CONTENT

MY EUROPE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2012



INTRO

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LIVING IN EUROPE

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One Random Day in Istanbul I by Nurbanu Asena

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Each Day and Tomorrow I by Fabrice Main

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Weirdo I by Audrey Najar

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The Bus I by Olgu Baran Kubilay

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Memories Don´t Forget I by Marleena Lehtimaa

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The Barbican I by Bartlomiej Zmuda

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Corrida I by Janis Cimermanis

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I Am a Girl I by Susan Koenen

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

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Cristiano´ s Shirt I by Vincent Bruno

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The Last Bus I by Ivana Laucikova and Martin Snopek

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Cry Alliance of our Hatred I by Lasse Långström

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Invisible I by Harold Chapman

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Nazi Goreng I by Nathan Nill

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Seven Years of Winter I by Marcus Schwenzel

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Two Men and a Table I by Ester Amrami

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Early Rising France I by Hugo Chesnard

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IMPRINT

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SIXTEEN FILMS / SIXTEEN PERSPECTIVES INTRO



Dear guest, In 2006 the first My Europe short film programme was screened during the “Shooting Europe Filmfestival” in Karlsruhe. On the train back to Berlin Jürgen Tobisch and I had the idea that a programme like this is worth to be screened in many places, not only at one festival. The idea was born: a really European festival, showing not only European films, but also screened in many European cities, reaching an truly European audience. For meanwhile six years we are sending our films through Europe. The films are presented in youth clubs, cinemas, political foundations, universities and always establishing controversial discussions. We show the people a Europe which is full of problems and conflicts. Migration, xenophobia, economic crisis, post war traumatas. The films are not hiding the inner and outer borders who divide us. We are not so keen to offer solutions but we want to show that our stories are about people willing to love, live and survive and this is something what all of us unites. Diversity and similarity are the very basic fundament Our Europe is built on. This year we started the festival in Berlin travelling via the German towns Sindelfingen and Bad Endorf to places like Budapest, Belgrade, Milan and Valletta hoping to reach more cities until end of February. We hope that many, many, many people will watch our films, cause in times of crisis we need more than ever a common reflection about Our Europe. Tobias Kunow

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MY EUROPE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2012

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LIVING IN EUROPE

This year´s “Living in Europe” section invites us to follow our protagonists to be a part of their daily life. In the wonderful small animation “One Random Day in Istanbul“ we accompany a taxi driver on a typical day through the more untypical spots of Istanbul. “Each day and Tomorrow“ shows us the working day of a homeless man. But “Living in Europe“ is also about spaces, conditions and situations individuals are faced with: “Memories Don´t Forget“ shows us the very specific life of a Sami musician in Finland whereas “I Am a Girl“ tells us the in many European societies surly provoking story of a girl in the wrong body. Then of course “Weirdo“ the simple and beautiful example what it means to be the other in a adapted society. A society which is endangered. For example by terrorism, something what seems to be far away but can always suddenly break in our societies. “The Bus“ shows the human face of a suicide bomber. Or society is endangered by economic crisis. Young people are forced to leave their home countries and seek their luck or just their money somewhere else. This is in “The Barbican“ the framework for a crime story full of chase and action. But the most European film is surly “Corrida”. The story is playing in Spain, and a European Rescue Team situated in Latvia is coming to help a bullfighter being attackted and chased by his bull. A funny, well done animation full of symbolism and a persiflage about European cooperation. On the first site Economic crisis and the struggle between individuality and society are the dominant topics in our programme. But it´s more: it´s about the needs, the dreams and the stories of the people living in Europe.

LIVING IN EUROPE



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ONE RANDOM DAY IN ISTANBUL I 6 MIN I TURKEY I BY NURBANU ASENA ”One Random Day In Istanbul” tells the story of a taxi driver in Istanbul. It is the colorful story of the humorous characters, restless events and the randomness of the city.



BIOGRAPHY

Nurbanu Asena

Nurbanu Asena  was born in 1988 in Ankara (Turkey). She graduated with a bachelor degree in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design in New York, with her thesis film called ”Rat On the Moon“. Nurbanu recently worked as a creative director for the documentary about the life of Pablo Ferro, known as ”Pablo“. Currently she works as a filmmaker and designer, traveling between Istanbul and New York.

