Andrew J Horton

The last months of the millenium look as if they will be surreal one for aficionados of Central and East European culture in the UK, with a fusion of rock and Hungarian silent films to create a "cinetrip", a Czech artist famed for painting a tank pink and fantastic realism at the Riverside Studios, amongst other things.

In this week's Coming Up section we have:

• London Film Festival
• Czech Events
• Hungarian Events
• Polish Events
• Romanian Events

Click on the appropiate heading or just scroll down to browse.

43rd London Film Festival

The London Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in the world. This is your chance to catch up with what are the biggest sellers around the world. Despite its emphasis on successful films, London does manage to slip in a few interesting items: Moloch, the latest film from Alexandr Sokurov, the disciple of Tarkovsky who has attracted the admiration of Martin Scorsese and Nick Cave, is one that will be a must-see on most people's lists. Another such film will be Fred Kelemen's Nightfall, probably appealing to a similar crowd. For a Kinoeye review of his first film click here.

For those who prefer their films a little less experimental, Marigolds in Flower by Sergei Sniezhkin is an excellent Chekovian drama set in the post-perestroika age. Click here for a Kinoeye reveiw.

The Czechs always seem to do rather well out of London, and this time they have three feature films showing (compared to none for Hungary). This year they have three feature films showing. The Jan Hrebejk's hit film Cosy Dens (which was awarded at Karlovy Vary), Roman Vavra's debut In the Rye and Sasa Gedeon's treatment of Dostoevsky, The Return of the Idiot. Click on the titles for their respective reviews.

Czech Events

Art

David Cerny - Hanging Out
11 November 1999, 7pm
Czech Embassy, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QY
Phone: 0171 291 9920 E-Mail: cclondon@london.czech.cz

Shot to notoriety for painting a Red Army tank pink, Cerny has established a reputation of the enfant terrible of the Czech art scene. His provacative works have been a universal success and he has even extended his talents to film acting (appearing in the Czech hit films Buttoners and Prague Stories) Cerny will be opening an exhibition of his monumental public works at the Czech embassy, at which he will be interviewed.

Faith in a Better Future
17 November 1999 - 4 January 2000
Czech Centre, 95 Great Portland Street, London W1N 5RA
Phone: 0171 291 9920 E-Mail: cclondon@london.czech.cz

The award-winning photographs of Dana Kyndrova, documenting the Czech Republic's transition from totalitarianism to a painful freedom by capturing the lives of ordinary people. Opening with the artist on 16 November at 6.30pm. Phone for details.

Cinema

Fantastic Realism: The Other Face of Czech Cinema
3- 5 December 1999
Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6
Phone: 0181 237 1111

The Czech love of the fantastic and absurd is well-known, yet many of the country's finest surrealist films remain unknown in relation to the more realist strains of Czech cinema (such as Milos Forman and Jiri Menzel). This three-day season aims to explore this "other face" by introducing some gems which have long remained under-rated, as well as re-introducing some old favourites, such as Svankmajer's disturbing reworking of Alice in Wonderland and Karel Zeman's tribute to the greatest tall-story-teller of them all, Baron Munchhausan. Director Jan Nemec will be at the season to introduce three of his films on show. Click here for more details.

Czech Films at the London Film Festival

See the London Film Festival entry for more information.

Dance

Kind Visions
26 November 1999, 7.30pm
Bonnie Bird Theatre, Laban Centre, Laurie Grove, New Cross, London SE14
Phone: 0181 692 4070

A collaborative dance project between the Duncan Centre (Prague) and the Laban Centre (London), Kind Visions "explores individual testimonies to human destiny.

Literature

The Dissident Type
19 November - 1 December 1999
St Bride Printing Library, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EE
Phone: 0171 291 9920

An exhibition illustrating 20 years of samizdat publishing in Czechoslovakia, including hand-made books and some of the home printing equipment that authors and editors used.

…And More Czech Culture in the UK

The Czech Cultural Centre in London has a full calender of Czech events in the UK. Look here if you want to see a full calendar of Czech related events in London.

Hungarian Events

Cinema

Hungarian Film Days
19 - 25 November 1999
ICA, The Mall, London SW1
Phone: 0171 930 6347

Six Hungarian films on display, including two by the giant of Hungarian cinema, Istvan Szabo - his Oscar-winning Mephisto and his more intimate Sweet Emma, Dear Bobe. Szabo himself will be at the ICA on 19 November for an hour-long interview. The other films are the Espresso, Passion, Eldorado and The Witman Boys.

Cinetrip

19 November 1999, 7.30pm
Foyer. Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, London SE1
Phone: 0171 960 4242

Describing itself as "the hottest Hungarian club" this all-evening event combines rock music and silent Hungarian films as part of the London Jazz Festival. Admission free.

Jazz

London Jazz Festival
15 November 1999, 7.30pm
Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London SE1
Phone: 0171 960 4242

Four of Hungary's top jazz musicians, Karoly Binder, Mihaly Borbely, George Vukan and Bela Szakcsi Lakatos, playing in London for the first time with an evening of "Magyar Magic." Classical, jazz and Hungarian folk all combine in their eclectic and virtuoso sound.

Theatre

Elephant Herd
7 November 1999
Bridewell Theatre, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4
Phone: 0171 235 32 64

The London premiere of Viktor Hatar's play, produced by Knight Mental.

Hungarian Culture in the UK

Check out the website of the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London. As well as listing events of international importance, the site also carries details of their support network for Hungarian au pairs working in the UK and Catholic mass in Hungarian.

Look here if you want to see a full calendar of Hungarian events in the UK.

Polish Events

Cinema

Polish Cinema at the Polish Cultural Institute
Various dates
34 Portland Place, London W1N 4HQ
Phone: 0171 637 2190 or e-mail

Love Stories by Jerzy Stuhr
16 November 1999, 6.30pm
Click here for a Kinoeye review

Korczak by Andrzej Wajda
30 November 1999, 6.30pm

In Full Gallop by Krzysztof Zanussi
7 December 1999, 6.30pm

A Week in the Life of a Man by Jerzy Stuhr
13 November 1999, 3.45pm and 14 November 1999, 6.30pm
NFT3, South Bank Centre, London
Phone: 0171 928 3232

One of Kieslowski's favourite actors turned director with his third feature film. Click here for a review and here for Stuhr's own comments on the film.

Polish Culture in the UK

Check out the website of the Polish Cultural Institute in London.

Look here if you want to see a full calendar of Polish events in the UK.

Romanian Events

Romanian Culture in the UK

There is the website of the Romanian Cultural Centre based in London. Click here if you want to see a their diary page.

If you are a Romanian academic or student working in the UK or have links to Romanian studies you might be interested Romanul's site. It aims to give wider support to educational, scientific and cultural issues and has pages devoted to the Romanian community's acitivities in the UK. Click here to have a look.

Compiled by Andrew J Horton