01-08-2007

Crossing Europe at Scanorama FF Nov. 9-29

    The idea of the present project was produced during the visit in Linz while discussing the possibilities of cooperation with Linz festival "Crossing Europe", which presents a wide spectrum of Central and Eastern European films. Then a decision to exchange the programmes, prepared by "Crossing Europe" and the Nordic Film Forum "Scanorama", was made, orienting the afore said programmes towards the events of Vilnius and Linz as the capitals of culture in 2009.

    Film project "Crossing Europe" Vilnius is a special film programme, reflecting and expressing the idea of European unification and European community. Europe is expanding, long forgotten countries comes back on the map, new film continents open, the intersection of cultures, traditions and religions provokes film factions, intensive cultural exchange turns into the necessity of cooperation between the European countries. Therefore, "Crossing Europe" Vilnius suggests to spectators to become familiar with, discover and understand the European diversity and recognize themselves as the part of Europe.

    "Crossing Europe" Vilniusis a programme of films about the real current situation in Europe. The film factions of the present programme reflect the culture, mentality and traditions of various European countries in the wide context of the recent political and social problems. The programme provokes to cross the whole Europe culturally.

    The intersection of Western and Eastern cultures that are clearly reflected in the films of Linz Festival competitive programme is the principal line of this partnership. Lithuania in turn would present the film, that is not famous in Austria and Linz city, the partner of Vilnius, would become the arena of cultural development regarding the Lithuanian films. The programme would include not only the exchange of films, but also the exchange of ideas and projects, that would have been discussed for five years in the Co-production Forum, taking place during the Nordic Film Forum "Scanorama". Directors, representing their films in Vilnius, would have a possibility to make themselves familiar with the city as a historical and cultural place, in which films can be created. Thus, the present new project would be based on the traditions that have already formed in Vilnius and Linz festivals and would reflect the European cultural capitals in the context of the set tasks.

    The years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are not only the time for getting acquainted with Europe, but also the time for Europe to speak about ourselves. The project would gain acceleration and the European film programme in Vilnius would be supplemented with the programme of the Lithuanian films in Europe, namely in the international film festival "Crossing Europe" Linz.

    The culmination of the programme would be established in 2009, upon the unification of the so called old European film classics and modern interpretation of the Lithuanian artists: the film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" („La Passion de Jeanne d‘Arc", 1928), the masterpiece of Carl Theodor Dreyer, and the music, specially written by a Lithuanian composer for the afore-mentioned work and performed by one of the best Lithuanian orchestras. This event should take place in the most prestigious place of Vilnius and would become a distinct chord of the events concerning "Capital of Culture 2009".
    Last modified on 14-12-2007