<p>For fans of European Cinema, the annual European Film Festival now in its third year has an excellent lineup of 11 award-winning foreign films (mostly with English subtitles). This year's festival sees the introduction of documentary films onto the programme.</p>
<p>The festival is coordinated by the Goethe-Institut in partnership with the European Union and 11 other European cultural agencies or embassies in South Africa.</p>
Click on fim titles to see trailers. The lineup includes: <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE">Amy (UK)</a> <br />
This 2016 Oscar-winning film details the life of soul singer Amy Winehouse from her early days in the music industry, to her final days. The film uses never before seen footage to provide a deeper insight into her life, her drug habit, struggle with fame, and her spiralling mental illness. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCs3qOL5eqE">Macondo (Austria)</a> <br />
A drama about a child-headed household living in the Macondo refugee camp just outside of Vienna. Eleven-year-old Ramasan is torn between the responsibilities he has to look after his siblings, and the desire to live a normal childhood. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8">Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium)</a> <br />
A musical comedy about the rivalry of a Flemish and Walloon brass band. When Saint Cecilia (Flemish) loses their soloist, the conductor's daughter is sent on a mission to find a replacement. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=692hOJq1KJE">Chocolat (France)</a> <br />
Cuban born Rafael Padilla rose to fame in France in the late 1800's under the name Chocolat, accompanied by a white-faced clown named Footit. Padilla uses stereotypical, racist routines loved by the French public, however when Padilla attempts to create a more dignified image, the same public that loved him now turn their back on him. The film stars Omar Sy and Charlie Chaplin's grandson James Thierrée. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ovcBGMLEs">Labyrinth of Lies (Germany)</a> <br />
Germany's submission for best foreign film, the film tackles a taboo subject in Germany society, the life of the Nazi's after World War 2. The film is about Johan Radmann, a newly elected Public Prosecutor in 1958 who attempts to bring justice to the system after finding out that many of the Nazi's now live normal lives with impunity. However Radmann comes to find out that many of these people now occupy high-ranking positions in German society. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCEsWslaLKw">Fire at Sea (Italy) </a><br />
A documentary about the refugee crisis, director Gianfranco Rosi follows the lives of two refugees in Lampedusa: that of a 9-year-old boy named Samuele and a doctor by the name of Pietro Bartolo who attends to the refugees fleeing into Europe in an attempt to find a new life. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvBsyh6d4sY">A Family Affair (Netherlands)</a> <br />
Another documentary, however this one hits closer to home. Director Tom Fassaert is invited by his 95-year old Grandmother to come visit her in South Africa. He uses this chance to find out more about the events that lead up to his fathers disillusionment and his uncles mental scarring. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cOAHoj327Q">Body (Poland)</a> <br />
A film about 3 people who all have a fascination with the human body. Olga is an anorexic woman, carrying the grief over the death of her mother, her father is unconcerned with her illness and the death of his wife but is concerned with the dead bodies he deals with on a daily basis as a coroner, and Anna is a lonely psychic-therapist who helps the family in their healing. This film won best director in 2015 at the Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Awards. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kKTc8qkrH3g">Montanha (Portugal)</a> <br />
A coming of age film about a 14-year-old boy who struggles with the imminent death of his grandfather. Unfolding over a couple of days, the boy drifts through Lisbon as he comes to terms with letting go of the past and connecting with the present, as well as the future. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFZYvh7uT2A">Flowers (Spain) </a><br />
An award-winning film about a mysterious bouquet of flowers that appears at Ana's doorstep. The flowers upset Ana's flat mate, who holds the flower shop accountable. When a crane operator dies, his mother and ex-wife are surprised by the fresh flowers regularly left at the spot where he dies. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXeZ0y4SAic">Something Must Break (Sweden)</a> <br />
A drama about a gender queer person who is saved by a straight, gender conforming man. A relationship develops, however leaving both parties confused on matters of identity, love, self-expression, and acceptance.
