction?
Kamen Kalev: I wanted to juxtapose Itso with his brother Georgi, in order to observe and understand how confusion and alienation were born. I was looking for a way to illustrate Itso’s past, the origin of his suffering, without showing it too directly. The character of Georgi – his 17-year-old little brother – illustrates the beginning of Itso’s alienation. Everything around Georgi – his parents, friends and the city of Sofia – makes him confused. Their spiritually- handicapped parents prolong personal suffering through their own children. I find the notion of parental responsibility interesting. When the two brothers meet up again, they finally communicate. They see each other as they look into a mirror. One looks into the past, the other into the future, but both are lost and afraid. And the reason the two brothers meet is because of the young Turkish girl, Isil. She speaks about strange things, souls born again and a world that trembles. She has a different kind of creative energy which goes beyond nationalities or any other label that people can invent. Many Bulgarians still feel hatred towards our southern neighbours. Five hundred years of Ottoman rule has weighed heavily. A Turkish girl can easily be poorly perceived. That’s why Itso and Isil’s relationship is unique and I felt the necessity to include it.
Itso is a wood-carver, but he is unable to follow his vocation. Is this the fate of artists in Bulgaria? And to what extent does Eastern Plays reflect contemporary Bulgarian reality?
I would not summarise the fate of artists in Bulgaria. I have always believed that if there is a strong writer who wants to say something, nothing can stop him. Itso continued to create his amazing works with enthusiasm. We find examples in a number of world-famous writers, artists and musicians, who kept creating their art in many poor or politically-repressed societies. Yes, Eastern Plays reflects our contemporary reality, but only partially. The dialogues, clothes, script and characters are a snapshot of our reality but the general issue and the lives of these
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characters are not defined, and weren’t intended to illustrate the full picture of our society.
At the last “Open Class” cinema workshop in Sofia, organised by the producer Patrick Sandrin, he compared Eastern Plays to the films of the French New Wave. Do you agree with him? Which filmmakers in particular have influenced you?
Maybe he found an analogy between Eastern Plays and the French New Wave more in the manner of creation than the cinematic form itself or the storyline. The New Wave directors were absolutely free in their way of expression. They did not know how it would turn out, it just happened and won over audiences. The circle widened because everyone was invited to participate. Even today, so many young filmmakers keep finding strength and inspiration in their work. One of the films that influenced me most is Contempt by Jean-Luc Godard.
What does the nomination for the European Parliament Lux Cinema Prize mean to you?
It’s important to me because I suppose they support the idea of all the nations united. I was interested in showing today’s reality about the world getting smaller and people meeting each other regardless of history and origins. I am not fascinated by one particular country. What does fascinate me is when borders disappear and different cultures meet. This always brings joy, an opening up and enriching of the human conscience.
Mariana Hristova, Cineuropa.org
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Hans-Christian Schmid – Director STURM
“What we can do is create awareness among the general public.”
The German director attended the press conference for Storm, shown in competition at the 59th Berlinale. These are extracts from statements that reveal a committed filmmaker.
Cineuropa: How important was it for you to make this movie?
Hans-Christian Schmid: I believe that the movie one is currently making is very important, it is always important. Lange and I talked a lot and did research on the topic. Basically, there were two topics that we had to deal with and we didn’t know very much about them. The first is the former Yugoslavia, and then you shift focus basically, because you have a story to tell as well, so you start trying to tell the story and bring the characters to life. Of course, these two things were very important to me.
You decided to use a handheld camera during some shots. What made you do that?
The whole movie was made using a handheld camera. My colleague and I are actually a good team in this respect and we like working like this. It’s a nice way to react to what the actors are doing. It is their work that is the centre of my work; it is the centre of my attention. This is why I wanted to give them room to actually move the way they feel fit.
What is your decision-making process before deciding how to deal with a particular topic: to make a documentary or feature film?
There are certain things that you cannot really make a documentary about. The camera is not up to capturing the images accordingly. That is the issue. If you have a topic at hand, and you feel that maybe the camera is not suitable enough, let’s say to capture the images that you have in your mind, as for instance with the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), then, of course, you have to take a different course of action.
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The ICTY is to close down by the end of 2010. How come it took so long for the movie industry to actually take on this subject? What message does this movie convey about the work of the tribunal?
