cafebabel.com

Arturo Ripstein: ‘Making films is like waking from a nightmare’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:16:11 -0000

The Mexican director was the guest of honour at a French international festival of film schools in the town of Poitiers. Whilst he has been in the business for more than forty years, with twenty films under his belt and numerous Cannes appearances, the 68-year-old remains unknown for a European public

International Documentary Film Festival: Amsterdam cinema’s leading lady

('Tom Gale',) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:46:37 -0000

In Amsterdam, there are coffee shops, bicycles, Rembrandt and a port. But between the paintings and the pedals lies the IDFA, the largest documentary film event in the world and one of the biggest festivals in the world you’ve probably never heard of

Lowdown on Bulgarian cinema in 2011

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:28:09 -0000

Of the at least dozen films released in Bulgaria this year, two were screened at the Cannes film festival whilst seven were backed by the national film council. Here’s hoping for a better 2012

Vetusta Morla, band of the moment in Spain

('Buzz',) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:05:13 -0000

Their debut album One Day In The World ('Un día en el mundo', 2008) turned them into one of the leading bands on the Spanish music scene. Most locals confess to either loving or hating the six-piece, who formed in high school in Madrid. Interview

Spanish actor Santi Senso, creator of 'house theatre'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:12:25 -0000

The thirtysomething actor is otherwise known for his 'intimate' theatre performances in people's homes across Spain, something he says is driven by a ‘beautiful madness’ inside him. His latest play 'Orgy Me' has just ended its residency in a hotel room in Madrid

Rock band Turbo: ‘absence of taste’ an ‘incurable disease’ in Hungary

('Ili Pusk\xc3\xa1s',) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:12:31 -0000

When it comes to psychedelic-progressive rock music, Turbo is Hungary’s number one. Bass guitarist Jero and singer Balázs Tanka on genres, role models and taking different viewpoints on music tastes and truths in general

Gravity Co: 'We shy away from traditional Bulgarian limelight’

('Ili Pusk\xc3\xa1s',) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:45:33 -0000

They have scooped practically all the music awards in Bulgaria, such as the national music channel MMTV's 'band of the decade' gong in 2008, like magnets deftly reinvigorating progressive music in a post-socialist country. The four-piece Sofia-based rockers stand out from the Bulgarian musical landscape like liquorice-black aliens - and a fourth album is promised for 2011. Interview

Brave Festival: Wrocław stands up for endangered cultures

('Peter Robbins',) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:10:18 -0000

Brave is a festival for courageous individuals sharing a common aim, to fight 'cultural expulsion'. Anna Zubrzycki, co-organiser of the festival in south-western Poland and its artistic director for 2012, discusses her reasons for wanting to preserve endangered cultures

French-American folk musician Redeye: 'I was a bit unsure about country music'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:47:53 -0000

Guillaume Fresneau is relatively unknown except for his outing as part of French band Dahlia. Moving on from the rock direction, he exclaims why it's good to be independent, travel and find yourself. His five-track EP 'Be The One' was released in February 2011

Berlin film festival 2011 winner goes to Iran: Asghar Farhadi's Nader and Simin, a Separation

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:50:57 -0000

In 2009 the Iranian director scooped a Silver Bear for best director for About Elly. This year's competition entry 'Jodaeiye Nader az Simin' was a clear frontrunner for the 2011 Golden Bear award, beating twenty-one other films in competition. Review

Berlin film festival 2011: Coen brothers True Grit opener not true to Coen

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:23:14 -0000

After the road movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and the thriller No Country For Old Men (2007) the Coen brothers are back in the deserted vastness of the American landscape. The ten-times Oscar nominated film opened the 61st Berlin film festival on 10 February

Alex Metric: the man with a studio tan

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:11:24 -0000

The 29-year-old British DJ and producer takes us on his own brief musical journey of electronic music as we await the remixes on his new disc Open Your Eyes. The eponymous first single, an intriguing collaboration with DJ Angello of Swedish House Mafia, is out this January

What happens when you mix 20 European hip-hop artists up

('Danielle Farrell',) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:30:00 -0000

Diversidad, diversité, diversity, diversità, pазноврсност, raznovrsnost, diversidade...all in the name of an urban culture project supported by the European institutions, no less! A Paris-based Bosnian journalist meets the raw talent of European hip-hop, who collaborated on an album in Brussels for release in February 2011

Che Sudaka: 'Barcelona was what it was and, sadly, is not anymore'