LIVING IN EUROPE



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EACH DAY AND TOMORROW I 13 MIN I FRANCE I BY FABRICE MAIN ”Each day and tomorrow” is a documentary about François, a Parisian homeless person. The camera follows him one day long through the rhythm of his wandering. This allows him to be seen and listened in a society that tends to reject outcasts.

BIOGRAPHY

Fabrice Main

After graduating in Cinematography in 1999 at the French national school Louis Lumière in Paris, Fabrice Main has been the director of short films, TV-productions and commercials. Fabrice began to develop his first feature script with „Heavy Water“. He is a part of the production company, ”Dublin Films“, where he works as a producer.

LIVING IN EUROPE



WEIRDO I 5 MIN I FRANCE I BY AUDREY NAJAR AND FRÉDÉRIC PERROT Romain has always felt different as he was born with antlers. But one day a chance encounter changes his life and the way people look at him.

BIOGRAPHY

Audrey Najar and Frédéric Perrot

Audrey and Frédéric met at the French cinema school ESRA in 2002. The duo has been directing short films ”Boulette“ and ”Olves and Tears“, commercials, documentaries and series since then. Currently they are working on different projects, parallel with writing on their first feature scenario.

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LIVING IN EUROPE



THE BUS I 14 MIN I TURKEY I BY OLGU BARAN KUBILAY Ugur is a young disabled guy who takes the same bus everyday to his work. He also meets many new people on the trip. One day he has the possibility to change many lives. But how can he move? What can a disabled man do in this difficult situation?

BIOGRAPHY

Olgu Baran Kubilay

Baran Kubilay was born in 1986 in İstanbul (Turkey). During his studies at Marmara University Fine-arts Academy he was one of the co-founders of GRKM Productions. Until now he made several advertorial films, music videos and was in the crew of many short films. Along with „The Bus“ he wrote the script for ”Black Scarf“.

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LIVING IN EUROPE



MEMORIES DON‘T FORGET I 20 MIN I FINLAND I BY MARLEENA LEHTIMAA ”Memories don´ t forget” is a profile of Nilles Holmberg, northern Sami poet, singer and songwriter. She is 21 year-old and has devoted his time to preserve the traditional Sami life style. The documentary portrays the Sami relationship to nature and personal struggles. It was filmed in the Finish municipality of Utsjoki and northern Norway.

BIOGRAPHY

Marleena Lehtimaa

Marleena Lehtimaa is a young director from Finland. Born in 1990, she studies at the moment radio and television at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki and ”Memories don´t forget“ is her first work. Marleena is deeply interested in exploring cultures and the different ways of living in symbiosis with Mother Earth.

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LIVING IN EUROPE

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THE BARBICAN I 21 MIN I POLAND I BY BARTOLOMIEJ ZMUDA After working for a a long period in Germany, the young Emil comes back to his girlfriend in Poland to enjoy their life together. But the long journey home brings several sad and unexpected incidents. The plot is based on a true story.

BIOGRAPHY

Bartlomiej Zmuda

Bartlomiej Zmuda, born in 1981 in Nysa (Poland), studied Theology in Warsaw and Film in Wroclaw. He was involved in making music videos for British musicians such as DJ Vadim, Bueno Chico and Unsigned Artists. Since 2007 he studies at the department of Film and Television directing at the polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in the city of Lodz.

LIVING IN EUROPE

CORRIDA I 7 MIN I LATVIA I BY JANIS CIMERMANIS There is bull fight in the main arena of Madrid. But the toreador is not successful as usual and must run away to save his life from the angry beast. He calls the „Rescue Team“, which immediately departs to help him. Is the story a metaphor of the European Union?

BIOGRAPHY

Janis Cimermanis

Janis Cimermanis is a Latvian director born in 1950. He graduated at the Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography. He also was the Puppet Film Director at the Latvian Puppet Theatre. Since 1983, Janis has animated and directed many puppet films at the Latvian Film Studio. He worked on the Danish production ”The Little Knight“ and the award-winning film ”Prop and Berta“.

