It has been a long time since I had the chance to attend film festivals. In my early 30s, I used to have a share in a ticket for the Sydney Film Festival and I saw many fabulous films from around the world. After my daughter was born, this became much more difficult to organise, but I still managed to get to a few films at the French and German Festivals. Once we moved out of Sydney, these events became rare treats and at best, we would see a film or two at the events.
Moving to Canberra has allowed me to indulge in some of my favourite old pastimes. Attending the German Film Festival is one of them. I have selected 17 films over a three-week period, and, on some days, I have been watching two movies back-to-back. I have forgotten how demanding that can be!
As always, there are films that shake me to my core and others that leave me wondering how the film ever got off the ground. Regardless, I am enjoying the breadth of films, ranging from historical drama set in WWII to funny yet profound films about dysfunction, relationships, and alcohol abuse. So far, I have seen six films, of which three have been excellent. They were From Hilde, with Love (In Liebe, Eure Hilde), Lubo and One for the Road. Of these, From Hilde, with Love is the standout. From Hilde, with Love, tells a compelling true story of a young Nazi resistance activist in Berlin who gets detained and eventually tried for treason. The story builds slowly towards its inevitable climax, which jolts the audience. While there are many moving films about WWII, this one offers fresh insight through the personal experience of a young woman who becomes politically engaged, falls in love, and pays the ultimate price for her convictions.
Lubo, the only Swiss offering at the festival, is a remarkable film. It fictionalises events that occurred in Switzerland after the war, when authorities forcibly removed children from ‘gypsy’ parents, placed them into foster homes, separated them from their siblings, subjected them to sexual abuse, and disconnected them from their culture. This will sound horribly familiar to Australian viewers. In 1972, the Swiss government apologised and paid some reparations to families that were affected and, while this was a very late reckoning, it took the Aboriginal Stolen Generations until 2008 to receive a formal apology. Lubo belongs to a minority nomadic community called Yenish. During the war, his wife lost her life while trying to prevent authorities from taking their children. Lubo spends his life documenting the disappearance of his own children and those of his community. This film echoes the pain and suffering of First Nations peoples and minority groups.
These films are thought provoking yet enjoyable. I am making up for the years that I haven’t been able to see European films. I like the meandering story lines, the stunning settings and the slow pace that many of these films have in common. I may be a tad tired over the next three weeks, but I won’t regret it.
From Quill to Quote 