Celebration of Slovak cinema in Brussels

Brussels will host two film gatherings with a special focus on Slovak cinema in December and January.

Brussels Cinema Days in BOZAR

On Nov 30, 2016, Brussels Cinema Days kicks off at the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR, the main cultural venue in Brussels. This year, to mark the 25th anniversary of the MEDIA Programme of the European Commission, which supports the development and distribution of the best films throughout the continent, the event is oriented mainly on European cinema.

The selection of around twenty films features two films by outstanding Slovak director and screenwriter Dušan Hanák. Pictures of the Old World, showing impressive portraits of old people from Slovak regions of Liptov and Orava who are able to enjoy and their individual freedom even in troubled times ruled by chaos and social insecurity, and Paper Heads, an emotional film essay about the relationship between  individual and power within the context of a totalitarian regime, will be introduced in the presence of the director.
The recent co-production title I, Olga Hepnarová by Tomáš Weinreb and Petr Kazda will be also screened within the programme.

In addition to a great number of selected European film titles, the European Film Forum (Dec 1 -2, 2016) will also be held during this reputable showcase, bringing together international film professionals and policy makers to discuss challenges and opportunities for the future. The first day is dedicated to discussion pannels on competitiveness and innovation of the audiovisual industry while the second day will focus on how to increase cross-border access.


Slovak Films at Cinematek

The Royal Belgian Film Archive – Cinematek, in collaboration with BOZAR, has curated a Panorama of Slovak Cinema (Dec 2, 2016 – Jan 20, 2017), a „fascinating and fiery“ pick consisting of twelve Slovak films.

Along with the two previously mentioned films by Dušan Hanák Pictures of the Old World (1972) and Paper Heads (1995) the programme of the film panorama will feature further titles by the director, namely Pink Dreams (1976) and I Love, You Love (1980) accompanied by various other Slovak gems like The Boxer and Death (1962) by Peter Solan, Štefan Uher´s The Sun in a Net (1962) or Great Night and Great Day (1974) and A Path Across the Danube (1989) by Miloslav Luther.

The showcase will feature also two more recent titles The Garden (1995) by Martin Šulík and Blind Loves (2008) by Juraj Lehotský. Moreover, the Panorama will also present director Juraj Jakubisko by three of his fiction features The Prime of Life (1967), Birdies, Orphans and Fools (1969) and Sitting on a Branch I am Fine (1989), as well as his short documentary The Red Cross Drummer (1977).

Both events are part of the project SK PRES – in honour of the Slovak Presidency in the Council of the European Union.

More info:
http://www.bozar.be/ / http://www.bozar.be/en/activities/121121-brussels-cinema-days

http://www.cinematek.be/ / http://www.cinematek.be/?node=17&event_id=100199000

published: 28.11.2016
updated: 30.11.2016