San Sebastian is a uniquely beautiful city that is situated in the heart of the Basque region of Spain. It is also known by its Basque name -- Donostia. Located on the Bay of Biscay in the north of Spain, it contains some of the most convenient and lovely beaches of any of Europe’s metropolitan areas. The Basque region is well known for its variety of incredible food (there are more Michelin star restaurants packed into this condensed region than anywhere else in the world), genuine friendliness of its inhabitants, environmental beauty (nearby Pyrenees mountains, coastal beaches, Rioja wine region, Ebro river), unique language (Basque), and appreciation of art and culture (for instance, the nearby Guggenheim Bilbao museum).
In 2016 San Sebastian is slated to be the European Capital of Culture and its motto is “waves of people’s energy,” which refers both to the special nature of its people as well as the abundance of waves which attract the masses of surfing aficionados. And for nine wonderful days in every September since 1953 the city serves as host to one of Europe’s best international film festivals.
The 58th annual San Sebastian International Film Festival took place this year from September 17th – 25th. This is Spain’s largest film festival and is hugely supported by the local community. This year there were more than 165,000 admissions to the festival’s 202 screenings of films, which hailed from 46 different countries. The attendees were a nice cross section of local citizenry representing a wide range of demographics that come year in and year out to support this local celebration of cinema. The San Sebastian film festival always seems to attract its share of “A” list celebrities and this year was no exception, as Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, Paul Giamatti, and Javier Bardem were all in attendance.
I was fortunate to be one of the five members of the independent SIGNIS jury for this year’s festival. Our group consisted of a diverse mix of five Catholics from Argentina, France, Ireland, Venezuela, and Spain. Our main task was to view the 15 films from the Official Competition with a special focus towards the following criteria: the film should represent an effort of high artistic quality, have an impact which is universal in nature, be in harmony with the values of the Gospel, raise audience consciousness of the transcendent dimensions of life, and convey respect for human dignity.
I believe that the films in this year’s Official Competition, as a whole, were of a consistently high artistic standard. This year’s films consisted of festival premieres from South Korea, Switzerland, Scotland, Portugal, Morocco, Norway, Japan, the Philippines, Argentina, China, and Spain.
A signature theme usually resonates from a festival’s Official Selection films. However, I struggled to discover a unifying theme that could best describe the entries from this year’s Official Competition. Further reflection upon these films has allowed me to venture that they seem to have addressed, in a very meaningful manner, what it truly means to be a human being. They highlighted, in a most poignant way, deep and resonant human conditions such as suffering, creation of life, celebration of death, the true meaning of family, our struggle for dignity, the darkness of adolescent peer pressure, difficulties of aging, and the nature of violence. This broad representation of life is what is meant by the human condition.
Three of the films in this year’s competition addressed the deep complications and repercussions involving family relationships on occasions when parents become sick or are near the end of their life’s journey. The Argentinean film Cerro Bayo concerned a disconnected family as it convened to care for the matriarchal grandmother who was in a coma as a result of an unsuccessful suicide attempt. In the Chinese film Addicted to Love, a kindly grandfather reared in the country of the past struggled to take care of his disparate offspring who were all reared in the China of the present, while trying to rekindle a relationship with a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. And a love story from Switzerland Colors in the Dark, which showcased a family’s reactions when an elderly husband, diagnosed with cancer, and his wife choose to take fate into their own hands.
Many films focused on how we respond to violence when it is thrust upon us. This ranged in scale from the grand I Saw the Devil, a South Korean horror film that depicted a policeman’s revenge upon the man who murdered his fiancée, to the Scottish entry Neds, which depicted how easy it is for a young man with a bright future to fall prey to peer pressure and begin a downward spiral towards drugs, crime, and delinquency. The Spanish film Elisa K portrayed the power of repressed memory in a young woman in her mid-twenties, who was raped as a young girl by a family friend, and buried the memory until it later revealed itself in a most powerful way. And finally, Chicogrande from Mexico and Amigo from the Philippines, which centered on the armed conflicts between Mexico and the U.S. and the Philippines and the U.S. respectively.
And finally, there were three films, each of which depicted a celebration of humanity in its own special way. The Japanese film Genpin celebrated life, most especially newborn life. Women learned how to exercise as nature intended and to nurture peace and calm from within and without in order to have a natural birthing process as God originally intended. The Norwegian offering Home for Christmas was a most satisfying and complete film, which followed several unrelated families as they prepared to celebrate Christmas. This fully human film made me laugh out loud, produced its share of tears, and allowed me to walk out of the theater in a genuine state of bliss. And A Jamaa, set in Morocco, concerned a man who fought for his recently confiscated land to be returned to him in order to support his family. This film was an engaging commentary on organized religion, human ambition, politics, and truth.
Our jury met on three occasions to discuss and debate the merits of the Official Selection films. In our final and most extensive meeting we narrowed our choices to the top three. From these we quickly whittled the choice to one as the jury reached a near unanimous decision. The 2010 SIGNIS award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival went to the Chinese film Addicted to Love.
