So enthused was I by my time in the office, I made a point to return this year.
In my time we had no Bellocchio or Bellucci, but beyond that little had changed. My former colleagues were there, still introducing films, interviewing guests and presenting awards. Even many of the volunteers were in the same places, manning a book stall or counting the audience votes. It felt like I hadn’t been away.
The awards this year went to worthy winners. A Good Wife, the directorial debut of esteemed Serbian actor Mirjana Karanović took the Feature Competition, whilst Communion, a devastating depiction of a 14 year old girl growing up in Germany, was voted best documentary. The ceremony itself was an informal affair, marked by its humour and joviality, rather than the pomposity that can creep in at other festivals. That was only to be expected though. Those traits run throughout the entire set up, from the Q&As over coffee each morning to the closing party with the Balkan band, UFOslavians. I’ll let you look them up yourselves.
Monica Belluci
(Eastern Star Award 2017)