So many young people crowded the Sala Galileo in the Multimedia Valley to attend a film screening at the same time as thousands of participants in hundreds of other European cities, as well as to engage in a live stream talk with the director and cast and to witness the launch of the European Film Club, an international community to explore European cinema and take part in international film initiatives as true protagonists. With the support of Creative Europe MEDIA, the European Film Academy has been involved for more than two years in the design and development of the European Film Club, which was inaugurated on Sunday, November 5, at the Cinéma Galeries in Brussels.
The event was streamed live in more than 25 countries and was hosted by some of the young people who contributed to its creation. The Galileo cinema was filled with enthusiasm for an event that, once again in the name of culture, was able to connect many different environments with a desire to experiment, engage in dialogue and challenge themselves, drawing on the power of their ideas. The film EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE was then screened simultaneously in more than 35 cinemas. This was followed by debates in each theater and by a streamed Q&A session, during which the young audiences could ask questions to the creative minds behind the film: director Martin Persiel and lead actor Paul Raymond.
EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE is an unusual road movie in which science fiction meets scientific facts. In a dystopian 2054, three young mavericks embark on a journey in search of traces of nature's long-lost beauty, hoping to discover what happened to their planet. Marten Persiel's film wisely exploits the gimmicks of science fiction cinema while adopting a very classic documentary style (interviews with experts, stock footage, etc.).
Following an opening that captures the audience's attention by laying the foundation of the story, the fictional plot is interrupted to give space to the real core of the work: the documentary side, a message from scientists and scholars, a "wake up call" (a call to awakening and taking action). "What we tried to do in Everything Will Change is to focus on the species extinction and the beauty of nature", the director explained, "but, of course, extinction and climate change, and therefore politics, are connected. You can't talk about one without investigating the other. Similarly, within the same duality we can't talk about the destruction of the natural world without examining the factors that determine human development and human psychology".
The young viewers were thrilled: "I was moved, I empathized with the main characters." "I enjoyed the film and was strongly impressed by the story." "The biggest emotion I felt was the sadness of seeing humans killing animals." "This film is proof that European cinema can make quality products." These were some of the comments that the audience shared during the debate led by Antonia Grimaldi from the Management Team.
The three nominees for the Young Audience Award were then announced. Viewers can send in their application and become part of the 99-member European Film Club jury, deciding on the winning film. During the highly anticipated event, the three films that impressed young audiences the most were unveiled, thus gaining nomination for the award, which is an official section of the European Film Awards. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on December 9, 2023 by three members of the jury. The event will be streamed live across Europe at www.europeanfilmclub.org.
