“I THINK it (the Cine Europa Film Festival) is a good occasion to see and watch something different,” His Excellency Michel Goffin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium told Panay News.
The ambassador further added, “I think Filipino viewers are in to the American film industry. We have a very good film industry in Europe particularly in Belgium so it’s really new.”
Now on its 21st year, Cine Europa continually graces the Philippine movie screens with cinematic masterpieces coming from different parts of Europe. Iloilo was one of the lucky cities that experienced the film festival last October 9-14, 2018 at SM City Iloilo.
Twenty-eight films were shown during the six-day run of the festival. These movies come from Norway and from the 16 European Union Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom).
There were a lot of “first times” during the festival’s run in Iloilo. For one, it was SM City Iloilo’s first time to host Cine Europa. Also, it was Belgian Ambassador Michel Goffin’s first time to visit the Philippines and to welcome everyone in the screening of the 90-minute Belgian feature film, “En amont du fleuve” (Upstream).
“Upstream” is a film about two half-brothers who set out on their father’s trail in an old boat in Croatia following his mysterious death. This psychological adventure film was indeed one of the most sought-after entries in the festival as the cinema was packed with viewers.
Ambassador Goffin delivered a short speech before Upstream played in the silver screen. In his speech, the ambassador stated how European films are a fresh take from the American movies that usually play in the Philippine theatres. Beyond that, Goffin expressed his thoughts about the Philippines itself.
He said, “There’s great potential in tourism in here (the Philippines).” He also shared that he experienced a bicycle ride in that morning and thought that there is a “future for more bikes in the city” and that there are “architectural masterpieces” found in Iloilo.
Cine Europa 21 didn’t disappoint viewers as “Upstream” wasn’t the only film that impressed and made Filipinos fall in love. There were movies like “A Vizsga” (The Exam), “Notti di Cabiria” (Nights of Cabiria), and “Marie Curie at La Lumière Bleue” (Marie Curie and the Blue Light) that truly captivated Filipino viewers.
Nineteen-year old student Rio Abegail Mestidio watched “Marie Curie and the Blue Light” and she expressed her thoughts about the European film experience she had. She told Panay News, “As a Filipino watching a European film, I think the movie drove me to seek and discover my own culture as a Filipino. Whenever I watch a local film I kind of look at the characters and the plot. But with the European film I’ve watched, it invited me to look deeper in my own roots because certainly, like Marie and Pierre Curie, there are Filipino scientists and inventors who have stories that could be a source of inspiration and wisdom.”
Cine Europa is undoubtedly shining bright on its 21st year. Judging by the satisfying and positive reactions of the viewers, what Goffin said was true: Cine Europa is a good occasion for something new and different to watch./PN
