Festivals >> London >> 2008 >> Cinema Europa

Birdsong (Cant dels ocells, El) (Country: Spain; Director: Albert Serra; Writer: Albert Serra; Cast: Victòria Aragonés, Lluís Carbó, Mark Peranson, Lluís Serrat Batlle, Lluís Serrat, Montse Triola)
Waiting for Godot meets The Passion According to St. Matthew in this imaginative treatment of the Biblical tale of the Magi.

Black Sea (Mar nero) (Country: Italy, Romania, France; Director: Federico Bondi; Writer: Ugo Chiti; Cast: Ilaria Occhini, Dorotheea Petre, Maia Morgenstern)
The relationship between an elderly woman and her young Romanian care worker is at the centre of this slow burning, intimate film.

Blind Loves (Slepe lásky) (Country: Slovakia; Director: Juraj Lehotsky; Writer: Juraj Lehotsky, Marek Lescák; Cast: Peter Kolesár, Iveta Kopdrová, Miro Daniel)
A touching, inventive and often very funny portrait of the way people live and love without sight. Full Review See: Article about Blindness and blind people in cinema

Bullet In The Head (Tiro En La Cabeza) (Country: Spain; Director: Jaime Rosales; Writer: Jaime Rosales; Cast: Mikel Tello, Ion Arretxe, Iñigo Royo, Diego Gutiérrez, Manza Gebara, Ana Vila, Nerea Cobreros, Monique Durin-Noury, Gilles Vaxelaire, Iván Moreno, José Ángel Lopetegui)
Avant-garde thriller invites audience to piece together the narrative. Full Review

The Candidate (Kandidaten) (Country: Denmark; Director: Kasper Barfoed; Writer: Stefan Jaworski; Cast: Kim Bodnia, Laura Christensen, David Dencik, Henning Valin Jakobsen, Marijana Jankovic, Henning Jensen, Henrik Jørgensen, Jesper Langberg, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Tuva Novotny, Ulf Pilgaard, Henrik Prip, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, David Petersen, Rolf Rasmussen)
A defence attorney is thrown into a world of blackmail, murder and deception. A stylish and breathtaking Copenhagen-set noir thriller.

Captive (Plennyy, Plenniy) (Country: Russia, Bulgaria; Director: Aleksei Uchitel; Writer: Timofei Dekin, Vladimir Makanin; Cast: Vyacheslav Krikunov, Pyotr Logachev, Irakli Mskhalaia, Yulia Peresild, Sergei Umanov, Andrei Feskov, Tagir Rahimov, Dagun Omayev, Raisa Gichaeva, Larisa Shamsadova, Svetlana Dorokhina)
Two Russian soldiers capture a handsome Chechen in this adaptation of Vladimir Makanin’s unusual story of war in the Caucasus. Full Review

Citizen Havel (Obcan Havel) (Country: Czech Republic; Director: Miroslav Janek, Pavel Koutecký; Cast: Václav Havel, Ivan Medek, Anna Freimanová, Vladimír Hanzel, Ladislav Spacek, Egon Ditmar, Pavel Fiser, Antonín Manena, Miroslav Sklenár, Eliska Fucíková, Pavel Rechtácek, Václav Klaus, Milos Zeman)
A witty, considered and personal documentary with fascinating insights into the life of Václav Havel, the man who helped shape the early history of the Czech Republic.

Cloud 9 (Wolke Neun, Cloud Nine) (Country: Germany; Director: Andreas Dresen; Writer: Andreas Dresen, Jörg Hauschild, Laila Stieler, Conny Ziesche; Cast: Ursula Werner, Horst Rehberg, Horst Westphal, Steffi Kühnert)
A brave and truthful portrayal of love in later life.

Cold Lunch (Lønsj) (Country: Norway; Director: Eva Sørhaug; Writer: Per Schreiner; Cast: Ane Dahl Torp, Pia Tjelta, Aksel Hennie, Bjørn Floberg, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Anneke von der Lippe, Kyrre Haugen Sydness, Birgitte Victoria Svendsen, Ingar Helge Gimle, Jan Gunnar Røise, Nicholas Hope, Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, Pål Stokka, Celine Engebrigtsen, Elin Sogn, Knut Husebø, Inger Teien, Hilde Olaussen, Charlotte Grundt, Mona Grenne, Ola Røneid, Reidar Fossum, Maria Dal, Roy Jensen, Hektor Faldbakken-Sørhaug)
The main fuse in an Oslo flat block gets disconnected, setting off a chain of events in the lives of those living in the apartments.

