The 28th European Union Film Festival is now underway in New Delhi across three prominent venues—the India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes (Spanish Cultural Center), and The Goethe-Institut /Max Mueller Bhavan. The festival opened with the screening of the Grand Prix-winning French film Saint Omer directed by Alice Diop.
The annual festival was inaugurated at the Instituto Cervantes by the Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Hervé Delphin. The event commenced with the screening of Saint Omer, leaving the audience enchanted by its compelling storyline, setting an immersive tone for the festival's forthcoming cinematic experiences. The evening witnessed the presence of representatives from participating EU Member States and notable figures from the industry.
Saint Omer showcases the prejudices and preconceptions surrounding a crime that goes beyond all comprehension while subtly weaving the issue of racism. It chronicles the journey of young novelist Rama, who attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter.
"After going through all the stages with Alice of making Saint Omer, I realized that being an actress, actually, was always in my gut maybe since the beginning of my life." Guslagie Malanda, the actress of Saint Omer, said proudly before the screening of the opening film Saint Omer.
Opening the film festival, Ambassador of the European Union H.E. Hervé Delphin said, “Europe and India share a common love story with cinema and storytelling. The EU film festival is a Window to European culture, people, society, and themes that are universal in nature. Organized together with the 28 European Countries in true Team Europe spirit, it celebrates the diversity and depth of European cinema. It aims to highlight cinema's role as a unifying force bridging the cultural ties between Europe and India. This year, we also welcome a film from Ukraine to the festival. EUFF is an excellent opportunity to meet the master storytellers, get insight into diverse cultures, and experience a myriad of emotions, all in one place.”
Veronica Flora and Valerio Caruso, curators of EUFF 2023, said, “Cinema is a journey that we undertake together with people sitting next to us in a theatre or miles away. This metaphorical journey is the central theme of the 28th edition of the European Union Film Festival in India. Through the curated films, our aim is to get the audience to experience what it's like to sometimes escape reality while sometimes embracing things as they are and explore emotions, humanity and new ideas. The festival also offers an opportunity for the audience to interact with and explore the art of storytelling with exceptional European and Indian filmmakers and artists. The line-up offers evocative, innovative, independent, and offbeat voices across genres such as drama, comedy, sci-fi, documentary, and animation.”
The festival runs until December 10th. The Chennai chapter of the 28th edition, which follows Delhi screenings, will run from January 19-24, 2024.
For more information, visit the festival website at European Union Film Festival www.euffindia.com.