Directed by Liu Hao and set in the contradictions of a modern China, this family film centers on a lonely grandfather as he comes to terms with a new way of life. This tender film depicts a man’s gentleness and caring both for his family as well as for a long lost love who is suffering from a degenerative illness. It is a delicate reminder of the universal struggles and hardships as well as the joy and appreciation that all families share.
An apt title for a film that showcased some of the best aspects of our human condition.
In 2016 San Sebastian is slated to be the European Capital of Culture and its motto is “waves of people’s energy,” which refers both to the special nature of its people as well as the abundance of waves which attract the masses of surfing aficionados. And for nine wonderful days in every September since 1953 the city serves as host to one of Europe’s best international film festivals.
The 58th annual San Sebastian International Film Festival took place this year from September 17th – 25th. This is Spain’s largest film festival and is hugely supported by the local community. This year there were more than 165,000 admissions to the festival’s 202 screenings of films, which hailed from 46 different countries. The attendees were a nice cross section of local citizenry representing a wide range of demographics that come year in and year out to support this local celebration of cinema. The San Sebastian film festival always seems to attract its share of “A” list celebrities and this year was no exception, as Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, Paul Giamatti, and Javier Bardem were all in attendance.
I was fortunate to be one of the five members of the independent SIGNIS jury for this year’s festival. Our group consisted of a diverse mix of five Catholics from Argentina, France, Ireland, Venezuela, and Spain. Our main task was to view the 15 films from the Official Competition with a special focus towards the following criteria: the film should represent an effort of high artistic quality, have an impact which is universal in nature, be in harmony with the values of the Gospel, raise audience consciousness of the transcendent dimensions of life, and convey respect for human dignity.
I believe that the films in this year’s Official Competition, as a whole, were of a consistently high artistic standard. This year’s films consisted of festival premieres from South Korea, Switzerland, Scotland, Portugal, Morocco, Norway, Japan, the Philippines, Argentina, China, and Spain.
A signature theme usually resonates from a festival’s Official Selection films. However, I struggled to discover a unifying theme that could best describe the entries from this year’s Official Competition. Further reflection upon these films has allowed me to venture that they seem to have addressed, in a very meaningful manner, what it truly means to be a human being. They highlighted, in a most poignant way, deep and resonant human conditions such as suffering, creation of life, celebration of death, the true meaning of family, our struggle for dignity, the darkness of adolescent peer pressure, difficulties of aging, and the nature of violence. This broad representation of life is what is meant by the human condition.
Three of the films in this year’s competition addressed the deep complications and repercussions involving family relationships on occasions when parents become sick or are near the end of their life’s journey. The Argentinean film Cerro Bayo concerned a disconnected family as it convened to care for the matriarchal grandmother who was in a coma as a result of an unsuccessful suicide attempt. In the Chinese film Addicted to Love, a kindly grandfather reared in the country of the past struggled to take care of his disparate offspring who were all reared in the China of the present, while trying to rekindle a relationship with a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. And a love story from Switzerland Colors in the Dark, which showcased a family’s reactions when an elderly husband, diagnosed with cancer, and his wife choose to take fate into their own hands.
Many films focused on how we respond to violence when it is thrust upon us. This ranged in scale from the grand I Saw the Devil, a South Korean horror film that depicted a policeman’s revenge upon the man who murdered his fiancée, to the Scottish entry Neds, which depicted how easy it is for a young man with a bright future to fall prey to peer pressure and begin a downward spiral towards drugs, crime, and delinquency. The Spanish film Elisa K portrayed the power of repressed memory in a young woman in her mid-twenties, who was raped as a young girl by a family friend, and buried the memory until it later revealed itself in a most powerful way. And finally, Chicogrande from Mexico and Amigo from the Philippines, which centered on the armed conflicts between Mexico and the U.S. and the Philippines and the U.S. respectively.
And finally, there were three films, each of which depicted a celebration of humanity in its own special way. The Japanese film Genpin celebrated life, most especially newborn life. Women learned how to exercise as nature intended and to nurture peace and calm from within and without in order to have a natural birthing process as God originally intended. The Norwegian offering Home for Christmas was a most satisfying and complete film, which followed several unrelated families as they prepared to celebrate Christmas. This fully human film made me laugh out loud, produced its share of tears, and allowed me to walk out of the theater in a genuine state of bliss. And A Jamaa, set in Morocco, concerned a man who fought for his recently confiscated land to be returned to him in order to support his family. This film was an engaging commentary on organized religion, human ambition, politics, and truth.
Our jury met on three occasions to discuss and debate the merits of the Official Selection films. In our final and most extensive meeting we narrowed our choices to the top three. From these we quickly whittled the choice to one as the jury reached a near unanimous decision. The 2010 SIGNIS award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival went to the Chinese film Addicted to Love.
Directed by Liu Hao and set in the contradictions of a modern China, this family film centers on a lonely grandfather as he comes to terms with a new way of life. This tender film depicts a man’s gentleness and caring both for his family as well as for a long lost love who is suffering from a degenerative illness. It is a delicate reminder of the universal struggles and hardships as well as the joy and appreciation that all families share.
An apt title for a film that showcased some of the best aspects of our human condition.
