For 25 years, Festroia (named because it was held on the peninsula of Troia, though it’s currently situated in the sleepy Portuguese town of Setúbal) has provided audiences with something of a dilemma.
On the one had, there’s the opportunity to see an eclectic selection of films from all over the globe, including a smattering of festival successes, movies from underrepresented countries, and many archive screenings. The trouble is, the weather is so beautiful that the temptation is to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the beaches and laid back atmosphere (none of the uncomfortable craziness that typifies Cannes here). I hardly have a tan. The sacrifices I sometimes make for film…
One of the most interesting sections of Festroia was that dedicated to North American Independents. I began with You Won’t Miss Me in which Stella Schnable plays Shelly, a girl recently released from a psychiatric hospital.
This is a freewheeling and loose piece of work, with a style reminiscent of such movements as the Cinema Of Transgression (e.g. use of different film stocks and keen disregard of traditional narrative). Schnable’s portrayal of a modern day rebel – created by Schnable and Russo-Young in a series of improvised sessions – is mesmerising as she drifts through life engaging in a series of painful auditions (indeed, the film works as a sly poke at the pretentiousness of those who can litter the art scene), complicated relationships and strange situations.
Some may find the film too disjointed – it’s very much a character portrait as opposed to a coherent story – but there’s a visceral and raw nature to proceedings that make the film compelling.
More traditional, yet still bold and brave filmmaking, was Henry Berandet and Myriam Verreault’s West Of Pluto a rather brilliant account of the lives of 12 Quebec teenagers.
Utilising non-professional actors, the film follows them during the course of a normal day which includes school, a party and disastrous aftermath. Brilliantly staged, with some absolutely stunning cinematography, this a potent piece of work that invites comparisons with such films as My Life As A Dog.
Away from America, Festroia managed to make room for a series of films from continental Europe. Some of the highlights included the exceptional Splinters, a Polish film that echoed the spirits of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh with a distinctly Central European twist.
Set in a Silesian region of Poland, the film presents three different stories of characters with differing backgrounds. Touching upon issues of class, race and identity the film provides strong drama but with an undercurrent of humour (look out for the Polish Elvis) to create an extremely affecting movie.
Operation Danube also uses sly humour in its account of a group of four Polish soliders who – during the Prague Spring of 1968 – find themselves stranded in a small Czech town with only a damaged tank and some strange inhabitants for company.
Focusing upon the difference between Czechs and Poles, with a bittersweet rumination on war and brotherhood, the film combines broad comedy with a dramatic story to tell a whimsical and fascinating story. It also stars Jiri Menzel, director of the award-winning classic Closely Observed Trains, which was showing in the section dedicated to Czech Cinema. His introduction expressed surprise that people were still wanting to see the film after more than 40 years. Unfortunately they were denied, thanks to technical problems.
Indeed, this edition of the festival was beset by problems of such a nature. Forced to move their dates (Festroia usually takes place in June) due to their main venue undergoing renovations, the festival created a new venue (basically a large tent with screening facilities inside). Unfortunately, the equipment proved to be more than temperamental causing problems with many of the films shown resulting in frustration among audiences. It’s a shame that technical problems sometimes overshadowed the strong programming, but it is something that the festival staff are acutely aware of and are determined not to let happen during the next edition.
Sometimes technical problems mean that you make it up as you go along. Hence I saw The Wrong Mr Johnson in the hotel lobby in the company of the director. A fun Czech film about mistaken identity directed with verve, it was refreshing to see a defiantly classic take on filmmaking with shades of classic screwball comedies given a modern twist and it proved a much needed contrast to some of the more heavyweight offerings.
These included A Simple Heart, a period drama based on the Gustav Falubert novel. The film screams ‘quality’ with some detailed sets and committed performances, but some may find the relentless misery of the storyline (I’ve seen war films where less main characters die) a little too much to bear.
There were plenty of other films throughout the festival including enjoyable Israeli drama Out A Matter Of Size.
While not a vintage year for the festival in terms of delivery, Festroia still remains a strongly programmed focus of new talents and classic cinema giving people the opportunity to see a wide range of diverse and eclectic film. When they’re not sunbathing
Laurence Boyce would like to thanks Aleksandra, Alexander, Bodo, Carl,Carmen, Henrique, Henry, Ivan, Julio, Marek, Michael, Nickolas, Petr, Ry and Thom for their company. Also to Fernanda and all the Festroia crew.
