“All that I want, is to hold your hand once again, and then, I will go home and leave you in peace” – one might hear a quote from Swedish film “Bellevile Baby”. “I want you to understand me less and love me more” – echoing voice is heard from 1980 British drama “Bad timing”. That is how intimately films, which are so distant in time and space, communicate. Stories and destinies of these and dozen of other films’ talks are to be presented in the upcoming European film forum “Scanorama”. From 7 November, for the eleventh time – overcrowded cinema halls in four cities throughout Lithuania.

“In the festival, we will listen to films of different time periods, how they talk, whisper and cry for each other. What so meaningful classics tell to modern films? How modern authors respond to tradition, and behave in its presence. Last but not least question – what is modern reality and how is it reflected in nowadays cinema?” – asks Gražina Arlickaitė, director of European film forum “Scanorama”.

The opening film of the festival – Swedish director’s Mia Engberg’s film “Belleville Baby”, which premier was in Berlin film festival. This is the second feature film of M. Engberg that balances between acting and documentary, it tells a personal love story of the director. In her youth, she fancied a rebellious thief Vincent, and now it’s time to relive a long forgotten feeling. This essay film about reminiscences and memory phenomenon web is woven by the ex-lovers’ calls and nostalgic video blogs. While listening to the fragments of a story of two individuals and following director’s wanderings in Paris, one can imagine a nostalgic picture of a troubled relationship.

“We have decided to start the festival with a film, which explores new ways of telling a story, features experimental film language, and courageously combines few genres. This is a solid foundation, which is as diverse as the one that was built by the filmmakers of the classical program – English director Nicolas Roeg and French director Robert Bresson, that embodies different perspective of the world and the film perception – expressive and dynamic, minimalistic and austere. European cinema history would not be as it is without these two outstanding individuals” – claims G. Arlickaitė, director of European film forum “Scanorama”.

Retrospectives of these prominent directors will be screened in the festival, and then, one will have a chance to see the most famous films, that formed the look of the cinema. One of those films is Nicolas Roeg’s drama “Bad Timing”. It tells a complicated love story of a couple during Cold War times in Vienna. A film, that professionally combines different time periods and will encourage thinking and questioning, where is the edge of love, passion and dangerous destruction?

The audience will also have a chance to listen to the intimate confessions of the protagonists, rich conversations, and painful reflections, in traditional festival programs, such as: “News from North”, “Crossing Europe”, “Unimaginative Life”, “New Baltic cinema”, “Lithuanian film premiers” and “Special screenings”.

For the full programme please see website of the festival.