The 27th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) kicked off on Nov. 15 in Ottawa, and is bringing a roster of films that could be unfamiliar to most North American viewers. The festival is being held at Library and Archives Canada, and runs until Dec. 2.
All the films shown at the EUFF were created by citizens of the European Union, and range from romances, to comedies, to dramas.
The event is being hosted by Cyprus and Ireland, with the opening night featuring films from both countries.
Silence, the Irish film, had never been screened before in Canada.
“It is an existential road movie. It is a rhythm you are not used to in cinema. Don’t be alarmed if the edits come when don’t expect them,” said Tom McSorley, head of the Canadian Film Institute in introduction to the movie. Irish ambassador to Canada Ray Bassett was in attendance, and prefaced the movie with his thoughts on North American and European cinema.
“For those of you who like the modern age where things blow up and there is intergalactic travel and aliens everywhere, it’s the wrong movie,” Bassett said.
“The movie takes a little time.”
Silence, directed by Irish native Pat Collins, moved at a slow pace, and used extremely long shots, many of which featured little movement or change.
This could easily be viewed as boring in Western cinema, although worked as an effective way of exposing the beauty of the Irish landscape.
The EUFF features many films that would have few other opportunities to be viewed by a Western audience, such as the aforementioned Silence or Small Crime, the opening film from Cyprus.
The festival will also feature films that have already made the circuit to major festivals like the Cannes Film Festival, such as Holy Motors and Steam of Life.
University of Ottawa student Owen Davis was particularly enthusiastic about the festival, and said he believes that film is important to a country’s fabric.
“It’s essential to history, society, culture,” Davis said.
“Film represents people and their worries, and so seeing movies from places like Ireland really interests me.”
“It’s not like I can just see these kinds of movies in Ottawa just any day of the week. I’m looking forward to just seeing things I usually wouldn’t see.”
