“Vitus” and “Tout un hiver sans feu” in Pjöngjang
16.09.2008
The award-winning Swiss fiction films “Vitus” by Fredi M. Murer and “Tout un hiver sans feu” by Greg Zglinski will be screened at the 11th Pyongyang International Film Festival, which runs from September 17-26, 2008. In a country with an authoritarian regime, the festival can be viewed as a sign towards opening. The international films presented in Pjöngjang – in 2006 there were seventy films from thirty countries – provide the large audience with a view of the world.
The screenings, which are simultaneously interpreted by Korean actors and actresses, are held in cinemas with seating for anywhere from 100 to 2,000 viewers. the cinemas are generally filled to capacity – even when there are last-minute changes made to the programme.
The international film festival takes place every two years. The fiction film “Sternenberg” by Christoph Schaub and the documentary film “Sans papiers” by Andreas Hoessli were both screened two years ago. In 2004 Isabella Huser and Andreas Hoessli presented their documentary film “Epoca” in Pjöngjang.
Tentative steps towards an opening? Switzerland established diplomatic ties with the insular North Korea in 1974 and has fostered development cooperation since 1995. Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey began her trip to East Asia in Pjöngjang in 2003 and gave a clear signal with her media-effective step across the border to South Korea.
Zurich, September 16, 2008
The international film festival takes place every two years. The fiction film “Sternenberg” by Christoph Schaub and the documentary film “Sans papiers” by Andreas Hoessli were both screened two years ago. In 2004 Isabella Huser and Andreas Hoessli presented their documentary film “Epoca” in Pjöngjang.
Tentative steps towards an opening? Switzerland established diplomatic ties with the insular North Korea in 1974 and has fostered development cooperation since 1995. Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey began her trip to East Asia in Pjöngjang in 2003 and gave a clear signal with her media-effective step across the border to South Korea.
Zurich, September 16, 2008