The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius presents the 5th edition of the European Film Festival from November 27th to December 8th, 2023, at MCiné in Trianon. This 5th edition is dedicated to youth with a program exclusively designed for young audiences. The program includes 25 films and 14 sessions at MCiné in Trianon. This Festival, which is always free, marks one of the initial activities of Oskar Benedikt, the new Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius. “Cinema is a space of discovery for children, a moment of wonder through images and stories. In an era where we are inundated with all kinds of images due to the ultra-rapid development of technology, we must teach the younger generation the value of images, creativity, stories, and culture. Indeed, culture has the power to nourish our minds, open our horizons, and help us better understand the vast world around us.”
The programming of the 5th edition of the European Film Festival is established in collaboration with the Mauritian association Porteurs d’Images and the International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand (France). Clermont-Ferrand is the world’s largest short film festival and is the second-largest cinema festival in France in terms of audience, after the Cannes Film Festival.
The 2023 program is structured for audiences in three age groups: Preschool (3-5 years old), Elementary (6-9 years old), and Middle School (10-14 years old). A special Spain session is also included on December 6th, as part of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, followed by a discussion with the EU Ambassador and Mauritian filmmaker David Constantin.
In total, young viewers will have the opportunity to watch 25 short films selected by Porteurs d’Images. Reservations for the 14 sessions are already open, and schools, high schools, middle schools, as well as NGOs, have already shown interest. Additionally, the festival offers young audiences an initiation workshop in animation techniques with filmmaker David Constantin. Other loyal partners contribute to the successful operation of the Festival: the Goethe Institute-French Institute Consortium, the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, MCiné, and the Porteurs d’Images Association.
Raimundo Robredo Rubio, Ambassador of Spain to South Africa, spoke about the inclusion of a Spanish program in the 5th edition of the European Film Festival. “As the Ambassador of Spain, a country currently holding the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, I am very pleased to contribute to the promotion of Spanish culture as an integral part of European culture through the European Film Festival in Mauritius. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that on December 6th, there will be a special screening of 6 Spanish short films for about a hundred high school students in Mauritius and their teachers, followed by a discussion with the EU Ambassador and a Mauritian filmmaker. I hope that through cinema, we can bring Spain closer to Mauritius, and, above all, I hope that the films will appeal to these young people.”
Joëlle Ducray, Project Manager at Porteurs d’Images, emphasized, “We are delighted to continue this partnership with the European Union, which has allowed us for four years to showcase the diversity and quality of European cinema in Mauritius. This 5th edition is particularly important as it will exclusively target young audiences. We expect to welcome 2,600 spectators during this festival. This 5th edition aligns with Porteurs d’Images’ mission to develop audiences for independent cinema. The European Film Festival offers recent and high-quality films.”
The workshops also provide opportunities to sensitize young participants and encourage them to develop a critical perspective on films. “It is important to encourage young children to question the methods of film production and the messages they convey. They will discover the techniques and creative choices behind a film. Moreover, it is also an opportunity for teachers or NGO leaders to develop activities around these films,” added Joëlle Ducray. Filmmaker David Constantin will conduct workshops with young audiences on the stop-motion animation technique. “These workshops are tailored to young viewers who often watch animation films, the ti-komik. Our young participants will discover how these films are made.”
Sooraj Mokool, Director of MCiné, is pleased to welcome the festival once again: “This partnership is very important for us because it often offers people the opportunity to go to the cinema for the very first time. This year, we will host the Festival and its young audiences in our newly renovated theater at MCiné in Trianon.”
Film selection is an essential aspect of this festival. Each program is a journey into different worlds with a common European dimension. In the Spanish program scheduled for December 6th, Cerdita (Pig) by Carlota Pereda stands out. This short film received the Goya Award for Best Fiction Short Film in 2019 and addresses the sensitive subject of bullying.
The Preschool program will allow viewers to discover, among others, Idodo, a short film based on a legend from Papua New Guinea that tells the story of the colors of reef fish. This animated short film recounts the origin of reef fish colors and is the result of a collaboration between filmmakers, artists, performers, and musicians from Papua New Guinea and Switzerland, based on cultural authenticity and co-creation. Long ago, the fish turned into humans and came to earth to celebrate. After the sun set, they rushed back into the sea, leaving behind a great mess. Curious to know who occupied the village in their absence, the villagers decided to find out who these uninvited visitors were. What they would soon discover left them astonished and mesmerized. Idodo is an award-winning short film, with about ten awards and mentions. The most recent one is the Best Animated Short (Professional Jury) award at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2023. To date, Idodo has participated in more than 40 festivals worldwide.
Also noteworthy is the short film “L’air de rien,” which portrays an elderly man, nearing the end of his life, who forms a friendship with a seagull. “Entre deux sœurs” (Between Two Sisters) is included in the Elementary program. It is a dialogue-free animated film that tells a unique relationship. The College program includes the short film “Varken” (Pig). Animals connect an electrical network to a large sleeping pig with a snout shaped like an electrical plug. At first, they use the energy for simple things, but soon they become dependent on a city where everything is automated. How long will this last? “Varken” aims to be a reflection on sustainability and consumer society.
With films in theaters and image education workshops, the Film Festival promises to be exciting. “I am very happy to present this fifth edition, which rejuvenates the festival as it is exclusively dedicated to young audiences. Sharing short films produced and co-produced by the Member States of the European Union with you is a way to introduce you to our cinematic creations and, through them, to the diversity of our culture, the breadth of our history, and the richness of our values,” concludes Ambassador Oskar Benedikt.
IMPORTANT: Access to the sessions will be by reservation.
