The European Film Festival in South Africa begins this week (10 October) showcasing a riveting selection of 14 films online and in cinemas, under the theme Complicated Freedoms, representing some of the best cinema from Europe including six films focussed on youth.
The Oscar-nominated Io Capitano (Italy) directed by Matteo Garrone’s, recounts the harrowing journey of two teenage boys from Senegal in pursuit of the dream of Europe. The film humanizes migration by focusing on the hopes and heroism of those undertaking such dangerous journeys.
Portugal’s Leonor Teles’ Baan is a beautifully shot exploration of youth restlessness and self-discovery, with exceptional cinematography.
Emmanuelle Nicot’s Love According To Dalva (Belgium), is a poignant portrait of a young girl’s recovery from childhood sexual abuse, exploring identity, friendship, and resilience, while Colm Bairéad’s The Quiet Girl (Ireland), is a moving story of a young girl’s emotional transformation while staying with relatives, which earned an Oscar nomination in 2023.
The Danish film Unruly, depicts young women battling patriarchal oppression in a 1930s institution, and a powerful reminder to us of the ongoing struggles for women’s (and girls’) emancipation.
The South African premiere of Kneecap directed by Rich Peppiatt which has been selected as Ireland’s official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards takes place during the festival. This electrifying film offers a riotous look at a hip-hop trio from Belfast who, by rapping in their native Irish, become the unexpected voice of a movement aimed at preserving their mother tongue.
“The selection of films around youth loss, love, fears and activism, offers a myriad perspectives for audiences,” says Magdalene Reddy, co-director of the festival. “Kneecap for example, not only celebrates the vibrancy of youth but also encapsulates the current generation’s role in defending cultural identity and freedom. Tough subject-matter around abuse, morality, neglect is sensitively and exquisitely rendered in Love According to Dalva, Unruly and The Quiet Girl. Inward and outward journeys of discovery and dreams of a better life are dramatically crafted in both Baan and Io Capitano. These films offer delicate and breathtaking insights into issues that affect youth no matter the place.”
The 11th European Film Festival will feature seven Academy Award submissions – Citizen Saint, Io Capitano, Kneecap, Sweet Dreams, The Peasants, The Quiet Girl and The Taste of Things.
Eleven of the films will also be streamed free online. The festival will have one screening of each film for the big cinematic experience; at Ster Kinekor The Zone, in Johannesburg and at The Labia, Cape Town. Unruly, The Peasants, and Kneecap will show only in the cinemas.