Interview
Marion Döring is the director of the European Film Academy and producer of the European Film Awards. In her interview with Open Citizenship, Döring defines European film and talks about the role of film in building Europe.
What distinguishes European movies from those made in other regions of the world? Is there something distinct about European movies?
Films give us – in the true sense of the word – a “moving image” of the continents, countries and regions they’re made in. They reflect the history, the culture, the mentalities and the ways of living of communities or individuals. In this respect, European films are not different to the movies from other regions of the world.
There are, however, different traditions and ways of storytelling. Films from Asia or Africa may follow other dramaturgic lines and use other symbols. Italian, Spanish, Danish, German, Russian, Polish, Greek or French films may also show us different ways of telling and visualising subjects, language, landscapes, architecture,
fashion – historical and contemporary – as well as colours, rhythm, music. Most of us would recognise rather quickly the origin of a film, and enjoy the many ways that make our world and European cinema so rich, so diverse.
There is a tendency for European films to be serious. They have a certain self-reflection, a melancholy, no matter whether the films come from the Balkans, Scandinavia or any other part of Europe. The hero may often not be a winner as we expect from Hollywood movies. The ending of a film may not be happy. It may leave us with a question mark and demand imagination – something that is, however, valuable.
Ironically, European dramas have a much stronger potential to find their audiences outside their own territories. “Comedies don’t travel”: This is a saying in the European film industry which means that humour is often local and difficult for other societies to understand.
What makes a film European as opposed to, say, French?
European cinema is the summary of many national or regional film cultures. A French film is as much European as a European film is French – or Italian, German, or what have you. However, there are films that are so focused on a regional or national subject, and that are so aimed for a specific regional or national audience, that they will not find an audience outside their own territory. Therefore, if we have to define what makes a French film European, then it would probably be the fact that it has the potential to travel, to be understood and appreciated by a pan-European audience.
Are there common European themes that directors take on?
There are indeed a number of themes that European directors like to take on. These often have to do with recent historical events. The war in the Balkans, for example, stimulated many films in that region and still continues to do so. Social threats such as job loss have made it into many films. Migration, with all its related subjects, is definitely a theme that finds its way into many contemporary films. Personal experience with migration is something that all modern societies share. The multicultural nature of our societies especially attracts younger generations of filmmakers who do not only give a voice to those who are struggling with their identities, these filmmakers also identify with the enriching impact of a diversity of cultures in our societies.
Are there films that capture European identity the way that American films reflect the American dream?
The approach of the Europeans to Europe, both culturally and politically, is not comparable to what we understand as the American dream. Among European filmmakers, the approach to Europe is diverse, maybe more intellectual, and at the same time less emotional. Film, without any doubt, has had a strong impact on building the American dream. Although there are many Europeans who believe in the necessity of a European Union, and even a united Europe in the long term, there are many people who have no confidence in Europe. For these people, the whole European idea simply means nothing. This has definitely to do with the fact that Europe, as they perceive it, is purely administrative, purely economic. Three years ago, the European Film Academy organised a think tank called The Image of Europe through the patronage of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. In a speech to the filmmakers who had assembled for the think tank, he said: “We have to concentrate more on the emotional side of Europe.” This statement is only too true, and in achieving this, film can play a vital role because it deals with emotions.
How has European film changed during the last decades and what is driving that change?
This year the European Film Awards, which are presented by the European Film Academy and its 2,600 members from all professional film sectors in Europe, will take place for the 25th time. In 1988, when the awards were launched, Europe was still a divided continent. The filmmakers who came together to celebrate the diversity of European cinema were overwhelmed by the strong emotion, curiosity and collaboration that marked this historical event. Today, almost a quarter-century later, this spirit is still very much alive. It marks a whole European film community that has grown together over the years. The European Film Academy, the Media Programme of the European Union and many other European networks support initiatives that are the driving forces of a community that can serve as a successful model of a living Europe. And, of course, this has an impact on European cinema, on its stories, and on cooperation with regard to the production, promotion and distribution of the films. However, although European films travel more than ever, when it comes to exhibition, most of them still remain in a niche – something that needs to change because there is so much to discover in European cinema.
What role could movies play in a unified Europe? What role have they played?
The importance of film in building Europe is still underestimated. European films have to find their way into the curricula of our schools. They need and deserve to be treated on the same level as, for example, literature. If we do not teach our children the moving image – especially as they grow up in an image-dominated world – they will not be able to recognise quality or distinguish the good from the bad. They will not understand the magic or the influential power of the image. We have to support them in developing a taste and sensitivity for European stories. We have to take them on virtual journeys to discover other cultures and mentalities.
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