Festival to run from Friday, May 6 to Sunday, May 22, 2016 at Museum of the Moving Image and Bohemian National Hall
Friday, May 6 opening night presentation is Anna, with award-winning Italian actress Valeria Golino in person, followed by reception
New York, NY, April 7, 2016—Panorama Europe 2016, the eighth edition of the essential festival of new and vital European cinema, co-presented by Museum of the Moving Image and the members of EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture), returns to the Museum and the Bohemian National Hall from May 6 through May 22 with a slate of nineteen exceptional new feature films.
From mind-bending genre experiments that reinvent the musical, sci-fi film, and horror movie, to gripping dramatic features and documentaries capturing the tenuous nature of modern life for a variety of wanderers and refugees, Panorama Europe 2016 is a vibrant selection of some of the finest and most riveting films coming out of Europe today. Filled with New York premieres, with filmmakers from Greece, Malta, Poland, Portugal, and the Czech Republic in person, this is a great opportunity to discover some of the most exciting new international filmmakers.
The Opening Night Film is Anna (Italy, 2015), with award-winning actress Valeria Golino, best known for her roles in Barry Levinson’s Rain Man and Emanuele Crialese’s Respiro, in person on Friday, May 6. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Golino and a reception.
Following Italy’s Anna, festival films hail from countries as diverse as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Programmed by David Schwartz, the Museum’s Chief Curator, and Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film, the festival offers New York audiences what may be their only chance to see these acclaimed films on the big screen. Some of the highlights of this year’s edition include Spartacus & Cassandra (True/False 2015, HotDOCS 2016), a poignant documentary on the plight of Romani children living on the margins of society; The Lure (Special Jury Prize winner for Unique Vision and Design at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival), a fearless and imaginative vampire disco musical with 1980’s communist kitsch; the 2016 Austrian Film Award winner for Best Documentary Lampedusa in Winter, an eye-opening look at the struggles suffered by both a tiny community at the edge of Europe and the migrants risking their lives to reach the island’s shores; the visually ravishing coming of age romance The Summer of Sangaile which won the World Cinema Directing award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival; and History’s Future, visual artist Fiona Tan’s mind-bending, genre-hopping tour through contemporary Europe, co-written with UK film critic Jonathan Romney.
“Panorama Europe is a great showcase for some of the strongest feature films that are making the rounds of international film festivals,” said Chief Curator David Schwartz. “The Museum is very pleased to present this showcase, which is filled with New York premieres of films by major emerging directors.”
Coordinated by Gaelle Duchemin, European Union Delegation to the United Nations and in partnership with the Czech Center New York/Bohemian National Hall, the Panorama Europe festival is comprised of the Albanian Institute New York, the Arts Council Malta New York, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, the Balassi Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center New York, the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, the Consulate General of Portugal, the Consulate General of Slovakia, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovenian Film Centre, the General Representation of the Government of Flanders to the U.S.A., the Goethe-Institut New York, Instituto Cervantes, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Consulate General of Greece in New York and the Onassis Foundation (U.S.A.), and the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
FULL LINE UP
SCHEDULE AND DESCRIPTIONS FOR PANORAMA EUROPE, MAY 6–22, 2016*
*Program may be subject to change.
OPENING NIGHT FILM & RECEPTION
Anna (Per amor vostro)
New York Premiere with actress Valeria Golino in person
Followed by reception
Presented by the Italian Cultural Institute
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 7:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Italy. Dir. Giuseppe M. Gaudino. 2015, 117 mins. In Italian with English subtitles. With Valeria Golino, Massimiliano Gallo, Adriano Giannini. A woman’s downward spiral is viscerally evoked in this fantastical and psychologically charged character study. Winner of the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival, Valeria Golino is astonishing as a wife and mother losing her grip as she contends with a brutish criminal husband and three rebellious children. An affair with a dashing television actor seems to offer an escape—but is it also a dead end? Shot in evocative black-and-white—with surreal bursts of color to convey the protagonist’s memories and fantasies—Anna is an emotionally shattering portrait of a woman coming undone.
