Eastern Europe’s auteurs steal the screen at the E.U. Film Fest

When Christine Pernin set out to organize this year’s European Union Film Festival (EUFF), she had a great film from Russia in mind. Fortunately, her daughter just happened to be studying geography in primary school at the time. “Russia is not part of the EU, Mom,” her daughter corrected her. Trying to wrangle big name films from each country in the EU was no small task, but as the festival started to take shape, it was precisely the films from lesser known countries that excited Pernin most. With screenings at art and cultural institutes throughout Beijing, EUFF’s films from up-and-coming industries like Latvia and Estonia are likely to give the most surprises.

Thanks to help from the internet and the enthusiasm of the local directors, Pernin found a rich set of films from countries with smaller cinema markets. In the end, the pieces that were harder to find, from rising film circles in countries like Latvia and Estonia, are the ones most likely to give the biggest surprises. Several former Eastern Bloc nations like Latvia and the Czech Republic used to have fantastic cinema, Pernin points out. But now in the post-Soviet era, the industries there are still very much up-and-coming. As the cinema industries develop, the works they put out often contain a freedom and excitement uncommon in more established industries.

One film featured from a former Eastern Bloc nation in the festival that has started to get recognition is Matt the Cat, a comedy from Estonian director René Vilbre. Part fantasy, part comedy about an unpopular boy down on his luck who befriends a magic-wielding cat, Matt the Cat has already bagged an award from the Nordic Film Days Festival and Vilbre has since gone on to direct one of the biggest-grossing films in Estonia’s market since independence. Vilbre’s work joins many other new award-winning films in the festival, like Defenders of Riga, “the biggest box office success in the history of Latvia,” according to Pernin.

Though exposure in China has come as a surprise to directors, China’s Opening Reforms (Deng’s continuing gaige kaifang) setting may be a fitting place to screen works from countries still awakening from Soviet rule. Despite the increased exposure and signs of success, filmmakers in places like Estonia still have to fight for audiences abroad. “Maybe there’s no commercial outlet yet,” Pernin continues, “but they’re hungry.”

Thomas Talhelm

What: European Film Festival Where: Venues around town When: Through December 20 How much: Free