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LIVING IN EUROPE

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I AM A GIRL I 15 MIN I THE NETHERLANDS I BY SUSAN KOENEN Joppe is a thirteen-year-old girl who was born as a boy. She fancies Brian, who doesn´ t know about her female identity. Joppe and her girlfriends are sure: she is a girl mistakenly caught in the body of a boy. If you were Joppe, how would you ask Brian to become your boyfriend? Would he understand? And when would be the right time to tell it to him? BIOGRAPHY

Susan Koenen Susan Coenen was born in 1974 in Hague, the Netherlands. She is a documentary filmmaker inspired by non-famous people who can provide as role models for the audience. Her film bibliography includes “Laura and Anne 4 Ever”, in which a remarkably strong 14-year-old girl loses her best friend to leukemia. and “The Wild Wild West,” about a man who created a place for underprivileged children living in a multicultural neighborhood in Amsterdam.

MY EUROPE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2012

POLITICS AND POLICIES

It is natural for “Politics and Policies“ to be the more serious and disturbing of our two sections. But in the past two editions it happened that there are also more accessible ways to deal with difficult questions and topics. Humour and entertainment are allowed in “Politics and Policies“. Cristiano´s Shirt is an good example how funny and amusing a film about the economic crisis can be. Two boys want to have a football shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo but in times of crisis they can´t afford. So they have to be creative... “Nazi Goreng“ is another example: without any dialogues the film shows the clash of cultures a neo-Nazi experiences as he bursts accidentally into an illegal Vietnamese casino. In “Two Men and a Table“an Israeli and a Palestinian are meeting in Berlin. They could be friends but their past and origin is between them. This serious story is staged in a bright and entertaining way using oriental music as an bridge between two cultures. Then “Early Rising France“ is presenting the topic of illegal migration into fortress Europe in the genre musical. And music plays also an important role in the short provocative video clip “Cry Alliance of our Hatred“. Back to illegal migration: this “Politics and Policies“ classical motive is also present in ”Invisible“. Playing in the streets of London this films shows us what we refuse to see although it is obviously there. A bit out of row are our other more serious films: One and a half year after Fokushima “Seven years of winter“ leads us back to the deserted areas around Chernobyl. And last but not least: in “The Last Bus“ - a thrilling film between experimental and animation - animals and hunters are representatives for victims and traitors in conflict areas. Presented with lots of music and creative narrative this year´s “Politics and Policies” introduces to us stories of environmental pollution, war and intolerance. And also here we find everywhere the shadows of economic crisis. But realizing the challenges of our time can show the first possible steps in solving them.

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

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CRISTIANO‘S SHIRT I 17 MIN I BELGIUM I BY VINCENT BRUNO Tom and and his best friend P‘tit Lu are the only Cristiano Ronaldo fans in the football club. To show solidarity with their idol they seek to buy Ronaldo‘s shirt. But it costs 89 Euro and everyone in Belgium is worried about the economic crisis. The two friends don´t give up so easily in spite of the financial difficulties.

BIOGRAPHY

Vincent Bruno

Vincent Bruno was born in Tournai, Belgium in 1981. After graduating from a cinema school in 2002, he created a production society called “Demande à la poussière”. He produced and directed several musical clips, short features and prized documentaries. In 2008, he did “The last round”, the first Belgian movie entirely produced by internet users.

POLITICS AND POLICIES





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THE LAST BUS I 15 MIN I SLOVAKIA I BY IVANA LAUCIKOVA AND MARTIN SNOPEK It’s the start of the hunting season. The animals of the forest board a small bus and flee to safety. When hunters stop the bus in the middle of the night, its passengers reveal their true natures in fear for their lives.

BIOGRAPHY

Ivana Laucikova and Martin Snopek Ivana Laucikova was born in 1977 in Partizánske, Slovakia. She studied Animation at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where she is now a teacher. In 2006 she established the company “Feel me film”. She is also founder of a magazine about animated film called “Homo Felix”. Martin Snopek is a Slovakian director born in 1974. He studied Animation at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. His diploma film “Everyday crazing”, was awarded on Animafest Zagreb.

POLITICS AND POLICIES

CRY ALLIANCE OF OUR HATRED I 6 MIN I SWEDEN I BY LASSE LANGSTRÖM A revolutionary power ballad with focus on the right-wing political alliance in Sweden.

