А ceremonial opening of the II International festival of young European cinema “VOICES” started on July 5, 2011

Almost 200 guests from different countries have come to visit II International Festival of the Young European Cinema “VOICES”, which opening ceremony was held 5 July 2011 in Lencom Cinema.

That was the time when world film stars again took a walk along the red carpet smiling to the audience. Some famous names – the jury of the festival: Hugh Hudson, English film director, Goran Paskaljevic, Serbian film director, Sergei Loznitsa, Ukrainian film director, who got the main prize of the “VOICES” last year , Stephan Kitanov, the founder of the International Festival in Sophia, Russian actress Ksenia Rappoport, Italian actress Katerina Murino and Italian director and scriptwriter Paolo Taviani, Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi and one of the most charming world actresses – the muse of the festival Claudia Cardinale.

The presenters of the ceremony were Italian actress Anita Kravos and Andrei Tchistik, who had been trying to find out if Russia or Italy is better, this funny dispute around gave a lot of fun to the audience. There was a good reason for the dispute taking into account the festival conducting within the framework of the year of Russia in Italy and the year of Italy in Russia, that is why Italian guests were in majority. For Vologda citizens that was a great opportunity to learn some particular qualities of Italian cinema, taking into account the fact that last year French films were fantastically accepted by everybody. This is what Ekaterina Tchukovskaya, co-chairman of the “VOICES” steering committee and the RF minister of culture deputy, confirmed: “I am very glad to have an honor to be here for the second time, and if last year festival could be called experimental then now I feel like I witness the birth of a new tradition. The festival has already acquired its own concept, its face, its friends. This year these are Italian films, next year we’ll meet traditions of the German cinema, and the year but one – the Netherlands’.”

Claudia Cardinale, the muse of the festival, thanked the people who organized it and invited her: “I’m very lucky to be here and I’m lucky to had started “golden age” of Italian cinema 53 years ago. When I started working I didn’t speak Italian because I had been born in Tunis and my native language is French. The first man who gave me a chance to speak Italian was Federico Fellini. And this is a big honor for me to represent here Italian cinema”.

A new tradition which appeared at the festival was breaking of a plate. That right was given to Claudia Cardinale. The plate was broken into pieces which meant for the festival to be exciting, rich on events and what is more important to be memorable.

At the end of the ceremony the audience made the first acquaintance with Italian cinema – the film Heart Question. It was presented by the film director Francheska Arkebudgy: “ The film is based on a true story which happened to my friend – film director. I promised him to make a film about this. This is a kind of archetip because the picture tells us about two completely different people who met in a hospital. Like the meeting of two war chiefs in Iliada. Since this film is very simple, very human it proves the idea that it is possible to connect not only different people but different cultures as well, what happened at this festival”.

Irina Sorokina