The 13th Filmfest Eberswalde at Paul Wunderlich Haus will be opened with ‘Hosci’ (Guests) by Andrei Kutsila from Belarus. The film also marks the beginning of the Long Documentary competition.
Été Large will accompany the opening event with their music.
Poland, Belarus / 2015 / Documentary / 61 min
OT Belarusian / UT English
Compassion seems to be a near-forgotten word today. How can it be elicited? Alyaksei Shchadrou is barely more than a youngster yet looks back on an eventful life. As an orphan, he travelled as far as Italy, later on served some time in jail, then worked as a paramedic. It was then that he saw how homeless people without health insurance, having been admitted at first, were thrown off the ambulance on the quiet. At the time that this film was shot, Alyaksei had come to rely mostly on Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity for guidance in life. He’s running a shelter for the poorest of the poor in a Belorussian village, giving them bed and board, some clothes, access to basic medical aid and identity papers, so they can return to living as legal citizens. A pilgrimage to Italy brings him back to the roots of his religion, while his activities in Belarus are deemed illegal and fought by the authorities. The film shows how intimate, cheerful, serene and austere a life close to the edge can be.
Music: Été Large
An international ensemble of 12, these musicians create exciting music between classic and jazz.
Luise Volkmann (sax, comp) – Casey Mir (voc) – n.n. (voc) – Vincent Bababoutilabo (fl) – Otis Sandsjö (sax) – Gabriel Lemaire (sax) – Fritz Moshammer (tp) – Julian Schließmeyer (tb) – Emmanuel Cremer (cello) – Johannes Bigge (piano) – Athina Kontou (bass) – Jan Roth (drums)
The Short Documentary, Short Feature and Animated Film categories will each contribute their own opening films, made up into a block.
We’ll be showing:
Làng Violon / Violin Farmers (short documentary, Vietnam/Germany)
Gateway to the province – the Filmfest Eberswalde as a room for artists
The province matters
The Eberswalde film festival has given itself the epithet Provinziale, which says a lot about our programmatic line. We strive to explore the bright and dark sides of what we call province and to discuss the future of rural and remote areas. Above all, we wish to make decisions not subject to the rules of attention dictated by showbusiness but serving civil society here and now.
Provinziale invites you
We have seen in recent years that film is a perfect medium to achieve the kind of communication we are looking for. But we want to integrate and invite artists from other genres as well to take part in a debate about meaning and content – referring mostly to visual artists based in the region, although local ties are not an absolute must.
Artists show us their province – the idea
Every year the Provinziale invites an artist to decorate the entrance area of the Paul Wunderlich Haus for the duration of the festival. Each work is self-contained and unique in its approach but may also comment on those of the past. Over the years, we thus want to establish a dialogue between artists. The usable area is fixed, but the artists are free in applying any means and techniques they may choose.
This year, wood sculptor Sven Ahlhelm has accepted the Programme Advisory Board’s invitation to design the gateway to the festival.
“In my studio, objects and sculptures come to life as my own companions. They can be funny, profound, personal, inspiring or just handy, and sometimes all at the same time. I like working for children and adults, in private, religious or public settings. My raw materials are various kinds of wood and wood composites, both new and recycled. Oil, wax and varnish come from natural sources whenever possible, and I use metal fittings when necessary.”
Sven Ahlhelm lives and works in Trampe/Breydin. He was born 1966 in Herzberg/Elster, is married and has two children. Sven is a trained carpenter and a graduate in religious education. Since 2000, he has been working as a freelance wood sculptor in his own studio. In 2014, he qualified as a craft designer. His works include sculptures, objects and wood design.
The closing event will see the presentation of awards in all international competitions. In the long documentary category, the jury will present the ‘e’ prize, donated by the Brandenburg State Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The Sparkasse Barnim municipal savings bank will hand over their award for the audience’s favourite short feature film. A prize funded by the mayor of Eberswalde will go to the long documentary which has best reflected on the topic of province, in the eyes of the audience. Further audience prizes will be awarded in the short documentary film and animated film categories.
After the reception, visitors can choose between watching the award-winning films and a live performance by Gankino Circus in the festival club.
Music: Gankino Circus
Madness and idyll. A concert cabaret show and an exuberant finale.
