It’s a Wrap: EU Film Festival Successfully Highlights EU Film Diversity

The fourth film festival of the European Union Delegation to Georgia was held from March 9 to March 13 and was named ‘Turning Points.’ Held in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Bolnisi and Mestia, entrance was free to all cinema lovers.

The festival was held within the framework of Let’s Meet Europe, a project funded by the EU and implemented by Ecorys UK. The participants were embassies of EU member countries. 17 films in total were shown from 13 EU countries, shot in different years. The list was directed to all kinds of taste and aimed to show the Georgian audiences both the historic diversity of European cinema and modern tendencies.

The film festival was opened by Janos Herman, Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, H.E. Carine Petit. “Our objective is to spread information about European art, and to bring Georgian society closer to the EU. The [chosen] movies give a lighter idea about the seven decades of European cinema,” Herman said.

The hit of the festival was the French movie ‘Of Gods and Men’ which describes the life of monks who abandoned their families, giving up personal comfort and peace for the sake of sacrifice to God through work in conflict zones. Brave as the monks are, the film shows their internal conflicts. And the final doom’s day does come.

Sergi Barisashvili, Coordinator of Culture of the EU Delegation to Georgia told GEORGIA TODAY he is pleased with the results. “This year’s festival was an improvement on the last three as we had a number of movies which are nominees or holders of different international awards.”

Maka Lomadze