Spartacus & Cassandra
Presented by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
France. Dir. Ioanis Nuguet. 2014, 80 mins. In French with English subtitles. With Cassandra Dumitru, Spartacus Ursu, Camille Brisson. This emotionally gripping documentary is an intimate, lyrical look at the plight of Romani children living on the margins of society. Thirteen-year-old Spartacus and his ten-year-old sister Cassandra live on the streets of France with their alcoholic father and quietly suffering mother. When the authorities intervene, the children face a harrowing choice: remain with their parents, or enter foster care for a chance at a better life. Contrasting the grim reality of the children’s lives with light-filled moments of poetry, Spartacus & Cassandra puts a human face on a heart-wrenching subject.
History’s Future
New York Premiere
Presented by the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 3:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Netherlands. Dir. Fiona Tan. 2016, 95 mins. In English, German, French, and Dutch with English subtitles. With Mark O’Halloran, Denis Lavant, Anne Consigny, Christos Passalis. The feature film debut from acclaimed visual artist Fiona Tan, and co-written with film critic Jonathan Romney, is a mind-bending, genre-hopping tour through contemporary Europe. Following a mugging, a man known only as “MP” (Mark O’Halloran) suffers total amnesia. Without a past, he embarks on a surreal odyssey through the continent in search of his identity. Bursting with retina-dazzling images and weighty ideas, History’s Future is a heady voyage through time, memory, and Europe in an age of unrest. Watch out for a memorable turn by French cult actor Denis Lavant (Holy Motors).
Ghost Mountaineer (Must alpinist)
Presented by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Estonia. Dir. Urmas Eero Liiv. 2015, 100 mins. In Estonian and Russian with English subtitles. With Priit Pius, Vadim Andreev, Reimo Sagor. This 100-proof pulp joyride is a deliciously old school slice of retro horror. Based on a (supposedly) true incident that occurred in 1989, the film follows a band of Estonian student geologists who head into the snowy Siberian mountains in search of a precious mineral. But a series of freaky, grisly events—and an equally scary brush with Communist bureaucracy—leave them fighting for survival. A twisted blend of fantasy and folklore, this rare genre outing from Estonia maintains an atmosphere of steadily mounting suspense.
Lampedusa in Winter (Lampedusa im Winter)
New York Premiere with cinematographer Serafin Spitzer in person
Presented by the Austrian Cultural Forum New York
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 4:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 7:00 P.M. AT BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL
Austria. Dir. Jakob Brossmann. 2015, 93 mins. In Arabic, English, Italian, and Tigrinya with English subtitles. For thousands of refugees from Africa and the Middle East, the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa is their gateway to Europe. This sensitively observed documentary is a snapshot of the island during winter, long after the summer tourists have left its picture postcard-perfect beaches. With eye-opening candor, it captures the struggles of not only the migrants who risk their lives to reach the island’s shores, but of the local residents who have found themselves on the frontlines of a humanitarian crisis.
Simshar
New York Premiere with director Rebecca Cremona in person
Presented by the Arts Council Malta New York
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 6:45 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 7:00 P.M. AT BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL
Malta. Dir. Rebecca Cremona. 2014, 101 mins. In Maltese and English with English subtitles. With Lofti Abdelli, Clare Agius, Sékouba Doucouré. A landmark for Maltese cinema, Simshar is the country’s first film to receive international distribution and its first submission for the Foreign Language Academy Award. The multi-award winning film is a heartrending tale of life and death on the Mediterranean in which the intersecting fates of two boats stranded at sea—one containing a fishing family, the other African migrants in need of medical attention—culminates in shocking tragedy. Based on a true story, Simshar is both a gripping survival tale and a poignant look at Europe’s migrant crisis.
