2023-04-30 19:00:04
The chance of the Linz film festival “Crossing Europe” (“XE”) is at risk, said the directors Sabine Gottesroither and Katharina Riedler in the OÖN interview. “Risk” here means uniting uncomfortable truths and extraordinary visual language in order to program a counterpoint to the “easy-going”, US-oriented mainstream cinema for a broad audience. This is reflected in this year’s winning films, which were announced on April 30 (Sun.) in the Ursulinenhof.
War, illness, teenage pregnancy and suicide are the main themes of the winning films at the festival, which ends on May 1st in Linz. They are also an echo of the strong focus on Eastern Europe and young people’s perspectives that XE has always pursued. Furthermore, they tell of global, national, inner-European ordeal (increasing nationalism, generational conflicts, questions of gender and sexual identity) on the level of individual and family ordeal.
As every year, some of the winning films can be seen once more at the festival finale (see “Public Film Fiktion” and winning film “YAAAS!”). The production, which received the “Miob New Vision Award” and was donated by the “Moving Images – Open Borders” initiative (“Miob” for short), is here for the first time. It is regarding the film “Beautiful Beings”, Iceland sent it into the race for the foreign Oscar. It leads into the harsh, brutal world of a teenage misfit who receives support in questionable ways. To be seen on May 1st at 8.15 p.m. in the Moviemento cinema in Linz.
Overview winning films:
Winner fiction/feature film (5000 euros)
“Bread And Salt”, directed by Damian Kocur (Poland)
Why is?
Tymek, a budding pianist from Warsaw, returns to his hometown, a small town in the Polish countryside, for the holidays. Together with his brother and his friends, the young student spends a lot of time in a kebab shop, which is the meeting point for young people there. But the locals often clash with the employees. Latent racism fuels the smoldering conflict until the situation finally escalates.
Winner Audience Award Fiction/Feature Film (5000 Euro)
“Safe Place”, Director: Juraj Lerotic (Croatia/Slovenia)
To be seen once more: May 1st, 8 p.m., in the City-Kino Linz
Why is?
Alarmed following a phone call, Bruno storms into his younger brother Damir’s apartment. He finds him with cuts on his neck and wrist and takes him to the hospital immediately. But the suicide attempt is just the beginning of a long and emotionally turbulent process. Director Juraj Lerotic, who plays the role of Bruno himself, precisely stages a piece of his own family history and raises questions that go to the heart of the matter
Winner Documentary
(shared prize of 2,500 euros each)
“We Will Not Fade Away”, directed by Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine, France, Poland, USA)
Why is?
Actually Illia, Lera, Liza, Andriy and Ruslan are normal teenagers. One dreams of engineering training, the other of art school. In between, they party, rebel and wish for a future. But their life is not entirely normal: the five protagonists live in the Donbass region, which has been in a state of crisis since 2014. War is near, the future uncertain. An expedition to the Himalayas gives the young people a drive that they had almost forgotten in their everyday life, which was characterized by threats.
“Silent Love”, Regie: Marek Kozakiewicz (Deutschland, Poland)
Why is?
After the death of her mother, Aga moves back from Germany to her native Polish province to care for her 14-year-old brother Miłosz. In the new, ultra-conservative environment, the possibility of shaping a life together with her partner Majka and establishing an alternative family model seems far away – but not impossible. With a camera that stays close to the main characters, silently observing, this sensitive and precisely for that reason so haunting documentary conveys the most important message in its subtlety: people still have to live their love secretly, are we not free and detached from constraints and norms.
YAAAS Youth Track Winner! (3,000 euros)
“Little Ones” (“Petites”), directed by Julie Lerat-Gersant (France)
To be seen once more: 1 May, 7 p.m., Moviemento cinema Linz
Why is?
16-year-old Camille is pregnant and placed in a home for young mothers by order of the judge. There she becomes friends with the not always responsible Alison and her little daughter Diana. Camille has a loving and painful relationship with her mother. The film describes how they deal with the pregnancy as well as the process of making decisions regarding what to do following the birth of the child. (Katrin Dobetsberger, YAAAS! Young Programmer)
Gewinner Local Artists
“Cloudy Memories”, director: Isabella Friedl (cash prize 5000 euros)
Why is?
Friedl from the Innviertel has created a touching, personal film regarding her life, that of her sister and her mother with her almost 88-year-old grandmother’s dementia, which boils down to one question: Why should women always have to take care of everything? Isabella Friedl in the OÖN interview:
more on the subject
“Why should the woman always take care of everything?”
“De Facto”, director: Selma Doborac (non-cash prize voucher 2,000 euros)
Why is?
Doborac has created a literary-audiovisual composition that traces the spirals of violence, disinhibition and rapture in conflicts with a strong focus on the perpetrators. Cornelius Obonya, among others, can be seen reciting.
“Creative Region Music Video Award”
“Cruel Hearted / Maybe Someday – Mile & Flip”, Regie: Clemens Niel (1.500 Euro)
Here is the video of the student from the Linz Art University:
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