('victor escandell',) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:29:07 -0000

This is the story of a six-piece Barcelona-based band composed entirely of South Americans. We chart their journey from illegal street buskers to successful European band in Paris

Ghinzu: bad boys of Belgian rock

('Hayley',) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:00 -0000

'The more it cuts, the sharper it gets. Ghinzu ? Already counting three 'rock-noise' albums to their name, completely carried away when live and relaxed in interviews, the slogan for the knife is as far as possible from describing how these five partners-in-crime attack the European stage. Interview with John Stargasm and Jean Montevideo, sharper than ever

'Glamping' with Europe's happy campers

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:59:11 -0000

The Spanish wake up with tent poles, the French use sardines to hold their tents up, the Italians camp 'abusively' and the English invented caravans and coined 'glamorous camping' - aka glamping. What does it come to? Expressions of the week

Top tips from Parisian music festival Solidays

('Angela Therain',) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0000

A few glimpses dedicated to the 168 000 public that attended Solidays – the second biggest music festival in France after les Vieilles Charrues – and without whom the festival would be just another line up of stars

Party burnout in Paris, so go to Berlin

('Ellie Banks',) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:16 -0000

'Sssssh, go in quickly,' whispers the bouncer of the electro bar 4Elements on the Place de la Republique. The lights are out in the flat above. It is 11pm, a Saturday evening in Paris. The one-time nightlife mecca of Europe is turning into a sleepy little town, a trend that threatens to continue

Netaudio festival 2009: kick in the teeth for traditional record industry?

('Elaine Jordan',) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:15 -0000

While traditional record labels plunge deeper and deeper into trouble, new formats for distributing music via the internet are basking in their success following a sell-out festival in Berlin

There's no place for art in Tirana

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:28 -0000

One German visitor paints a bleak picture of the Albanian capital as a city of art and culture. In delapidated surroundings, the small seeds planted by creative folk via the Marubi academy and Tirana international contemporary art biennial struggle to grow

French band ‘Zakarya’ play Klezmer in Saint Petersburg

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0000

Think you need a clarinet and melancholy yiddish tunes to play Jewish folk music? Then you’ve yet to hear the French quartet. As their Russian concert winds down, accordionist Yves Weyh discusses the audience's strength of imagination, ‘imaginary’ film scores and avant-garde Klezmer

Dominique A: 'Singing in English doesn’t feel natural'

('Darren Thompson',) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0000

As a front runner in the race to modernise French music, the 41-year-old shuns old stereotypes and overnight trends. His two-disc album 'La musique/ La matière' is out now

Dear Reader via Johannesburg and Berlin: 'We’re all just geeks really'

('Andrew Christie',) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Cherilyn MacNeil, 24, the charismatic singer and pianist of South African indie trio Dear Reader, speaks to us from the fringes of the Berlin Festival about her home country’s mix of danger and new beginnings, faith and spirituality, broken hearts and summer in Berlin

A cultural cacophony; international festival in Germany

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:00 -0000

'Beirut? Isn't that in the near East?' You frequently hear this question when telling European friends about the Festival of Young Artists in Bayreuth. Has anyone other than avowed Wagner admirers heard of this small town deep in the franconian province?

London, Paris, Ghent, Transylvania: cross Europe by bike

('Helen Swain',) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:45:00 -0000

An Italian government eco-initiative offering big discounts on bicycles, a London cafe where you can repair your bike and bike film festivals across the continent - an overview of two-wheeled fun to spin your summer

Cinema: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo lacks Swedish suspense

('Alexandra Baxter',) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:58:48 -0000

Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millennium’ trilogy was a huge international success; to date, 8 million copies of the novels have been sold worldwide. Now the first volume, ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’, has been given the big screen treatment. The film, which is due to be screened at Cannes on 13 May, disappointingly relies too much upon characters from Astrid Lindgren’s novels

Slumdog Millionaire: 8 Oscars in times of crisis

('euro topics',) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:35:10 -0000

The global financial and economic crisis also left its mark on this year's academy awards. The film industry is rethinking its financing strategy. The independent, multinational film, about a poor boy in India who wins a quiz show, won eight gongs in Los Angeles on 22 February

The Reader: Germany’s Nazi past a festival highlight

('Agnes Emri',) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:00:00 -0000

Stephen Daldry's stirring film is an attempt to ethically approach taking responsibility for the Holocaust crimes which is ingeniously intertwined with the story of ill-fated love. The phenomenal Kate Winslet picked up a BAFTA on 8 February to add to her Golden Globe for her role as Hanna Schmitz