The Maias: Scenes from Romantic Life (Os Maias – Cenas da Vida Romântica)
New York Premiere with director João Botelho in person (May 10 screening only)
Presented by the Consulate General of Portugal
**Please note, both below screenings are free to the public**
TUESDAY, MAY 10, 7:00 P.M. AT BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 12:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Portugal/Brazil. Dir. João Botelho. 2014, 139 mins. In Portuguese with English subtitles. With Graciano Dias, Maria Flor, Filipe Vargas. Adapted from esteemed Portuguese novelist Eça de Queirós’s nineteenth-century masterpiece Os Maias, this sumptuously designed tragicomedy is a sweeping saga of forbidden love and familial decline. It follows the ill-fated bloodline of the fallen Maia family across three generations, eventually landing on 27-year-old Carlos (Graciano Dias), who sets out to restore the clan’s honor by setting up a medical practice in Lisbon. But the allure of illicit romance is strong. The stunningly stylized production design embraces theatrical artifice to create a dazzling storybook world.
Home Care (Domácí péce)
With director Slávek Horák in person
Presented by the Czech Center New York
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 7:00 P.M. AT BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Czech Republic. Dir. Slávek Horák. 2015, 92 mins. In Czech with English subtitles. With Alena Mihulová, Bolek Polívka, Tatiana Vilhelmová. Czech Republic’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Oscar was this slyly witty, poignant comedic drama. Alena Mihulová gives a radiant performance as Vlasta, a rural home care nurse who invariably puts the needs of her eccentric patients and ineffectual husband before her own well being. But after a life-changing revelation, Vlasta, the inveterate caregiver, finds that she herself may be in need of a little TLC. Wonderfully wise about matters of life and death, the debut film from Slávek Horák is a moving look at one woman‘s journey towards empowerment.
The Wednesday Child (A szerdai gyerek) – New York Premiere
Presented by the Balassi Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center New York
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 7:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Hungary/Germany. Dir. Lili Horváth. 2015, 94 mins. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Wit Kinga Vecsei, Zsolt Antal, Szabolcs Thuroczy. The striking feature debut from writer-director Lili Horváth marks her as “a talent to watch” (Variety). Winner of first prize in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s East of the West competition, The Wednesday Child follows Maja (Kinga Vecsei), a wayward nineteen-year-old mother living on the outskirts of Budapest, as she struggles to gain custody of her four-year-old son. When she receives a loan to open a laundromat, the volatile Maja sees a chance to turn her life around. The combination of striking cinematography, Horváth’s intelligent direction, and a breakout performance from first-time actress Kinga Vecsei yields a rich emotional payoff.
The Spirits Diary (Rakijaški dnevnik)
Presented by the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 12:45 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Croatia. Dir. Damir Čučić. 2015, 81 mins. With Mario Haber. In Croatian with English subtitles. This daring documentary experiment dramatizes the prolific home recordings of Mario Haber (a.k.a. Eric Maria Strom), a professional sound engineer and distiller of illicit brandy. A vivid rush of images accompanies audio from a decade’s worth of recordings that Haber (described variously as an “alien” a “saint” and a “boozer”) made of conversations between himself and the friends and lovers he invited into his house to sample his spirits. The result is both a startlingly original portrait of a man—who, now deceased, haunts the film as another sort of “spirit”—and an inventive investigation of the relationship between sound and image.
Cafard
Presented by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders to the U.S.A.
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Belgium. Dir. Jan Bultheel. 2015, 96 mins. In Dutch, French, Russian, Chinese, and English with English subtitles. With Wim Willaert, Dinara Drukarova, Sebastien Dewaele, Maarten Ketels. This visually dazzling feat of motion-capture animation is a hallucinatory tale of heroism and revenge set amidst the horrors of World War I. As Jean Mordant is crowned the world-wrestling champion in Brazil, thousands of miles away in Belgium, his teenage daughter is raped by German soldiers. Hell-bent on vengeance, Mordant enlists in the newly formed armored-car division of the Belgian army, the beginning of a journey that will take him from Europe to Asia to America and through the waking nightmare of war. The stunningly stylized visuals enhance the shattering psychological impact of this animated tour-de-force.
