The “European Film Festival” is organized by the European Union Office in Hong Kong and Macau, co-organized by Broadway Cinematheque, selecting multiple award-winning European films for Hong Kong movie fans every year, hoping that local audiences can learn about the diverse culture and excellent film traditions of Europe from the works.
The program enters its 13th edition, with the organizers bringing 18 European films that have never been officially released in Hong Kong before, covering genres such as comedy, thriller, drama, etc., allowing the audience to feast their eyes! Below, we will introduce 5 of the must-see works.
The Abandoned Land
This film is the opening film of this year’s festival. The story tells of the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2014, when the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk was soon occupied by pro-Russian forces. Countless residents could not and did not want to leave, gradually becoming a forgotten group. The director hopes that through the film, they will receive attention.
A female teacher who teaches Ukrainian is stranded in the local area. In order to keep her teaching position, she is forced to undergo training to switch to teaching Russian. One day, she witnesses a young boy being chased for hanging the Ukrainian flag at school, and she risks her life to save him. The two bond over their shared anger and sense of powerlessness, finding solace in each other in an unfree country. The female protagonist hails from the occupied Luhansk, deeply understanding the pain of losing her homeland and facing an uncertain future. She won the title of Ukrainian Best Actress for this film.
“The Lovers under the Wall”
The most sensational political scandal in Portugal, an extramarital affair that could change Portuguese history, the most shocking surprise. This is the most romantic political thriller. Rising political star Francisco meets an intelligent female journalist, and from the moment they meet, an irreparable romance ignites. A married woman with a married man? Despite many voices opposing their love, he vows to break the deeply rooted traditional beliefs.
The movie is based on the Carnation Revolution, depicting a small love story in a big era. It reveals the democratization process of Portugal, the last dictatorship in Western Europe. The candidate for prime minister embarks on a deadly journey of love, will he choose the country or the woman in the end?
“The Pen Under the Iron Curtain”
With captivating black and white imagery, the rebellious life of Germany’s most important writer Thomas Brasch is brought back to life. In the oppressive political atmosphere of East Germany, Thomas is a wild horse that cannot be tamed, destined to be out of place. His father is loyal to East Germany, but Thomas only wants to write, using it as a way to vent his anger and emptiness.
When the Soviet Union invaded Prague, he was one of those who took to the streets of Berlin to protest. Neither imprisonment, political scrutiny, nor betrayal by loved ones could stop his pen. He wrote poetry, wrote about love, wrote about revolution, wrote about life and death, living a life of unrestrained freedom, questioning all power and systems. Even after fleeing to West Germany later on, this rebel could not be anchored.
“Ko Zai Loves to Fight Big”
After twenty years of graduation, four middle-aged friends reunited at a class reunion. Stepping into their forties, each of the four friends faced different crises – some disappointed in their careers, some still single, and some no longer sweet with their wives. The dreams of their youth? Long gone! In order to stop the midlife crisis, they decided to challenge the impossible, to find back the excitement of life. In the end, they discovered that the biggest challenge was not any bet, but to honestly face themselves and gracefully grow old.
“Death has no political solution”
This film is the closing movie of the year, based on a real historical tragedy. In 1983, during the martial law period in communist Poland, shocking news spread across the country: an eighteen-year-old high school student was beaten to death by the police. His mother was a member of an anti-communist organization, and this was a government-planned murder.
There was only one witness to the tragedy: the deceased’s friend Jurek. Overnight, Jurek became the number one enemy of the state, with the police, media, and legal system all using threats and temptations against him. Whether the death of his friend will leave no trace from now on, all depends on him.
The above movie tickets have officially gone on sale and will be screening at selected Broadway cinemas from July 15th to 31st. Feel free to click here to purchase tickets and enjoy the show!
Image source and learn more: “European Film Festival”