Country Wedding (Sveitabrúðkaup) (Country: Iceland; Director: Valdís Óskarsdóttir; Writer: Valdís Óskarsdóttir; Cast: Hreinn Beck, Erlendur Eiríksson, Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Rúnar Freyr Gíslason)
A couple thinks nothing could be nicer than a wedding in the country. It's only an hour's drive from the city but, of course things don't go as planned.

Delta (Country: Germany, Hungary; Director: Kornél Mundruczó; Writer: Yvette Biro; Cast: Félix Lajkó, Orsolya Tóth, Lili Monori, Sándor Gáspár, Lajos Bertók, Mari Kiss, Martin Wuttke)
A brother and sister build a house together in a remote section of the Danube in this superbly photographed tale of primeval passions. Full Review

Eldorado (Country: Belgium, France; Director: Bouli Lanners; Writer: Bouli Lanners; Cast: Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Philippe Nahon, Didier Toupy, Françoise Chichéry, Stefan Liberski, Baptiste Isaia, Rausin Jean-Jacques, Renaud Rutten, Jean-Luc Meekers)
Road movie and absurdist Belgian Noire meet in a droll and idiosyncratic story of a duo of misfits, bursting with verbal and visual humour. Full Review See: French Film Festival preview

Everybody Dies but Me (Vse umrut, a ya ostanus) (Country: Russia; Director: Valeriya Gai Germanika; Writer: Yuri Klavdiyev, Aleksandr Rodionov; Cast: Polina Filonenko, Agniya Kuznetsova, Olga Shuvalova, Donatas Grudovich, Garold Strelkov, Inga Strelkova-Oboldina, Olga Lapshina, Alexei Bagdasarov, Olga Shuvalova)
An unusual and authentic insight into the world of Russian teenagers as three young girls prepare for the school disco.

Flame & Citron (Flammen & Citronen) (Country: Denmark, Germany; Director: Ole Christian Madsen; Writer: Lars Andersen, Ole Christian Madsen; Cast: Finn Bergh, Christian Berkel, Rasmus Bjerg, David Bjergsø, Rasmus Botoft, Jesper Christensen, Flemming Enevold, Martin Greis, Martin Hall, René Hansen, Martin Hestbæk, Henrik Jørgensen, Danny Kirkeby, Mille Lehfeldt, Thure Lindhardt, Mads Lodberg)
Beautifully constructed and hugely entertaining WW2 Danish Resistance drama.

A Game for Girls (Un Gioco da Ragazzi) (Country: Italy; Director: Matteo Rovere; Writer: Sandrone Dazieri, Teresa Ciabatti, Andrea Cotti, Matteo Rovere; Cast: Chiara Chitti, Desirèè Noferini, Nadir Caselli)
A clever and fresh take on the crime movie, a neat and nasty film noir. Withdrawn from the Festival.

Home (Country: Switzerland, France, Belgium; Director: Ursula Meier; Writer: Ursula Meier, Antoine Jaccoud, Raphaëlle Valbrune, Gilles Taurand; Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Gourmet, Adélaïde Leroux)
The darkly funny story of an oddball family determined to live happily by the side of a motorway. Full Review View Trailer

Hooked (Pescuit sportiv) (Director: Adrian Sitaru; Writer: Adrian Sitaru; Cast: Adrian Titieni, Ioana Flora, Maria Dinulescu)
A car accident leads to a game of emotional cat-and-mouse when a street prostitute seeks revenge against two secret lovers.

I Am Alive (Sono Viva) (Country: Italy; Director: Dino Gentili, Filippo Gentili; Writer: Dino Gentili, Filippo Gentili; Cast: Massimo de Santis, Giovanna Mezzogiorno)
A superior black comedy with serious overtones, an intelligent and surprising supernatural tale. Full Review

Involuntary (De Ofrivilliga) (Country: Sweden; Director: Ruben Östlund; Writer: Erik Hemmendorff, Ruben Östlund; Cast: Villmar Björkman, Linnea Cart-Lamy, Leif Edlund, Sara Eriksson, Lola Ewerlund, Olle Lijas, Maria Lundqvist, Cecilia Milocco, Henrik Vikman, Vera Vitali)
A humorous and poignant take on the real value we place on the opinions of others. Full Review

The Karamazovs (Karamazovi) (Country: Czech Republic, Poland; Director: Petr Zelenka; Writer: Petr Zelenka; Cast: Martin Mysicka, Michaela Badinková, Igor Chmela, Radek Holub, Lenka Krobotová, Roman Luknár, Andrzej Mastalerz, Marek Matejka, David Novotny, Pavel Simcík)
Petr Zelenka's unusual take on theatre and life follows a group of Czech actors as they perform an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's novel in a Polish factory.