The People vs. Fritz Bauer (Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer)
New York Premiere
Presented by the Goethe-Institut New York
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 4:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Germany. Dir. Lars Kraume. 2015, 105 mins. In German, English, Yiddish and Spanish with English subtitles. With Burghart Klaussner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Sebastian Blomberg. The true story of one man’s relentless quest to bring Nazi war criminals to justice provides the basis for this gripping drama. While much of Germany was eager to bury its Nazi past by the late 1950s, Jewish lawyer Fritz Bauer (an incredible performance by The White Ribbon’s Burghart Klaussner) risks everything—including charges of treason—to track down and prosecute Adolf Eichmann, the infamous architect of the Final Solution. Told with the verve of a good thriller, The People vs. Fritz Bauer sheds light on an incredible, stranger-than-fiction slice of history. A Cohen Media Group release.
Babai
New York Premiere
Presented by the Albanian Institute New York
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 6:45 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Kosovo. Dir. Visar Morina. 2015, 104 mins. In Albanian, German, Serbian, and English with English subtitles. With Val Moloku, Astrit Kabashi, Adriana Matoshi. This heartrending father-son saga is a timely look at the refugee plight as seen through the eyes of a child. In Kosovo in the early 1990s, ten-year-old Nori (Val Maloku) and his father (Astrit Kabashi) eke out a meager subsistence selling cigarettes on the streets. But when his father flees to Germany without him, the steadfast Nori boldly follows after him, making the risky journey across Europe as an undocumented immigrant. Winner of the Best Director award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and of multiple prizes at the Munich Film Festival, the feature debut from Kosovar-born, Germany-based director Morina marks the arrival of an impressive new talent.
The Cleaner (Cistic)
New York Premiere
Presented by the Consulate General of Slovakia
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 7:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Slovakia. Dir. Peter Bebjak. 2015, 94 mins. In Slovak with English subtitles. With Noël Czuczor, Rebeka Poláková, Kamil Kollárik. Just out of prison, Tomáš, a taciturn loner, takes a job cleaning houses where people have recently died. Things take an alarming turn when he begins putting in overtime: hiding behind closet doors after hours to secretly watch the homes’ residents. His voyeuristic proclivities soon lead to a romantic obsession with a woman in distress—but in order to help her, Tomáš will have to come out of the shadows. This gripping psychological drama toys with thriller conventions while delivering a darkly stylish portrait of urban alienation.
The Beat of Love (Utrip Ljubezni)
New York Premiere
Presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovenian Film Centre
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 3:15 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Slovenia. Dir. Boris Petkovic. 2015, 77 mins. In Slovenian with English subtitles. With Judita Frankovic, Jernej Gasperin, Zlatan Cordic Zlatko. This infectious ode to Slovenia’s hip-hop subculture bursts with music and energy. Bruno (Jernej Gasperin) and his friends live for hip-hop—the tagging, the beatboxing, and the rap battles. After winning a freestyle competition, Bruno seems to be on the path to success. But when he falls for violinist Nina (Judita Frankovic) he finds himself torn between love and music. A winning blend of rap, romance, and comedy, The Beat of Love captures the highs, lows, and intoxicating abandon of youth.
Marshland (La isla mínima)
Presented by the Instituto Cervantes
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 4:45 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Spain. Dir. Alberto Rodríguez. 2014, 105 mins. In Spanish with English subtitles. With Javier Gutiérrez, Raúl Arévalo. A moody, noir-tinged mystery unfolds amidst the political unrest of post-Franco Spain in this riveting Spanish thriller. Based on a true story, the film follows two mismatched detectives from Madrid dispatched to the forbidding marshlands of Southern Spain to investigate the disappearance of two teenage sisters. However, it soon becomes clear that they are dealing not with a missing persons case, but with a serial killer. Awash in an atmosphere of pervasive dread, Marshland is “a brilliant, compelling edge-of-your-seat detective thriller infused with a spirit of uncanny gothic redolent of David Lynch and David Fincher” (Sight & Sound).
