Veebruaris toimub Ottawas Winterlude'iga seoses ka mitmeid lisaüritusi, millest üheks uhkemaks on 20. veebruaril Weston hotellis toimuv “The Viennese Winter Ball”. Balli korraldab “Music and Beyond” koostöös Austria Suursaatkonnaga.
Talvefestivali ürituste raames toimub ka iga-aastane Bright Nights Filmifestival – tänavu ka juba 6. Baltic-Nordic filmifestival, mis kasvas välja Ottawa Balti filmifestivalist.
Bright Nights Baltic Nordic filmifestival kestab 12.-21. veebruarini ja on teoks saanud järjekordselt tänu Balti- ja Põhjamaade suursaatkondade ning Kanada Filmiinstituudi viljakale koostööle ning sponsorite toetusele. Norra, Eesti, Rootsi, Läti, Soome, Leedu, Islandi ja Taani toovad vaatajateni huvitavaid erinevates žanrites filme igale filmihuvilisele ja näitavad veel kord, kui rikkalik ning mitmekülgne on Balti- ja Põhjamaade filmikunst. Kõik filmid linastuvad esmakordselt Ottawas.
Bright Nights filmifestivali toimumispaigaks on sel aastal hubane 400-kohaline River Building Theatre, Carleton University's, aadressil RB2200, 43 Campus Ave, Ottawa ning filme saab vaadata veel sel nädalavahetusel.
Eestit esindavate dokumentaalfilmide “The Class of 1943” ja “The Story of the Baltic University” näitamine toimus valentinipäeva pärastlõunal ja linastusel oli tubli sada inimest. Filmide vahepeal toimus ka vastuvõtt ja vestlus filmide autori Helga Meritsaga.
Eesti Suursaadik Kanadas Gita Kalmet esines piduliku avakõnega, mille teksti siinkohal edastame.
“Your Excellencies, Dear friends of cinema and Dear representatives of the Canadian Film Institute.
Another year has gone by, the weather is again bone-chilling cold and the Bright Nights Film Festival is again in full swing. And we are very glad that you have decided to spend the afternoon with us. We would like to express particular thanks and greetings to the members of the Latvian and Lithuanian community with us today.
Today on Valentine's Day, we are screening two serious historical documentaries. I've been asked why. What connection do they have to Valentine's Day? The answer is really quite simple – Valentine's Day celebrates friendship and love, but there is more to friendship and love than only fun and merriment. True friendship and true love are actually serious matters. And if we are looking for more reasons, we can find them in the main characters in today's films who are very young – that age when love and friendship are the most important things in life.
In the film, The Class of 1943. Remember us when we are gone, you can see from the class photo that the young school boys are looking forward to their future, with the expectation that “real life” will start tomorrow. “Real life” did start, not with a graduation ball or going to the movies with your sweetheart – but with war.
Every time I look at that photo, at their faces so candid and intelligent, I have a feeling as if they were saying “Remember us when we are gone”.
Remembering is important.
That is why we are here today to watch these films. The least we can do is to remember.
Memory and remembering are the bridge to the second film The Story of the Baltic University, where in the ruins of post-war Hamburg, Baltic people created, from really nothing at all, a genuine university – the Baltic University, and where, just as quickly, the word Baltic had to disappear from the name of the university. The II World War whipped the Baltic States off the world map and the name Baltic had to disappear as well. It was all so very simple. That should make us think in this day and age also, how so suddenly, to remember a certain adjective or a certain name may become undesirable.
We still exist and we also remember the Baltic University. The Baltic University for me is one of the brightest examples of the unity, solidarity and courage of the Baltic peoples.
Dear friends, I have the great honour and special pleasure of introducing to you the documentary film maker and director from The Netherlands, Mrs Helga Merits, the author of today's two films. Through happy circumstances she is able to be with us at today's screening. You will have a chance to chat with Helga during the intermission and after you have seen the two films there will be a question and answer session.”
Sellest üritusest sai igaüks inspiratsiooni läheneva Eesti Vabariigi aastapäeva tähistamiseks oma hinges, oma kodudes, Ottawa linnas ja kogu maailmas.
Ülle Baum
FOTOD – Ülle Baum © 2016 ja Virginja ja Dan Craig
