31. May 2021
Today the 18th edition of the Linz film festival Crossing Europe starts. And it will be the last that Christine Dollhofer will head as boss.
In autumn she leaves Linz for the federal capital and takes over the management of the Vienna Film Fund. But for now there is still a time full of European cinema and corona-related innovations at the festival for the Upper Austrian until June 6th.
VOLSKBLATT: Corona will still determine the circumstances of the festival this year. Has the topic already been reflected in the films?
CHRISTINE DOLLHOFER: Interestingly, there are a few films that were made before Corona that could be read as Corona films in terms of content. For example “Eden” by our Hungarian jury member Agnes Kocsis. It is about a woman who can only live in sterile rooms because otherwise she cannot breathe. When she goes out she has to put on a protective suit. But there is no classic Corona film yet. In terms of time, that would be difficult for feature films because of the long lead time, and there are now some for documentaries, but they came later. I saw lockdown films like this at the sightings for the San Sebastián festival. But we didn’t pick any for the festival because I think we’ve all had enough of Corona. As soon as you are in the cinema, you can forget about Corona. If you see it positively: Thanks to the chessboard, you have a lot of space this year, no head in front of you, and nobody will rustle because nobody will eat.
Will films only revolve around the pandemic in two or three years? Will topics such as migration, climate change, … go under?
No, I do not think so. Everything has to do with everything. The climate catastrophe is very closely linked to the pandemic. We know that if there are fewer and fewer shelters for animals, such viruses will spread to humans as well. That has primarily to do with our behavior. Health crises will also induce people to migrate because it makes the economic situation in their countries even worse.
Are there “trends” in terms of content in European cinema?
In the documentary, all subjects that move Europe are dealt with in one way or another. Whether this is the border of Europe, migration, young people on the move, the MeeToo movement. All these questions of identity also touch the films. But there are also films that invite escapism, where you don’t have to deal with the big problems. Whether it is with night vision, or in a very clever way in the opening film “Ich bin dein Mensch” by Maria Schrader, which treats a dystopia in a very entertaining way where robot people are programmed as ideal partners. Everyone will find something for themselves.
When someone has time for five films. What is he looking at?
I would watch a film from the Local Artists program, we have seven world premieres there. Then a documentary on a subject you are interested in and feature films. Festival highlights are gathered in the Panorama, in the competition sections we show award-winning products from a younger generation of directors at international festivals. The Young Programmers have designed their own competition. It’s interesting what kind of films they have chosen.
After seeing so many films for the festival, could you say: these are my five favorites?
I am not the measure of all things because I see so much. But there is work in the program that I think is just great. This is, for example, “Nemesis” by Thomas Imbach, who filmed for years from his studio window, where a prison for detainees was detained. He tells a lot about our society, but also very personal things. A very intense film. I also think the memorial films like “Endphase” or “Surviving Gusen” are good. Or “The Wire”, which deals with the Slovenian-Croatian Schengen border. But I always find it difficult to name individual films.
Is there now a chance for cinema as a communal experience, where we could almost only watch TV and stream for so long?
There is an oversaturation of online events. I think we’re all happy to go to the cinema and know that others are now also sitting there and watching the film. Like vinyl and theater, cinema will not go away. From an economic point of view, the sale of single tickets also brings the most benefits for the large studios. You can never make as much income with streaming as you can in the cinema. The most important thing in the film sector is that we get the younger generation excited about the cinema, where you can concentrate on something for 90 minutes and not just consume fast pictures that you zap through.
Did many films fall by the wayside in 2020?
Unfortunately yes and that hurts a lot. Just as an example: I saw some films on Netflix that were shown in competition in Venice and that did not even go to the cinema or only for a very short time. They are already available as streaming. And now comes total overkill. A lot of films will start in the cinemas and they will cannibalize themselves. Some things will not even come, some films will end up on streaming platforms or directly on television. It was shot on, albeit under difficult conditions. In Austria alone, around 20 films are waiting to be released in theaters.
It means to keep track of things …
What is becoming more and more important is that the offer is curated. And that the platforms stand for a certain profile that viewers can then trust. A festival is one of those ways to find your way around. We curate from 1700 films that are produced in EU Europe each year. From this we choose 140 in normal years: the substrate, the delicatessen.
Crossing Europe can use 67 percent of its space this year. How does that work out financially?
At Crossing Europe, even during the pandemic, I never felt left alone when it came to the institutions. The funding agencies from the city, state and federal government have always stood behind us. We were able to prepare the festival financially with a good feeling. For example, we had to introduce a new ticketing system, but we saved other things, such as supporting programs, which are not allowed anyway. We have redistributed and so we can get by with our annual budget. In sum, we get there.
Crossing Europe is of legal age, is 18 a good age to let go?
It’s kind of a sympathetic age, but of course I would have liked a simpler and livelier edition for my last festival, in full bloom. But it is what it is, and the festival is well anchored, has a good reputation, and stands on good pillars. I think it’s good that there is a breath of fresh air again and other people make decisions. You really have to let go. You know that from family businesses. It is important that you then also disconnect.
What exactly will your tasks be in Vienna?
The Vienna Film Fund has a budget of 11.5 million euros. There television and film projects can be submitted that guarantee the Viennese industry effect, so money has to be spent in Vienna. It’s certainly a very administrative job, but you can also shape it and drive changes. It is important that one hears in the industry what the needs are, where the future prospects are, how one can make Austrian film more attractive on the domestic and international market.
After the festival, your successor will be taken care of. What do you want from this or that person?
To continue living this European spirit and to bond with the city, the region. It is important to design a festival from within the region. That is the nice thing that Crossing Europe has its place in the Austrian “Trinity” – Viennale world cinema, Diagonale national and Crossing Europe European cinema – but at the same time it is anchored in the region and Linz.
Mariella Moshammer spoke to CHRISTINE DOLLHOFER
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