Midsummer Night Film Festival 2014

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

This year's star in Sodankylä was absolutely Alice Rohrwacher, the young Italian director and screenwriter. Her debut film "Corpo Celeste" and "The Wonders", which won the Cannes Grand Prix this year, were fantastic! And it's not only her films, but her lovely personality too. She's so sympathic!

Had the pleasure - by accident - travel from Rovaniemi to Sodankylä in the same car with her and also the German short film director Willy Hans and Russian film critic Boris Nelepo.

As we passed the Santa Claus village at Arctic Circle she told that she's scared of Santa Claus. In her family it was a tradition that Santa Claus was a scary figure who chased the children out of the house and when they came back home the presents were there waiting for them.

This year there was only one film that made me cry and that was the Swedish comedy HallåHallå by Maria Blom. Finnish actress Maria Sid played the part of the main character Disa. Even though it was a kind of comedy and there were moments for laugh, it was pretty heavy. These are the pics of Maria Sid introducing the film, but after the film she was crying too and she told that it wasn't an easy film for an actress either. There were strong lines with full of deep meaning to say throughout the whole film.

Other good films that saw in Sodankylä:

Romanian Andrei Gruzninscky: Quod erat demonstratum
Italian Roberto Rossellini: Voyage to Italy
Serbian Emir Kusturica: When father was away on business
Swedish Victor Sjöström: The Outlaw and his wife
Swedish Ingmar Bergman: Wild strawberries
African Mahamat Saleh Haroun: Dry season
Polish Pawel Pawlikowski: Last resort

The food was actually pretty good this year. Both in Sodankylä hotel and in Päivin Kammari.

Icy cranberries with hot caramel sauce, yummy!

Rovaniemi airport

The weather was a typical Lappish weather - not too warm, but with properly dressed not too cold either. Note: you needed a pair of Ugg, warm jacket (windproof/down), gloves...

Next year it will be the 30th anniversary of the festival!

Midnight Sun Film Festival

Monday, June 17, 2013

During the last days I've seen quite many films...

Annual Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.

Here're some of the films that saw there;

Los Amantes Pasajeros by Almodovar

- it was a comedy but, well, not the best one

Purge (Puhdistus) by Antti Jokinen

- I cried from the beginning to the end

Dom över död man by Jan Troell

- interesting, based on a true story

Blackmail by Alfred Hitchcock

- silent film with live music by Oulu Symphony

35 Shots of Rum by Claire Denis

- beautiful film, absolutely one of the best

Tales from the Golden Age by Christian Mungiu

- Romanian short films with lots of humour yet so real

There're 4 places where the films are shown:

Lapinsuu which is the local cinema, school, small tent and the largest circus tent in Finland.

My festival nails "Can't Find My Czechbook"

The house we rented for the accommodation during the festival.

Very nice with 3 bedrooms, big kitchen with all appliances, sauna, terrace...Had only time to sleep and have breakfast there, otherwise it was all day movies.

Not much choice for lunch/dinner. There's one hotel with a restaurant and one restaurant in town. Bt anyway the food is not the main issue - you eat what is available when you have time.

Wine Festival

Sunday, September 13, 2009

18th Budapest International Wine Festival

September 9-13.

Buda Castle

- before going to the the wine festival,

skipped the lunch

and wanted to visit

the Chocolate Exhibition

by Cote D'Or:

A Csokoládé lelke kiállitás

at Millenáris Park,

Fogadó épület

but the queue was several hundreds meters long!
- didn't want to stay there in all that heat
.
So no chocolate, just wine!
.

15 countries, 250 wineries
.

Concentrated on tasting Pinot Noir wines
Best ones:
Luka Pinot Noir 2007
Pannonhalmi Pinot Noir 2007
Vylyan Pinot Noir 2006
.
Also nice one:
St Andrea Magyalos Kadarka 2007
.
Well organized annual event,
loads of people,
nice atmosphere
.