A second chance for EU films

JAKARTA (JP): Film lovers disheartened by last week's cancellation of the European Union Film Festival have been able to take heart from a belated chance to enjoy the quality movies.

The British Council, French Cultural Center, Goethe Institute and embassies of Belgium and Italy decided to show some of the films before they were returned to their distributors.

They are to be screened at the British Council, S. Widjojo Center, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta, instead of the Usmar Ismail Film Center on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, from Wednesday to Friday.

The Promise (Belgium) and Tichbourne Claimant (Britain) will be screened on Friday, respectively at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Burning Life (Germany), Celluloide (Italy) and The Dream Life of Angels (France) were shown on Wednesday and Thursday.

Eleven films from European Union member states were scheduled to be shown here from Sept. 23 to Sept. 26, before moving to screenings scheduled in Yogyakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. However, the screenings were abruptly canceled because most films did not pass the local censor's standards.

"It was a pity because we had already rented the films and brought them here. So we decided to screen them at our place," said Dina Sebastian, arts education assistant of the British Council. "We then contacted the other organizers and some agreed to join us."

Unfortunately, not all of the films, including the Oscar- winning Dutch film Karakter, could be shown.

Deputy director of Erasmus Huis, Tom Hamoen, said the film could not be screened at the British Council because it was already returned to the distributor in The Hague.

"We had to send it back as soon as possible," he said, adding that the film was screened at Erasmus Huis earlier this year.

Head of the Indonesian Film Censorship Board (LSF) Tatiek Maliyati banned the showings of the uncensored movies on the grounds they would be screened in a public place outside the foreign embassies' jurisdiction.

The films will be screened in the 200-seat rooftop auditorium of the British Council. Admission is free. (sim)