Voyages (27 November - 6 December 2007)
A season of contemporary European documentaries
To celebrate the wealth and diversity of contemporary documentary films in Europe, selected European cultural institutes and embassies in London and the European Commission Representation in the UK have collaborated on 'Voyages', a ten-day festival showcasing the work of new and established directors from across the continent.
In their subject matter, the twenty films on the programme (see menu on left) provide a valuable insight into the concerns and ways of life of the people of our different countries, and into Europe's engagement with the wider world, its histories, cultures and peoples. Likewise in style and approach, the films speak eloquently of the range of filmmaking practices and cultures that exist in Europe today.
Of the films screening, many will never have been seen before in the UK, and most will be presented by their directors in person. Q&As will provide the opportunity for audiences to engage directly with the filmmakers and to respond to issues raised by the films.
All in all, there is much here to reward those curious to discover more about Europe and contemporary European documentaries, and we are proud to be bringing such an outstanding programme of films to London this autumn.
Laurence Auer
Cultural Counsellor and Director of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni
Voyages is the first joint project of the EUNIC London cluster (European Union National Institutes for Culture) which aims to improve and promote cultural diversity and understanding between European societies.
European Documentary Workshop
Running in parallel, the London Film School is hosting a 3-day documentary film workshop, where European directors from the Voyages season will train young European students in practical sessions, with the resulting film going online on this website. Supported by the EC Representation in the UK
See More Documentaries
La Médiatheque of the Institut français
November in France is the 'Mois du film documentaire' - Documentary Film Month. The multi-media library of the French Institute will join in the celebrations this year with free daily screenings throughout the month. November will also see the launch of the library's new monthly documentary film series 'Wide Angle' with a special screening of The Crossing at 7.30pm on 20 November attended by the director Elizabeth Leuvrey. The film interviews a handful of the 100,000 people each year who make the crossing between Algiers and Marseilles.
Ciné lumière
Ciné lumière regularly programmes new European and World documentaries as part of its monthly programme. This month: Sans Soleil (Sun 2 Dec, 2.00pm), director Chris Marker's film-essay exploring the cultures of Japan, West Africa and Iceland; and the recent rock documentary Joe Strummer, The Future is Unwritten (Mon 26 Nov, 6.30pm) introduced by its director Julien Temple (TBC).
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