Kisses (Country: Ireland, Sweden; Director: Lance Daly; Writer: Lance Daly; Cast: Kelly O'Neill, Shane Curry, Paul Roe, Neilí Conroy, David Bendito, Elizabeth Fuh, Cathy Malone, Jose Jimanez, Willie Higgins, Sean McDonagh)
Two young kids endure a night on the streets of Dublin

Lazy Days (Déjate Caer) (Country: Spain; Director: Jesús Ponce; Writer: Jesús Ponce; Cast: Juanfra Juárez, Ivan Massagué, Darío Paso, Pilar Crespo, Ana Cuesta, Fany de Castro, Mercedes Hoyos, Isabel Ampudia, Victoria Mora, Juan Motilla, Benito Pocino, María Alfonsa Rosso, Pablo Paredes, Jesús Carroza, Xosé Bonome)
Seville 'slacker' movie about three friends who refuse to grow up. Full Review

The Market (The Market: A Tale Of Trade, Pazar – Bir Ticaret Masali) (Country: Germany, Kazakhstan, UK, Turkey; Director: Ben Hopkins; Writer: Ben Hopkins; Cast: Tayanç Ayaydin, Genco Erkal, Senay Aydin, Hakan Sahin, Rojin, Sertel Ugur, Seval Bozbay, Nilüfer Alptekin, Kubilay Tunçer, Kamil Acar, Özlem Baskaya, Ufuk Asar)
A wry Turkish road move and comedy of commerce in which a hapless but lovable rogue sets out to improve his lot by some dodgy dealing over the border. Full Review

Max Minsky and Me (Max Minsky und ich) (Country: Germany; Director: Anna Justice; Writer: Holly-Jane Rahlens, Holly-Jane Rahlens; Cast: Zoe Moore, Emil Reinke, Adriana Altaras, Jan Josef Liefers, Monica Bleibtreu, Susanna Simon, Rosemarie Fendel, Hildegard Alex, Wladimir Tarasjanz, Ralph Misske)
If boffin Nellie is going to make it to the basketball championships in time then she'd better learn how to play first...

Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di ferragosto) (Country: Italy; Director: Gianni Di Gregorio; Writer: Gianni Di Gregorio, Simone Riccardini, Gianni Di Gregorio; Cast: Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotti, Maria Calì, Grazia Cesarini Sforza, Alfonso Santagata, Luigi Marchetti, Marcello Ottolenghi, Petre Rosu, Biagio Ursitti)
A man is offered a solution to his money problems as the traditional Italian holiday of August 15th approaches. Full Review

No Network (Duggholufólkið) (Country: Iceland; Director: Ari Kristinsson; Writer: Ari Kristinsson; Cast: Margrét Ákadóttir, Þórdís Hulda Árnadóttir, Árni Beinteinn Árnason, Erlendur Eiríksson, Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir, Bryndís Gunnlaugsdottír, Steinn Ármann Magnússon, Magnús Ólafsson, Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, Bergþór Þorvaldsson)
Kalli discovers that living in an icy area with no phone network is no fun. With a wild polar bear, a restless ghost and a blizzard approaching, life's about to get worse.

Of Parents And Children (O Rodicích A Detech) (Country: Czech Republic; Director: Vladimír Michálek; Writer: Vladimír Michálek, Jirí Križan, Emil Hakl, based on the novel by Emil Hakl; Cast: Josef Somr, David Novotny, Mariana Kroftova, Lubo Kostelný, Zuzana Stivínová, Jirí Lábus)
A retired scientist and his adult son reflect on life during their regular walk around the outskirts of Prague in Vladimír Michálek's attractive comedy. Full Review

Ordinary Boys (Chicos normales) (Country: Spain; Director: Daniel Hernandez; Writer: Daniel Hernández, Gabi Martínez ; Cast: Rabia Bouchfira, El-Khader Aoulasse, Youseff Belefki)
Distinctive and timely study of a trio of young people in the region of Morocco where five of the terrorists responsible for Spain's 11th March 2004 bombings were born and bred.

The Past Is A Foreign Land (Passato è una terra straniera, Il) (Country: Italy; Director: Daniele Vicari; Writer: Gianrico Carofiglio, Daniele Vicari, Massimo Gaudioso, Francesco Carofiglio, Gianrico Carofiglio; Cast: Elio Germano, Chiara Caselli, Michele Riondino, Valentina Lodovini, Daniela Poggi, Marco Baliani, Romina Carrisi Jr., Lorenza Indovina, María Jurado)
From the best selling novel by Gianrico Carofiglio, a compulsive thriller about the dangerous relationship developing between a young law student and an unscrupulous card shark.

