Cine Europa: The films you almost failed to see

Let’s face it. No matter how you try to slice the cake, film distribution and exhibition is a business. As such, commercial concerns are the priority. So is it any wonder that we get a steady diet of Hollywood blockbusters, juvenile comedies and shock/schlock thrillers? Star power rules and the name on the marquee also means boffo box office receipts (never mind if some of the films are downright embarrassments, given the pedigrees of the actors involved). If films are a form of cultural expression, we live in a desert, and Cine Europa is one of the oases that dot our barren landscape.

An event created by the Delegation of the European Commission and the Embassies of the European Union (EU) Member States in partnership with the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, this year’s Cine Europa 5 (yes, it is in its fifth year) can boast of a handful of films true cinema lovers can be thankful have finally reached our shores.

Without the sponsorship of the EU and the efforts it has taken in making this an annual event, you can bet your last Bicycle Thief poster or Truffaut video that most of these films would never grace any local movie screen. Ken Loach, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Pedro Almodovar, John Madden, Claude Lelouch, Alejandro Amenabar– these are just some of the names of European directors whose oeuvre we’d never get to see unless they’ve been plucked from Europe and given a billion-dollar Hollywood project to work on (and more often than not, lose the clarity of their cinematic vision in the transatlantic sojourn; methinks it gets dumped somewhere over Newfoundland).

They’re all part of a rich European tradition of cinematic storytelling, of making films that say and mean something… other than dollar signs. This year’s crop is no different. All award winners, they’ve been chosen by their respective country’s embassies as a showpiece of where their film industry stands.

Claude Lelouch’s latest outing, which incidentally closed this year’s Cannes Festival, opens Cine Europa 5. And Now… Ladies and Gentlemen stars Jeremy Irons, Patricia Kaas and Thierry Lhermitte. It’s about a gentleman thief of English origin and a female jazz singer who cross paths in Morocco, both desperate to break away from their past and forge new lives. Rich in characterization and scenery (thanks to the Moroccan locale), it moves under the deft touch of this ‘Old Master’ of French Cinema.

The wonderfully-titled Austrian contribution is Born in Absudistan. It starts off as a comedy of switched babies in a Viennese hospital. There’s an Austrian couple and Turkish immigrant workers. The film moves beyond being a mere picaresque to take on the bigger themes of immigration, identity and family.

Family relationships of a different order and spanning generations is tackled in the Finnish entry Kites Over Helsinki (directed by Peter Lindholm). Meanwhile, Sweden marks its presence with Such Is Life (Colin Nutley, director). Here, the central character is a woman with the twin ambitions of getting married before she hits 30 (she has two weeks) and performing as a bar-piano players at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm.

Crush, directed by John McKay, is the UK entry. A comedy described as a British First Wives Club or Sex And the Country (as opposed to the City); it has the advantage of featuring a known actress, Andie MacDowell. She’s joined by Imelda Staunton and Anna Chancellor.

The Red Squirrel comes from Spain. Directed by Julio Medem, it boasts of a young cast and a compelling premise. Jota, a rock musician is about to jump off a pier and end it all when he sees a girl who has an accident. Deciding to save her life, he discovers she now has amnesia. Love and deceit are explored in this film.

From Portugal, we have Love and Tiny Toes, of special interest for its locale of Macao. Starring Joachim de Almeida (who appeared in Clear and Present Danger and Desperado), it’s directed by Luis Felipe Rocha and follows the story of a badly-loved young girl and the arrogant son of a distinguished family.

The Netherlands brings us The Discovery of Heaven. Directed by Jeroen Krtabbe, it’s based on the epic novel of Harry Mulischa. Taking on gigantic themes, the premise lies in God being disappointed with man and wanting the stone tablets back. Of course, the angel sent to retrieve them finds the humans he encounters less than cooperative.

The German entry Mostly Martha, directed by Sandra Nettlebeck, uses a high-end restaurant as setting. Martha relies on her culinary skill to get through life. Forced to take care of an eight-year-old niece (Martha’s sister has died in an accident) and contend with a flamboyant Italian sous chef, the film follows Martha’s finding a ‘new recipe’ to life.

Last but not least is the Belgian film of Alain Berliner. Wittily entitled Ma Vien En Rose, it’s translated as "My Life in Pink" and follows the life of a little boy who dreams of being a little girl. Sure to be a favorite if enough word of mouth spreads, it’s a fable of fear, incomprehension and denial to "being different." Done in a very stylized manner, the cinematography is reminiscent of the French film Amelie.

Given the texture and depth of these European films, my brief description can’t do them justice. Look out for the full schedules and choose which ones tickle your fancy. Admission is free and there are three screenings per day.

Enjoy!