Now Showing European Union's best

Now's time for Mumbai's film buffs to stock up their popcorn, as the 20th European Union Film Festival will pack in 21 films over two weekends, starting this Saturday

The rich cultural milieu of cinema of the European Union and its member states will be on display in its myriad hues on account of the 20th European Union Film Festival, starting from May 8, in Mumbai. Organised by the delegation of the European Union and embassies of Member States, the festival will be held in partnership with the German Consulate, Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan and Alliance Francaise Mumbai, from May 8 to 17.


A still from the Latvian film, Pizzas 

A repertoire of 21 latest and award-winning films will be screened, after the National Award-winning filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane (director: Court) inaugurates the festival at 5 pm on the first day. German film, The Age of Cannibals, and the Latvian film, Pizzas, at Little Theatre, will follow the inauguration.

After the festival's successful initiation in Chennai, in March, the audiences in Delhi and Chandigarh were wowed as well. Other cities on the itinerary include Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Jodhpur and Coimbatore over the next three months. The festival commemorates 20 years of bringing European cinema to India. Of the 21 films that will be screened, The Foreigner, a Bulgarian film about a Frenchman who falls in love with a hot-tempered Bulgarian village girl, deserves a special mention.

So does, Ida, a Polish film that recounts the life of Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, who is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation. A few others to watch out for include The Don Juans and The Age of Cannibals.


A still from Living Images (Estonia) 

A poster of the film, The Age of Cannibals (Germany)

Speaking about this festival, director Tamhane reflects, "Having grown up watching world cinema facilitated through such initiatives in Mumbai, I have realised that these films are a way to travel without travelling, and a means to gain insights about different societies and communities. As a viewer, I am excited about this year's edition to see a whole bunch of evocative and exciting films that I, otherwise, would have never had a chance to see."

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