09/10/2003 - "European cinema is making progress, but it’s not enough": the words of the European Commissioner, opening the 2003 edition of Cinedays. Tonight there’ll be a heady mixture of images, sounds and lights in Brussels to launch the event

The 2003 edition of Cinedays will officially kick off tonight at 20:00, in the main square in Brussels, with a large show of “music and cinema”. The festivities will include the participation of some "video-jockeys" who’ve come to Belgium from around the world to provide a heady mixture of films and music, offering up a live montage of images, sounds and lights. The plans for this second edition of Cinedays have been presented at a press conference by the European Education and Culture Commissioner, Viviane Reding, alongside the filmmakers Marion Hänsel and Alain Berliner.

"European cinema is making progress, but it’s not enough", explained Ms. Reding. "The share of European films in our cinemas now stands at 30%, as opposed to the 70% for American productions. Each country works on films that are only for its domestic market. There’s no culture of a European cinema". Cinedays 2003 also involves the future members of the EU. "Put together these countries have a great cinematographic heritage, which was destroyed during the communist era. We have to help them to rebuild their industry", she added.
But what is European cinema’s problem? For the Belgium director Marion Hänsel, "too many films are put on at the same time. Then, European titles don’t have the same level of promotion as their American counterparts. In fact, some of them are completely ignored!". In addition, "in Belgium television doesn’t given enough support to European cinema. There are only adverts for American films".

The festivities for European cinema are being held throughout the entire community, and in Brussels, one of the focal points will be at the Vendôme cinema, which will be showing 16 European films from October 15 to 21. The feature length works on the programme include The Wild Bees by Bohdan Slama (Czech Republic, 2001), Bad Luck Love by Olli Saarela (Finland, 2000), Elephant Heart by Süli Aladag (Germany, 2002), Save Me by Christian Vincent (France, 2000), In this world by Michael Winterbottom (Britain, 2002), Northern Skirts by Barbara Albert (Austria, 1999), Reconstruction by Christoffer Boe (Denmark, 2003) and The Last Great Wilderness by David Mackenzie< (Britain, 2003).

Most of these films have not been shown in Belgium before and they have been chosen by the CICEB, the consortium of European cultural institutes in Belgium, in collaboration with the European Commission, the Vendôme cinema, INSAS and the European coordinator of Film Festivals, the organisation linked to the Brussels Goethe-Institute. Every screening will be preceded by a short film. And there’s also a competition for students attending film schools, who can enter their short works, an event run in collaboration with INSAS (the National Institute of Arts and Entertainment).
For the complete programme of screenings at the Vendôme cinema: Cinedays.

(Translated from French)