MY EUROPE FILM CONTEST 07 – SELECTED FILMS
Out of all applications to the My Europe Film Contest 07 the selection committee consisting of Jürgen Tobisch, Eszter Takacs and Tobias Kunow decided in favour of 17 films and created two different programmes, “Living in Europe” and “European Politics and Policies”.
Programme 1: Living in Europe
The last farm (ICELAND), by Runar Runarsson, 17 min.
In a good position (GERMANY), by Nancy Brandt, 13,29 min.
Birds without legs (GERMANY), by Burhan Quarbani, 36,30 min.
The invisible hand (GERMANY), by Dirk Lütter, 22,40 min.
The tube with a hat (ROMANIA), by Radu Jude, 23 min.
Chinese Take Away (GERMANY), by Felix Binder, 11,20 min.
Young European Patriots (INTERNATIONAL TEAM), by Lea Gamula, Julia Hertäg and Rada Mateva, 10 min.
„The last farm“ leads us to the furthermost edge of Europe, to Iceland, and describes the life of an old man on a lonely farm. In the countryside of Rumania “The tube with a hat” takes place, a story of a father and his son, who take an arduous journey on themselves to get their television repaired. The remote areas of East Germany is the location of Dirk Lütters “The invisible hand” which has just received the First Steps Award. In this film a group of people has to make a job, which 20 years after the breakdown of the East German dictatorship reminds in methods and style strongly of the secret service work of past times. “Birds without legs” takes place in Berlin. The German capital has a Turkish minority of roughly 140.000 people and director Burhan Qurbani´s subject is the life of this largest group of immigrants in Germany. Cultural differences is the issue in “Chinese Take Away” where a young German girl saves the life of a Chinese cook and cannot protect herself from his thankfulness. This short comedy by Felix Binder plays skilfully with mutual prejudices. The documentary film “In a good position” leads us to the “German Living Room” of a modern Munich housing estate, which actually turns out to be less German and more multicultural. A collective of young Europeans has directed “Young European Patriots”. In this film a group of Euro-enthusiasts tries to convince the population of the European idea with their unconventional Guerilla methods.
Programme 2: European Politics and Policies
Fair Trade (GERMANY), by Michael Dreher, 14,45 min.
Backyard Stories (NORWAY), by Kaja Wright Polmar, 7,30 min.
Good Luck Nedim (SLOVENIA), by Marko Santic, 13 min.
Sons and Soldiers (UNITED KINGDOM), by Sasha Maja Djuurkovic, 15,40 min.
Gaining Ground (GERMANY),by Marc Brummund, 20,30 min.
Silent Night (SWEDEN), by Amanda Adolfsson, 28 min.
Hope (TURKEY), by Mehmet Bahadir Er, 14 min.
In the net (BASQUE-SPAIN), by Arier Altna, 4 min.
West-Berlin (GERMANY), by Daniel Erb, 3,40 min.
Infinite Justice (GERMANY), by Karl Tebbe and Patrik Metzger, 2,00 min.
In „Fair Trade“, which was nominated for the Student Academy Award, the strait between Spain and Morocco becomes the setting for a terrifying story, as well as the sea and fishing boats of a different kind have an important role in the Basque film “In the net”. “Good Luck Nedim” from Slovenia confronts us with the visa policies within Europe which sometimes completely lack common sense. The Norwegian animated film “Backyard Stories” shows how the childrens game “Refuge Reception Center” becomes sad reality for one of the players. Sasha Maja Djurkovic, born in Serbia, shows in her film “Sons and Soldiers” the life of young British inductees and Maja, the tour guide in “Silent Night”, is witness of a terrorist attack in Egypt, and finds herself even in her native Sweden haunted by terrorists. The war in Iraq is the subject of the animation film “Infinite Justice”, whereas an arbitrary justice system is the subject of the Turkish film “Hope”. “Gaining Ground” tells the story of people living illegally in Germany and last but not least Daniel Erb´s and Patrick Metzger´s “West Berlin” shows a divided city, which we have not seen from this perspective.