Film review by German student

"Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" (The Edukators)

"Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" is a critical film about capitalism and the inequity between rich and poor people.

Three young do-gooders are breaking in houses of rich persons to leave their messages inside. But everything goes wrong when they are surprised by the owner on one occasion, so they decide to kidnap him. While spending time together both sides change their minds about the view they had on each other.

The film gives a good example for the two extremes in our society, there are the rich people who fit in perfectly in our capitalistic society because they give up on their ideals and the other ones who are against society and want to change the world on their own. Because of the intimate atmosphere you feel like you are part of the conversations, which makes it possible to understand the different opinions and the reasons for them. The film's messages - to have a second closer view on others and never to give up your beliefs - are thought-provoking. Another reason for this effect are the likable characters. You enter their lives for a while, get to know them better and understand their motivations, so that they become realistic and you get the feeling you are connected.

The movie is focused on capitalism in Western countries. In a few parts of their conversations the characters discuss the problems of developing countries, but scenes of problems are only shown in Germany.

The surprising ending is very good, because it gives a very last thought-provoking impulse and makes you think about everything you have seen and thought in the film before.

Written by Anabel Helberg, Georg-Büchner-Gymnasium Seelze, Germany

Film review by Hungarian students

Critique "Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" (The Edukators)

The movie is about 3 young adults (Jan, Jule and her boyfriend) who are dissatisfied with society, because some people earn much more money than others with the same amount of work.  The guys break into houses and leave a message: "You are too rich!"

The characters are portrayed in a very distant and cold way, there is no passion between them. It’s hard to identify with them.

The camera work is interesting. It’s restless, with dark shots. There is no continuity between the scenes. Music doesn’t play such a big role in this film.

Aside from the money issue, we discovered another social problem. The police and the conductors are much too aggressive.

This movie is a very good basis for a discussion, because we have different opinions about the behaviour and idealism of the main characters.

Film review by Hungarian students

Critique "Just the Wind"

The film is based on an actual incidence in Hungary. The plot however is fiction. It’s about a day in the life of a Hungarian Romany family. They live under very difficult circumstances. The mother is a cleaning woman in a school and a public worker. Her husband has emigrated to Canada and he promised his family that they could join him later, but they don’t have money. They have two children, Rio and Anna, and the grandfather also lives with them. Because of their ethnical background, they have to face humiliation and discrimination every day.   

For some time, in their neighborhood, Roma families were killed by a group of racists. At night they hear noises, and the mother tells them not to worry, because it’s just the wind. But actually it’s the murderers who come into the house and start shooting the family. Everybody dies, just Rio escapes through the bedroom window.

The solution could have been that the mother gets further education, and then maybe they could have broken out of their bad social situation. The film introduces a deep social problem, that is based on prejudice and radical opinions. These opinions, in this case racism, usually occur when people feel that their future is uncertain, and they let their frustration out on innocent people.

This film is very shattering and divisive.

Film review by Czech students

IT'S A FREE WORLD

 / Julie Švihálková, Veronika Londáková – Czech Republic/

This is a very special movie talking about work experience and freedom which give us the opportunity to do what we like to do.

However, there are some rules in the world, which have to be respected and if we (people) do not respect them we have to pay for it.

This movie describes brutality in some countries and it also shows how unfair this whole world can be. We can see taking this action especially against the people who have come to other countries because they have run away from their reality hoping that living in other country will be better. But then the immigrants realize that they don't have enough money, a job or any other things they have to have or which they need to survive in a city like London. By the time, they ran away from their home they didn't realize that life could be even harder than it had been before. So these are the reasons why the people suddenly become poor and homeless. It doesn't always have to be like this, sometimes the people have a talent which helps them to deal with their new life and they become very happy people and even more happy because they have made this decision.

But come on... It isn't always like this and we all know that, this is not actually a free world I think this world is full of people who are being treated like animals and we know nothing about most of them, so let's stop and think for a while, is this really a free world?

Film review by Czech students

Flower Buds / Poupata/ Czech film

* Social drama

* Producer: Zdeněk Jiráský

* It was made in: 2011

The plot was taken at Christmas time and it is talking about gradual breakdown of four family members who live in a small town (daughter Agáta, son Honza, mother Kamila and father Jarda). Each character lives in its dream which they would like to come true but it is gradually crashing. Agáta would like to live in a perfect family but she is pregnant with her boyfriend who was intoxicated on St. Nicholas party and had an accident after which he ends up on a wheelchair. Honza thinks that love is the most important thing in the world, so he sells weed, which he grew with his friend, to buy a stripper because he is in love with her. Kamila finds out that her husband owns 180 000 Kč (Czech crowns). Jarda not only fails slot machines, but also is fired from his job, moreover he causes his friend death and he debts his family.

The name of the film evokes the Communist reign because it refers to the title of a song which was well known those days. It was an accompanying song to the last “Spartakiáda” (national sport events of the Eastern bloc countries). Bits of the choreography are seen in the film when the adult ladies are gathering to exercise. The name “Flower Buds” is probably used as a metaphor to demonstrate the disability of the main characters to bloom. They are struggling in the new world unable to move further, unable to change themselves.

Points of Interest:

* Shooting lasted only 30 days

* Unemployed people, from the cities where the film was made, were casting in this drama. They got money and they did not report to the social management and the social management took them their social benefits. The movie-makers tried to do something about it but the state stayed relentless.

* The film has received a few film awards, for example: Silver Hugo on World film festival.

Nikola Bělíková, Jana Vitouchová – Czech Republic

Film about the meeting in Germany

http://vimeo.com/65509477

Feedback to the Seelze meeting by German students

Florian Wienecke:

What I liked most during the week was the sunny nice weather and the international evening at the school.

Svea Busse:

It was an unbelievable week, I made lots of new friends!

Anabel Helberg:

The Comenius week in Germany was amazing because we learned a lot about the different views of the four nations about engergy use in Europe. But the greatest part of the week was that we met many new people and had fun with them even though they are from other countries so that many friendships were built. And in this week I realized how important and helpful English can be, to discuss crises in the world. English connects us.

Niclaas Dettke:

I liked the Comenius week very much. I was surprised by the program. I hadn't expected something so ambitious and beautiful. And I enjoyed being together with the pupils from the other countries.

Jana Naue:

What I enjoyed most during the week was the afternoon we spent in the Herrenhäuser Gardens.

Pia May:

I really enjoyed the Comenius project because now I have new friends all over Europe and my English is so much better.

Marie Hohlbein:

As expected, the Comenius week was an unforgettable event! I had the chance to meet wonderful people from different countries, who are now my friends. I hope that I will stay in contact with them! Also the project "climate change" was an interesting experience, because this is a global challenge which we have to solve. To everybody who asks me now: "Should I take part in a Comenius project?" I will say: "Yes, of course, you have to!"

Lena Adolf:

My best event in this week was the visit of the Klimahaus.

Angela Lau:

Of course, the whole week was totally ​​much fun but most of all I enjoyed the Thursday when we did something together after school . :)

Emily Bank:

What I really enjoyed was the first day of the Comenius week. The introductions to the energy situations of the countries were very interesting and during the visit of the Herrrenhausen Gardens and the shopping we had much fun and we got to know each other well.