The Summer of Sangaile (Sangailes vasara)
Presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Lithuania. Dir. Alantė Kavaitė. 2015, 88 mins. In Lithuanian with English subtitles. With Julija Steponaityte, Aistė Diržiūtė, Jūratė Sodytė. Winner of the World Cinema Directing award at the Sundance Film Festival, The Summer of Sangaile is a visually ravishing, sun-kissed coming of age romance. Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is enamored with the idea of becoming a stunt pilot, but is crippled by her fear of heights. When she meets the free-spirited Auste at an air show, the two begin an all-consuming summer love affair that emboldens the timid Sangaile to pursue her dreams. Bathed in the golden hues of summer light, this blissful tale of erotic awakening is a gorgeous evocation of young love.
Silent
New York Premiere with director Yorgos Gkikapeppas in person
Presented by the Consulate General of Greece in New York and the Onassis Foundation (U.S.A.)
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 4:30 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Greece. Dir. Yorgos Gkikapeppas. 2015, 92 mins. In Greek and English with English subtitles. With Kika Georgiou, Aneza Papadopoulou, Electra Nikolouzou. The latest standout in the remarkably rich wave of recent Greek cinema, the sophomore feature from Yorgos Gkikapeppas is a haunting allegory of generational discord. Dido (Kika Georgiou) is an up-and-coming soprano studying opera in Poland who suddenly and mysteriously loses her voice. Plunged into despair, she returns home to Greece, looking for a refuge from the world. Instead, she finds herself at the mercy of a resentful, uncomprehending family, leaving her more vulnerable than ever. Driven by a mesmerizing performance by Georgiou, this spellbinding drama won the film critics Jury Prize at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
The Lure (Córki dancingu)
With director Agnieszka Smoczynska in person
Presented by the Polish Cultural Institute New York
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 7:00 P.M. AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Poland. Dir. Agnieszka Smoczynska. 2015, 92 mins. In Polish with English subtitles. With Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska, Kinga Preis. At long last: the mermaid-vampire disco musical you’ve been waiting for. This wildly imaginative fantasy plays like a gonzo take on the Little Mermaid as sibling sirens of the sea, Silver (Marta Mazurek) and Golden (Michalina Olszanska), test the waters of the human world while working as showgirls in a sleazy strip club—but things get complicated when love and vampirism enter the mix. An outré mix of horror, fairy tale, and 1980s Communist kitsch, The Lure won a well-deserved Sundance Special Jury Award for Unique Vision and Design
ABOUT THE PRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS:
European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC)
EUNIC is part of a global coalition of national cultural institutes and cultural diplomatic services from the European Union that works in more than 80 cities on all continents. EUNIC New York was founded in 2007 and has 14 full members and 32 associate members and observers. The mission of the EUNIC New York is to promote and present the best of European creative and intellectual achievements to New York and U.S. audiences. EUNIC works to create artistic and educational opportunities, strengthen cultural relations, and create effective collaboration between members and cultural institutions. EUNIC partners with eminent American and European organizations to provide programs in the fields of art and culture, language and education, society and academia. EUNIC main objectives are to provide a forum for discussion on issues of common interest, including EU cultural policies and strategies, facilitate sharing of best practices and expertise among its members, act as interlocutor for the local public and private institutions on European cultural issues of common interest, to be an active partner to EU Representation / EU Delegation in the host country and act as facilitators to bid for EU funded projects. More information at http://new-york.eunic-online.eu
Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)
The Museum of the Moving Image advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts. More information at http://www.movingimage.us
The Bohemian National Hall (BNH):
The Bohemian National Hall, a recently redesigned, award-winning landmark building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is a center for Czech culture in New York City. Since it was established in 1896, it has served as a focal point for its community as well as a place for exchange and dialogue with the American audience. More information at http://www.bohemiannationalhall.com
VENUES AND TICKETS
Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria, NY 11106. Subway: M, R to Steinway Street or N, Q to 36 Avenue. Telephone: 718 777 6888 (recorded information).
Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $12 ($9 seniors and students / free for Museum members at the Film Lover and Kids Premium levels and above). Advance tickets are available online at movingimage.us.
Bohemian National Hall
321 East 73rd Street (between 1st and 2nd Ave), New York, NY 10021. Subway: 6 to 68 Street Hunter College or 77 Street. Visit new-york.czechcentres.cz for more information.
Tickets for Panorama Europe at the Bohemian National Hall are free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.