Cine Europa: A Window to Other Cultures

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/lifestyle/2015/11/19/cine-europa-window-other-cultures-442482
• Saturday, November 21, 2015

By Riain Alfonso

CINE Europa once again has opened its doors to movie lovers at the Rodelsa Hall last November 18, 2015. For its eighth year here in Cagayan de Oro, there are 21 films to be featured from 17 different European countries.

“This is actually the eighth year that we have held Cine Europa here in Rodelsa Hall and we are very happy that we have this relationship between the European Union and the Philippines,” said Owen Jaen Liceo U’s Director for Cultural Affairs, “We believe here in Liceo that appreciating culture, not just our own, but the cultures of the world is very important in the transformation, in our own human transformation. We would like to make our students and the community, through the films, experience the culture, the lives of other people and we appreciate that through these movies, we get to see how other people are in those particular countries. We get a glimpse, a taste of the European Culture.”

This is the 18th year that the film festival is being held, thus this year’s version has ‘Coming of Age’ as a theme. This year marks how Cine Europe has matured and grown with its carefully chosen thematic films. The festival is being shown in nine cities including Manila, Baguio, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Leyte, Zamboanga, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.

Liceo de Cagayan University has been its partner since it first held the festival here in the City of Golden Friendship. Alain Marc Golez, executive vice president of LdeCU said, “Liceo believes in total human formation, so the formation of our students is not limited to learning in the classroom. With arts, with promoting culture, we feel that the formation of our students become holistic, therefore we can claim that the development of students in Liceo is complete. He furthered, “That is why we support activities like this because it is a window to other cultures. We have movies from Germany, from Slovakia, from the UK, and it is a window to what Europe is about, through film. It’s a good medium for learning and we have fun in the process.”

Cine Europa 18: Coming of Age in CdeO showcased movies from Romania (Nunta muta or Silent Wedding), Slovakia (Mrtvola Musi Zomriet or The Corpse Must Die), Spain (15 años y una dia or 15 Years and One Day), Bulgaria (Faith, Love, and Whisky), and Italy (Dillo con parole mie or Ginger and Cinnamon) to name a few.

It formally opened in the evening of the 18th with a cocktail followed by the showing of Die Legende von Paul and Paul (The Legend of Paul and Paula), a 105 minute film from Germany. Cine Europa will entertain Kagay-anons from the 18th of November until the 22nd.

“Events like these bring us to a higher degree of culture. It gives us a sense of connectivity with Europe, to be able to see their films, which we don’t get to see in a regular movie house,” said Dorothy Jean Pabayo, the city tourism chairperson, “It’s not always that we get this kind of opportunity, to get a glimpse of what is on the other side of the world through their movies.”

“We hope that there will be more projects and events and activities in partnership with the EU delegation here in the Philippines,” Jaen added.