A Sunday in the Country 2009 Cyprus

Lofou, 18 – 21 September 2009

The Cypriot SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY took 10 young European filmmakers and EFA members László Kántor (Hungary), Andreas Pantzis (Cyprus) and Hervé Schneid (France) as well as project and script consultant Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (Germany) to the island of Cyprus, where they spent a weekend packed with screenings of the participants’ films, explorations and discoveries. The 2009 encounter was organised by the European Film Academy in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus. On the island, the magical village Lofou with its pomegranate trees and a unique mixture of abandoned ruins and inhabited stone houses served as their place of retreat. They were guided through the cobbled streets by the village elder and visited the extensive ruins of Kourion to see the well-preserved mosaics and the spectacular amphitheatre facing the Mediterranean. Surrounded by spectacular sites, they were collecting all kinds of new impressions which stimulated a vivid exchange of thoughts and opinions, possibly being the source of new ideas and future projects.

What a Sunday!

I have never seen as many directors at the same place at the same time!

Coming from all over Europe and sharing their views and their hopes in this wonderful spirit initiated by the EFA. We spent great moments discovering each other through films and various national drinks we tasted near the swimming pool…

Those links, created around the love for cinema and the strong feeling of belonging to a great idea called Europe, are the roots of the future European film community, where knowledge and understanding of each other will hopefully open new ways of filming.

Long life to A Sunday In The Country!

– Hervé Schneid –

It was a real pleasure to spend a sunny (and thundery) weekend with fellow filmmakers and to talk about our experiences, and how we approach film making in our countries. It was also an opportunity to discuss our current and future projects, and exchange ideas. It was great a privilege to spend time with our more experienced colleagues, who were generous with their time, knowledge, and expertise. The Academy made us feel very welcome and I came away feeling I had experienced something very special.

It was wonderful!

– Deborah Haywood –

It was a great experience, not only because I had the chance to exchange opinions with established professionals, but also because I got to meet some very interesting and talented filmmakers from all over Europe.
One of the key ingredients for me was that we all had the chance to screen our individual projects (shorts and features) in a cosy, friendly atmosphere and then critique on them on every level with the support and active participation of the members of the EFA. It contributed to a better understanding of one’s work and of each other through our projects.
We also had the chance to enjoy some relaxing time with each other, either by walking the narrow and graphic streets of Lofou, Cyprus, or by simply staying at the “main house”, enjoying a beer and talking film.
It was an atmosphere and experience I will never forget and I hope that sometime in the future, i will meet everyone again.

– Stylianos Constantinou –

Having travelled to some festivals during the past few months, I experienced that sometimes we filmmakers are in such a hurry that we neither have the time nor the good moods anymore to share our views about cinema, let alone have a good conversation under no pressure. This year I was given the opportunity to participate in A Sunday In The Country and it was a very giving experience. I had the chance to meet very talented and professional filmmakers, see their films and hear their opinions. But unlike in a festival context, the way we talked was free and passionate – more like in a film school.

– João Salaviza –

PARTICIPANTS

Federico Bondi (Italy), Costas Chrysanthou (Cyprus), Stylianos Constantinou (Cyprus), Patrik Eklund (Sweden), Dániel Erdélyi (Hungary), Deborah Haywood (UK), Pierre Pinaud (France), João Salaviza (Portugal), Rain Tolk (Estonia), Fien Troch (Belgium)

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY – Members & Partners
Gabriele Brunnenmeyer, project adviser / script doctor (Germany)
László Kántor, producer / director (Hungary)
Andreas Pantzis, director (Cyprus)
Hervé Schneid, editor (France)

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY – Secretariat
Marion Döring, Director
Nikola Joetze, Project Coordinator
Viviane Gajewski, Project Assistant

HOST: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF CYPRUS (CULTURAL SERVICES)
Elena Christodoulidou, President Cinema Advisory Committee
Hyacinthe Pavlides, Project Coordinator