I don’t know why it took so long. I suppose it’s just a very complex issue. I also believe that perhaps what goes on in The Hague (Netherlands) is not really, at first glance, a matter that people would think suitable for a feature film. Maybe people are deterred as well and say: oh maybe this whole process is going to be very complicated. I think what is important is to see how ICTY works and what we would like to criticise is simply the time pressure.
As part of a United Nations strategy, the ICTY is indeed to close down. And, of course, we realise that there are different parties, there might be adversaries, but they are all parties. And during the whole process, nobody - neither the prosecution nor the defence - wants to be under time pressure. There are certain questions that remain open, and this is what we had in mind and we hope this tribunal doesn’t close down either in 2010 or 2011. Maybe what we can do with our film is create awareness among the general public and ensure that the time pressure for the witnesses is reduced.
After this movie, can you still believe in justice?
It is worth working for it, to get as close to it as possible.
Do you think that Germany has become a country with a cinematic style of its own?
Difficult question; I think there are many good German movies and I believe and hope they will have an effect on our business, but I am not sure, of course.
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Philippe Lioret – Director WELCOME
“Kids living like domestic animals”
Interview with a director passionate about humanity and fictional romance, who tackles a burning social issue in his sixth feature. Winner of Best Director and Best Screenplay at San Sebastian in 1993 with his debut feature Lost In Transit, Philippe Lioret went on to direct Proper Dress Required (1997), Mademoiselle (2001), The Light (three Cesar 2005 nominations in the categories of Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Score), and Don’t Worry, I’m Fine (Cesar Award 2007 for Best Female Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor, nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay). Cineuropa met with him in Paris to discuss the genesis of Welcome.
Cineuropa: What prompted your interest in the situation of migrants trying to cross the Channel in Calais?
Philippe Lioret: A simple discussion. It was a strong subject with dramatic potential; I had to go there and see for myself. I found the unimaginable: kids living like domestic animals, voluntary workers... I had a real shock: here was a burning issue. I wondered if I had the right to draw inspiration from what is unfortunately a form of human destitution to make a commercial narrative film. However, the volunteer workers thought that a film could perhaps have more impact than any written or televised reports, everything that appears in the media amidst a flood of information.
How did you balance the film’s documentary aspects and fictional structure?
I always start with the characters. In Calais, I met some migrants, including a young, 17-year-old boy who wanted to be reunited with his girlfriend in England. For there are not just economic and political migrants; many want to go and join their wife, father, or cousin. But they are all in a serious situation. Afterwards, I heard about some kids who tried to swim across the Channel. I merged both stories into one. Then I met the husband of one of the volunteers, a man who was a bit weary of the life his partner was leading, and he provided the inspiration for the other main character. Using this as my base, I co-wrote the screenplay with Emmanuel Courcol. Simon, the swimming instructor character, is initially unmoved by the situation of the migrants. He’s like many of us, a bit like me: we see all this and say to ourselves it’s very unfortunate, even “disgusting”, but we don’t do anything about it.
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To begin with, he doesn’t choose to help out of compassion, but just to show his wife that he’s capable of getting involved and perhaps even more so than her.
And then the situation surpasses him. He has a human encounter with this kid and a fraternal-filial bond forms. But he puts himself in a very difficult position with regard to the law and article L622-1 (assisting and helping illegal immigrants), which the volunteers are very careful about. For they know that in order to catch them out, officials will argue that the more people help illegal immigrants, the more they will arrive, which is an absolutely ridiculous idea. And when you see people having their homes searched at dawn to find out if they are lodging illegal immigrants, it has horrible echoes of the Nazi “brownshirts”.
Why did you insist on shooting in Calais?
Economically speaking, for a film like this – which was quite expensive for the 11-week shoot included lots of night scenes and required many extras – it would have been easier to secure the budget if we had filmed in a Romanian port. But it wasn’t possible: the identification and characterisation would not have been strong enough elsewhere. Moreover, the more I advance in the profession, the less I fake things. And I’m lucky to work with producer Christophe Rossignon, who has become a true partner.
The press has compared Welcome to Ken Loach’s work.
I’m delighted for I consider Raining Stones and Riff-Raff as seminal films. But I’m just as inspired by directors such as Mizoguchi and Arthur Penn (Four Friends).
What does the nomination of your film for the European Parliament Lux Prize mean to you?
I am proud to see that the film’s subject is of interest to an important European institution, especially as the request for modification of article L622-1, rejected in France, is now in the hands of the European Court of Justice.
Fabien Lemercier, Cineuropa.org
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