Image: Deckert Distribution
The Linzer attracted 321,000 visitors “Cross Europe” since its debut in 2004. Since the “average” Film festival guests are seldom seduced by just one production, another number is probably in the millions: that of encounters, thanks to a comparatively (almost) manageable number of films (2948 since 2004) and screens.
The 20th edition from April 26 to May 1 will offer 139 films of all lengths and styles from 45 countries in six screens (Moviemento and City-Kino, Central). And the artistic directors Sabine Gottesroither and Katharina Riedler and their team will once again be pursuing great things. No question, no motto, but one central demand characterizes the anniversary: “Europe, we need to talk!” (“Europe, we need to talk!”).
About what? The programmatic lines that run through the program presented yesterday provide information: the obvious, such as the war in Ukraine, the suppressed, such as the consequences of the “Greek” Tragedy caused by the financial crisis and above all what is in the air: the different perspectives on the life of the generations due to the breaking of a traditional model: father, mother, child(ren), work, prosperity. There are also special images and film artists: the documentary film “Eastern Front” (to be seen on April 26 and 29) by Vitaly Mansky and Yevhen Titarenko leads to the Russian-Ukrainian front: With a camera on his body, Titarenko had been with a group of medics for several months. Credit is given to the Greek actress Angeliki Papoulia, “one of the most uncompromising actresses in Europe”says Gottesroither, the theater director Frank Castorf in “Medea” will stage. Six works with her are reminiscent of the crisis years in Greece (“A blast”April 26, 28) and bring works by the three-time Oscar nominee Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”) to Linz.
The “young, courageous voices of the program, which can be seen in many feature film debuts”, as Riedler says, are characterized by visual creativity and fearless questioning – on a local and international level. In Slovak film “Nightsiren” (April 26th, 27th) Director Tereza Nvotová (35) lets a witch loose on old power and gender structures, Innviertler Isabella Friedl questions her in “cloudy memories” (April 29) using the example of caring for her grandmother. who does it Friedl’s mother.
The cheeky, the imaginative is part of the festival heritage, you can also see it at the open-air prelude (April 20, Lentos): There the very first opening film leads “Across a street” to Linz’s Dametzstraße 20 years ago – without people with smartphones, with a Whitsun procession and scantily clad women.
Info: 26. 4. to 1. 5., advance sales from Monday, crossingeurope.at
Source: Nachrichten
