November, 13. – November, 15. 2019.
District, VIII., 21. Rákóczi Road – Budapest
LUX FILM DAYS project aims to bring the screenings of the finalists of the LUX FILM PRIZE Official Competition of the European Union (EU). The European Parliament’s cinematographic prize is awarded each year to films reflecting in line with important political, sensitive portrayal of current social phenomena that affect everyone. There will be a Northern Macedonian satirical drama exploring the state of God exists and is called Petrunya, Cold Case Hammarskjöld and The System.
The recognition aims not only to promote European films, but also to distribute the winning works to all European countries and make them available to everyone. These films will be screened across all 28 countries with subtitles in 24 languages.
In Hungary between November, 13-15, the three finalists will be screened at the Urania National Film Theater.
This year, the three titles in competition and screening in Budapest – Hungary.
Wednesday, November, 13. – 7 p.m. – God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya – by Teona Strugar Mitevska (North Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Croatia/ France) 2019. Synopsis: A powerful cinematic work that tells the story of a woman who finds herself in a position that only men have access to at a religious ceremony, and which makes a significant contribution to the feminist struggle, the most acute social issue of our times, which has yet to gain momentum in the Balkans. World-premiered in competition at the Berlinale, where it picked up the Ecumenical Jury Prize.
Thursday, 14 November, 2019 – 7 p.m. – Cold Case Hammarskjöld – by Mads Brügger (Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Belgium/UK/Germany) 2019. Synopsis: Danish director Mads Brügger and Swedish private investigator GöranBjörkdahl trying to solve provocative investigation into the 1961 death of Swedish UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. Dag Hammarskjöld died in a suspicious plane crash in 1961 on his way to ceasefire negotiations in order to resolve a conflict in Katanga, Congo, in which significant economic interests were at stake. The Swedish UN Secretary General was a progressive politician who wanted to prevent Western countries such as Britain and France from reinstating their influence in Africa, after colonies had gained independence. Brügger’s slow-building documentary sheds light onto the mystery. This is the third time in the LUX Prize’s history that a documentary is among the three finalists. (Mads Brügger delivered one of the breakout films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival with his incendiary muckraker Cold Case Hammarskjöld.
Friday, 15. November, 2019. – 7 p.m. – The Realm – by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain/France). Synopsis: A forceful and adrenaline-charged thriller … how far will someone go to hold on to power? This adrenaline-charged thriller deals with political corruption. It tells the story of the demise of a successful politician and his freedom, which had looked destined to last forever. Get ready for bitter arguments, tense car chases and clashes with a probing press. The Realm world-premiered in competition at San Sebastián, before going on to win seven Spanish Goyas. Also competed for the main prize at the Cinefest International Film Festival in Miskolc- Hungary.
The three finalists were selected from among the ten films in the 2019 Official Selection, which once again included four women directors (Teona Strugar Mitevska, Tamara Kotevska, Nora Fingscheidt and Natasha Merkulova and two documentaries (Cold Case Hammarskjöld and Honeyland), as well as the significant presence European co-productions.
As in previous years, the three finalist films will go on a tour around Europe, with screenings being organised in more than 60 cities across the 28 European member states, subtitled in the 24 official languages of the EU, thanks to the cooperation between the European Parliament Information Offices and the Creative Europe MEDIA Desks. In the Fall, the newly elected members of the European Parliament will be invited to vote for one of the three films in competition. The winner will be announced on November, 27 at the formal sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in the presence of the directors.
After the screenings, viewers will be able to vote for their favorit movie again this year on http://www.luxprize.eu until January 31, 2020. All voters will take part in a raffle draw, which the winner will be able to attend at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2020, where the winner of the public vote will be announced and the ten nominees of the LUX Film Award will be presented next year.
Update Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 