François Ozon’s Ricky: French-Spanish baby horror

('Ole Skambraks',) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:15:00 -0000

Love gives you wings to fly - the French director takes the saying very literally in his new film. Well known for 8 Women, Ozon presents a very sober social realism, which fades more and more into a Peter Pan like Neverland

Venice, Edinburgh, Perpignan - a festival for everyone

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Italy's 'La Mostra', Scotland's Fringe, photojournalism in the south of France - it’s not too late to recover your cultural health before the end of summer. Monthly guide to the best culture picks in Europe

Almost Dead in Spain and other weird summer festivals

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:43:37 -0000

Mobile phone throwing championships in Finland, the Almost Dead Festival in Spain, pig calling contests in France and the swamp diving champs in Wales; this summer, any extravagance is allowed

Manu Chao, Sex Pistols at Serbia's EXIT (Miloševic) festival

('Francesca Reinhardt',) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0000

As various legends take to the stage from 10-13 July, a local fan on how the ancient city of Novi Sad plays host to the most remarkable musical event in Europe

Events: Isle of Wight Woodstock and more in June

('Solveig Werner',) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:30:54 -0000

German-Czech festivals, strangers filming in Amsterdam and pure dance in London and Luxembourg - our pick of this month's best happenings

Catch Romanian films at the Transilvania International Film Festival

('Florin Lipan',) — Fri, 30 May 2008 04:37:27 -0000

The 7th edition of the largest and most prominent international film competition in Romania takes place in the city of Cluj-Napoca between 30 May and 8 June

Top five Eurovision hits

('Martyn Hawkins',) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Since its first broadcast on 24 May 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen hundreds of songs battle it out for the titles of the worst, the funniest and above all the best

Czech cinema in the 'Hollywood of the east'

('Ed Saunders',) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Light comedies and export hits: Czech cinema rides on the wave of success. But in Prague young fresh filmmakers and independent cinemas push against the mainstream

Go out in April: Uppsala, nerds and witches

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Enjoy the year's first rays at Walpurgis night in Sweden, a vintage computer festival in Munich or the spring festival in Seville

'Europe's Sundance festival'

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Culture crosses borders in Europe this March, as Spain visits Nantes, the Balkans accept a second invitation to Brussels and Irish beer takes over the continent

'Sarkozy or YouTube 3.0?' in Bologna

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Better processors, improved data management possibilities integrated into consoles. Report from the 'Future Film Festival' in Italy

December: pure culture seeker

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Berlin sparks and pixels, free Splash electro in Paris, European student cinema festival in Manchester and eat yourself to death in Lodz

Curt Ficcions: 35mm short film to zero

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The Academy of Spanish Cinema undermine short films by excluding the medium from the world of television. Spanish short films are currently airing in francophone territories

November pick of Europe's best culture events

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0000

From Helsinki avant-garde cinema to factory fairs in Switzerland, your guide on where to be a culture vulture this month

Komikazen: European comics go independent

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The third international festival of reality comics is underway. It's a new kind of neo-realism with innovative trends, small budgets and international celebrities

'critic.de' – Berlin 'debut' for unknown films

('Sarah Gray',) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0000

At the Berlin Film Festival, students smitten with the seventh art showcase films overlooked by mainstream distributors. Screenings are followed by heated debate between film buffs, all with a very critical eye

Venice Film Festival goes war conflict

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The 64th Venice Film Festival – great performances from the actors, but the favourites are two films about Iraq

Jihad: the Musical

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Appears only the name of the six-member US production courted the real controversy in Edinburgh this August

Ramon Kelvink Jr: 'there's not many of us in the world who do this job'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0000

In Liguria, north-western Italy, we come face to face with the French tight-rope walker, 35, and hear his views from above on Europe and the world

September culture vulture

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Basel dances, Barcelona premieres the best international short films and four cultures head the dialogue in ód, Poland – our monthly cultural calendar

The other Sziget

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Pink, Faithless, The Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails; alongside more than 1, 000 musical events, young people show their commitment to the festival's 'Civil Village'. But for how much longer?

August culture vulture

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Despite a slow start to the summer weatherwise, Europe’s festivals – even outdoor festivals – are in full blossom. THE event overwiew for August