BIOGRAPHY

Lasse Långström

Lasse Långström is a Swedish director born in 1986. He studied Feminism and Film Studies on a Folk High School in Gothenburg. Some of his interests include art, sexuality and politics. Currently Lasse is working on a dance musical film about the “destruction“ of the welfare society in Sweden.

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

INVISIBLE I 15 MIN I UNITED KINGDOM I BY HAROLD CHAPMAN Victor is an anonymus street-sweeper in London escaping from memories of a bloody African civil war. He is traumatised by the past and seeks to vanish in that city. But violence hits him again and he realises that to regain his humanity he must become “visible“ again.

BIOGRAPHY

Harold Chapman

Harold Chaplan is an English director. He attended the Fine Art at Exeter University, the Northern Film and Television School in Leeds and also the Netherlands Film and Television Academy. Harold also worked as a production designer and a freelance writer. He is the author of the novel “Tribes“ and began to explore the documentary in the last years.

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

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NAZI GORENG I 7 MIN I GERMANY I BY NATHAN MILL The world of the young neo-Nazi Jan is somewhat constricted but stable. At least until he escapes from the police and ends up at an Asian strip club. An experience that throws his world into disorder.

BIOGRAPHY

Nathan Mill

Nathan Nill, born in 1983 in Reutlingen, Germany and began studying Audiovisual Media at Beuth Hochschule Berlin in 2006. In 2008 he founded the production company “Das King mit der goldenen Jacke”. His film “A late fame” was shown in the festival of Cannes in 2009.

POLITICS AND POLICIES

SEVEN YEARS OF WINTER I 22 MIN I DENMARK I BY MARCUS SCHWENZEL Andrey an orphaned boy, is sent into the nuclear wasteland around Chernobyl by his corrupt brother to loot the deserted city. He tries to fill the gap his parent left in his heart by looking at the photographs on the walls as he imagines a new life. All these illusions heal and repair Andrej´s wounded soul, while the radiation crumbles his body.

BIOGRAPHY

Marcus Schwenzel

Marcus Schwenzel was working as a photographer agent for 10 years when he decided to start at the Prague Film School and study Film Directing. Since he graduated in 2008, he has directed four short films. Marcus lives in Berlin and writes the script on his first feature film project. In the meantime he works as a flight attendent, TV-journalist and at the local cinema.

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

TWO MEN AND A TABLE I 7 MIN I GERMANY I BY ESTER AMRAMI A strange encounter in Berlin during a furniture delivery with two men who have close connections to Israel. Yusuf tries to hide enfront of Yusuf his Israeli origins.

BIOGRAPHY

Ester Amrami

Ester Amrami, born in 1979 in Kfar Saba, Israel, moved to Berlin in 2003. She studied Film Directing at the Universty of Film and Television “Konrad Wolf” in PotsdamBabelsberg. Her short film catalogue includes “Berlin Diary” (2005), “Isi Come Isi Go“ (2009), “Hajoreh-First Rain“ (2009) and “Solamento Mio“ (2010).

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POLITICS AND POLICIES

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EARLY RISING FRANCE I 22 MIN I FRANCE I BY HUGO CHESNARD Souleymane Bagayogo a taxpayer without papers, wants his rights to be respected. He is arrested at his workplace and afterwards intented to be expelled to Mali. But the airplane where he is supposed to be deported never took off because of the passangers protests. This story is taken from real facts arisen during the summer, 2006 in Paris.

BIOGRAPHY

Hugo Chesnard

After a Bachelor on Fine Arts at the Sorbonne in France, Hugo worked with commercials, TV and feature films together with directors such as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. In 2002, he made his first film, “The ball of families”, a documentary about seduction on a dance floor. Six years later, Hugo directed and wrote his first short film, “A Beauty Spot”.

MY EUROPE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2012

IMPRINT

This catalogue is the official publication of My Europe Short Film Festival 2012. PUBLISHER Citizens of Europe e.V. FESTIVAL PROGRAMME Jürgen Tobisch and Tobias Kunow LAYOUT AND COVER Maria Nehme TEXT Marta Ramón and Tobias Kunow PHOTO RESEARCH Marta Ramón SPECIAL THANKS TO Natalie Gravenor, Harry Schusterov, Mara Nedelcu and Sash Ivanova CONTACT Citizens of Europe e.V. Kiefholzstr. 2, 12435, Berlin www.citizens-of-europe.eu

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