18 top-rated films free to view in this year’s European Film Festival

IF YOU are crying out for fresh interesting movies to binge on, there is a treat in store with the eighth annual European Film Festival in October.

Themed “Healing Journeys”, the free virtual festival includes stories of journeys that include growth, transition and the processes of selfdiscovery.

“Essentially, these are stories of hope, humanity and thought-provoking intrigue, showcasing new work by some of Europe’s most accomplished filmmakers alongside exciting new talent,” said the organisers.

Bringing the best of European film to South Africa’s home screens from October 14 to 24, the European Film Festival is a partnership project of the Delegation of the EU to South Africa and 17 European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa.

The films are geo-blocked for South African viewing and access will be closed once set viewing capacities have been reached.

Among the 18 films:

Austria

A woman needs a new kidney, but is her husband ready to donate? Michael Kreihsl’s Risks and Side Events is a lively comedy about marriage, hypochondria, friends, architects, secrets and taking risks. And the question: What is true love? Belgium

Jan Verheyen and Lien Willaert’s film Save Sandra is based on the true and topical story of a young girl diagnosed with MLD, a rare muscular disease. A central focus is her father’s fierce battle with the pharmaceutical industry to gain access to medical treatment, raising ethical and societal questions.

Czech Republic Legendary director Agnieszka Holland’s politically charged drama Charlatan takes viewers inside the conflicted life of a non-conformist herbalist, exploring his unshakeable commitment to his calling, the illicit relationship with his assistant, and his inner demons under first Nazi, then Communist regimes in Czechoslovakia.

Denmark

The 2021 Oscar for Best International Feature Film went to Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, in which four jaded high school teachers embark on a risky experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday. Mads Mikkelssen stars in this mature blend of comedy, tragedy and human behaviour.

France

Starring Gérard Depardieu and Déborah Lukumuena, Robust is an outstanding feature debut by Constance Meyer about an ageing film star and a young security guard responsible for watching over him. Despite their differences, life has shaped them in ways more similar than they thought, and their unlikely friendship becomes a search for authenticity, laden with intrigue and humour.

Germany

In Mr Bachmann and His Class, the everpatient teacher uses unconventional methods to inspire his young charges with a sense of curiosity and appreciation of the complex social and cultural realities of their worlds. Winner of the Berlinale’s Audience Award, Maria Speth’s life-affirming documentary beautifully highlights what a quietly spectacular process education can be.

Ireland

Ruth Meehan’s The Bright Side is a moving and uplifting story about a stand-up comedian diagnosed with breast cancer. Armed with staggering levels of cynicism and a plethora of blackly comic jokes, her exit strategies are constantly upended when she encounters four powerful women whose unsolicited friendships challenge her, soften her and ultimately blow open her shut-down heart.

Italy

On the face of it, the brightly paced comedy Parents vs Influencers directed by Michela Andreozzi seems to focus on the world of social media and influencers, but the heart of it is about change and resistance to change. And fatherdaughter relationships and family.

The Netherlands

Antoinette Beumer’s film adaptation of her own book My Father is an Airplane is about a woman’s poignant search for the puzzle pieces of her past, a journey that raises questions about parental boundaries, the risks and dangers of childhood as well its joys, and of what it means to be loved. Portugal

João Botelho’s The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis brings to the screen José Saramago’s novel about a fictitious author’s homecoming, his romantic dalliances, and his mysterious encounters with the ghost of Fernando Pessoa. Magnificent black and white cinematography fosters a unique aesthetic-narrative construction for this story.

Visit eurofilmfest.co.za for festival details