PICTURE EUROPE! The Best of European Cinema – the European film event in Munich, Copenhagen, and Madrid

A European Voyage of Discovery: Picture Europe!
Film programme for Madrid now complete

The film programme for “PICTURE EUROPE! The Best of European Cinema 2008” in Madrid is complete. 13 current box-office hits from the neighbour countries will appear here on the screen from April 11 – 17. Director Jan Sverák will personally introduce the absolute top hit from the Czech Republic, VRATNÉ LAHVE (EMPTIES), for the opening of the event.

Under the banner of “Let’s see what’s happening at the neighbours!” EUROPEAN FILM PROMOTION (EFP) is organising the PICTURE EUROPE! event in cooperation with its member organisations, the cinema partners and with financial support from the MEDIA Programme of the EU. As in the previous year, Volkswagen is the event's main sponsor. After the successful launch of the film event in Munich, the European voyage of discovery continues in Copenhagen in the middle of March and will end in Madrid in mid-April.

Munich: 21. - 27.02.2008 at Gloria Filmpalast
Copenhagen: 12. - 18.03.2008 at Grand Teatret
Madrid: 11. - 17.04.2008 at Cinemas Princesa

There will be a glittering opening for the film event with the screening of the bitter-sweet Czech comedy VRATNÉ LAHVE (EMPTIES), about an old man facing up to his mortality, and finding meaning to life in retirement. This humorous and linguistically captivating film, in which the director Jan Sverák has again after the success of KOLJA cast his father Zdenek Sverák in the lead part (other leads: Daniela Kolárová, Ondrej Vetchý, Tatiana Vilhelmová and Jan Budar), is the most successful Czech box-office hit of all time with 1.2 million admissions. At the ceremony for the country's most important film award, the Czech Lion, the film was thus presented with the prize for the most attended film. VRATNÉ LAHVE also received the main award for Best Direction and Best Screenplay. There was also praise from the audience and jury at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic): the comedy received the Audience Award and the Special Jury Mention for the screenplay. Other audience awards were picked up in 2007 at two German film festivals in Hamburg and Cottbus.

With the closing film PAZACHYT NA MYRTVITE (WARDEN OF THE DEAD), the Bulgarian director Ilian Simeonov (RAGE) has created a compelling metaphor for the war-ravaged Balkans. The film has Vladimir Georgiev, Samuel Fintzi and Itzhak Fintzi in the lead roles and was Bulgaria's Oscar® candidate.

Apart from the closing film, PICTURE EUROPE! is showing another three European films which were sent into the running for the Oscar®.

Denmark’s Oscar® submission THE ART OF CRYING, with Jesper Asholt, Hanne Hedelund, Jannik Lorenzen and Julie Kolbeck as the main cast, has been awarded 16 national and international prizes. Peter Schønau Fog’s debut feature film is more than a nightmarish social study; it is something of a miracle, clothing weighty Bergmanesque topics in a daring tragicomedy.

The Greek Oscar® submission EDUART by director Angeliki Antoniou is based on a true story of a murder. Over a period of more than a year, Antoniou interviewed him in jail and developed the script on the basis of these interviews and visits to the original locations in Greece and Albania. The film, starring Eshref Durmishi, André Hennicke and Ndricim Xhepa, contains images of wild, painful beauty and a clear commitment against intolerance and racism.

Estonia's Oscar® submission KLASS (THE CLASS) by Ilmar Raag, starring Lauri Pedaja, Vallo Kirs, Pärt Uusberg, Paula Solvak and Margus Prangel, is an oppressive drama addressing the big issues of youth experiencing puberty. In its combination of almost documentary precision with the aesthetics of music videos, this international festival hit revives memories of the school shootings in America's Littleton or Germany's Erfurt.

The 13 films for PICTURE EUROPE! in Madrid range from comedies through dramas and melancholic studies of social environments to tension-filled debates. Every country has its own stars and its own blockbusters, seldom venturing beyond their respective national borders. With its PICTURE EUROPE! programme, EFP reaches a wide audience, showing them just how complex, thrilling, moving and entertaining individual stories from all over the continent are. At each venue, the films are presented personally by their directors or stars. The programme for PICTURE EUROPE! has been compiled from the vast wealth of European films that were successes in their lands of origin and that bear the potential to also excite audiences in neighbouring countries.


The PICTURE EUROPE! Programme Madrid 2008 Friday, April 11th – Thursday, April 17th 2008

Czech Republic / UK / Denmark:
VRATNÉ LAHVE (EMPTIES) by Jan Sverák with Daniela Kolárová, Zdenek Sverák, Ondrej Vetchý, Tatiana Vilhelmová, Jan Budar Opening Film, Friday, 11.4.08, 22.30 at Roxy B

Slovenia: PETELINJI ZAJTRK (ROOSTER´S BREAKFAST) by Marko Naberšnik, with Vlado Novak, Primož Bezjak, Dario Varga, Pia Zemljic Saturday, 12.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

Germany: SHOPPEN (SHOPPEN MUNICH) by Ralf Westhoff, with Sebastian Weber, Anna Böger, Felix Hellmann, Katharina Schubert Saturday, 12.4.08, 22.00 at Princesa

Hungary / Germany: OVERNIGHT by Ferenc Török, with Viktor Bodó, Kata Peto, Ervin Nagy, Eniko Eszenyi unday, 13.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

France / Germany: UN SECRET (A SECRET) by Claude Miller, with Cécile de France, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu Sunday, 13.4.08, 22.00 at Princesa

Denmark: KUNSTEN AT GRÆDE I KOR (THE ART OF CRYING) by Peter Schønau Fog, with Jesper Asholt, Hanne Hedelund, Jannik Lorenzen, Julie Kolbeck Monday, 14.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

Greece / Germany: EDUART by Angeliki Antoniou, with Eshref Durmishi, André Hennicke, Ndricim Xhepa Monday, 14.4., 22.00 at Princesa

The Netherlands: KICKS by Albert ter Heerdt, with Mimoun Oaïssa, Roeland Fernhout, Hadewych Minis, Maryam Hassouni Tuesday, 15.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

Switzerland / Italy: FUORI DALLE CORDE (OUT OF BOUNDS) by Fulvio Bernasconi, with Michele Venitucci, Maya Sansa, Juan Pablo Ogalde Tuesday, 15.4.08, 22.00 at Princesa

Estonia: KLASS (THE CLASS) by Ilmar Raag, with Lauri Pedaja, Vallo Kirs, Pärt Uusberg, Paula Solvak, Margus Prangel Wednesday, 16.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

Portugal: CORRUPÇÃO (CORRUPTION), Portugal, with António Pedro Cerdreira, Margarina Vila-Nova, Nicolau Breyner Wednesday, 16.4.08, 22.00 at Princesa

Italy: LA RAGAZZA DEL LAGO (THE GIRL BY THE LAKE) by Andrea Molaioli, with Toni Servillo, Nello Mascia, Marco Baliani Thursday, 17.4.08, 19.30 at Princesa

Bulgaria: PAZACHYT NA MYRTVITE (WARDEN OF THE DEAD) by Ilian Simeonov, with Vladimir Georgiev, Samuel Fintzi, Itzhak Fintzi, Diana Dobreva Closing Night, Thursday, 17.4.08 22.00 at Princesa

The complete programme as well as photographic material will be available at www.picture-europe.eu