Railroad Crossing (Pas a nivell) (Country: Spain; Director: Pere Vilà i Barceló; Writer: Pere Vilà i Barceló; Cast: Marc Homs, Maite Buenafuente, Georgina Cardona, Cristina Cervià, Mercè Compte, Susan de Bonté, Joan Martí, Jordi Subirà, Paula Vives)
Quirky coming of age feature set on the Costa Brava which follows aimless Marc as he tries to decide what to do with his life post-university.

Revanche (Country: Austria; Director: Götz Spielmann; Writer: Götz Spielmann; Cast: Johannes Krisch, Ursula Strauss, Andreas Lust, Hannes Thanheiser, Irma Potapenko, Hanno Pöschl)
A bungled robbery leads to a search for revenge in this masterful and intelligently crafted drama. Full Review

Seamstresses (Shivachki) (Country: Bulgaria; Director: Lyudmil Todorov; Writer: Lyudmil Todorov; Cast: Aleksandra Surchadzhieva, Elen Koleva, Violeta Markovska, Assen Blatechki, Phillip Avramov, Nona Yotova, Julian Vergov, Yoanna Boukovska)
Three young women search for work in the big city in a beautifully acted film emphasising the values of friendship.

Shultes (Country: Russia; Director: Bakur Bakuradze; Writer: Bakur Bakuradze; Cast: Gela Chitava, Ruslan Grebyonkin, Lyubov Firsova, Ivan Lebedev)
A bleak but poetic tale of a Moscow pickpocket and his involuntary friendship with his 12-year-old accomplice.

SOS - Summer of Suspense (S.O.S Svartskjær) (Country: Norway; Director: Arne Lindtner Næss; Writer: Arne Lindtner Næss)
A thrilling family adventure featuring a girl, her seal and a gang of smugglers.

Sunshine Barry & The Disco Worms (Disco ormene) (Country: Denmark, Germany; Director: Thomas Borch Nielsen; Writer: Morten Dragsted; Cast: David Bateson, Trine Dyrholm, Jason Graae, Frank Lenart, Troels Lyby, Birthe Neumann, Lars Hjortshøj, Peter Frödin, Peter Hesse Overgaard, Helle Dolleris)
Why put up with being an ordinary earthworm when you can start up your own disco band and have it all?

A Tale of Two Mozzies (Cykelmyggen og Dansemyggen) (Country: Denmark; Director: Jannik Hastrup, Flemming Quist Møller; Writer: Flemming Quist Møller; Cast: Kaya Brüel, Lisbet Dahl, Peter Frödin, Ditte Gråbøl, Fabian Harlang, Anne Marie Helger, Ellen Hillingsø, Bjarke Kastberg Andersen, Jesper Klein, Kim Larsen)
Animated fun with Egon, a mosquito who rides a bicycle instead of flying and his dancing friend Dagmar.

Tricks (Sztuczki) (Country: Poland; Director: Andrzej Jakimowski; Writer: Andrzej Jakimowski; Cast: Damian Ul, Ewelina Walendziak, Tomasz Sapryk, Rafal Guzniczak, Iwona Fornalczyk, Joanna Liszowska, Andrzej Golejewski, Grzegorz Stelmaszewski, Simeone Matarelli, Krzysztof Lawniczak)
A charming and nostalgic film in which a young boy sets out to prove that a man he sees at the station is really his lost father. Full Review

Uprise (A Zona) (Country: Portugal; Director: Sandro Aguilar; Writer: Sandro Aguilar; Cast: António Pedroso, Isabel Abreu, Gustavo Sumpta, Cátia Afonso, Tiago Barbosa, Guilherme Pina Cabral, João Nicolau, Tomé Mendonça, Adriana Queiróz, Joana Brandão, Manuel Mesquita, Bruno Duarte, Francisco Nascimento, Nuno Bernando, Marta Matreus, Dinarte Branco, Pedro Lamas, Nuno Melo)
Sandro Aguilar's haunting, formally ambitious debut immerses the viewer in a series of uncannily potent scenes, and signals the arrival of a striking new talent. Full Review

Where is Winky's Horse? (Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas?) (Country: Netherlands; Director: Mischa Kamp; Writer: Tamara Bos; Cast: Anneke Blok, Robbert Blokland, Peter Bolhuis, Jan Decleir, Mamoun Elyounoussi, Hanyi Han, Sallie Harmsen, Betty Schuurman, Ebbie Tam, Eric van der Donk)
Winky Wong has a major search on her hands when St Nicholas' horse goes missing and his parade is only days away.

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