Speech by H E David Daly

At the official opening of the Windows on Europe Film Festival, ACMI Cinema, Melbourne

11 March 2010

The Hon Robert Smith – President of the Legislative Council

Mme Gazenbeek, Chief of Protocol, Victoria,

Christy Mathiessen, ACMI representative,

Distinguished Guests

Friends

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2010 Windows on Europe film festival. It is a particular pleasure for me to be in Melbourne which – in the short time I have been in Australia - is a city and people I have found easy to love.

This is not the evening for a speech on the new Lisbon Treaty and the EU's security area; on climate change; on how the EU and the euro will survive the global financial crisis; nor on the importance of the DDA WTO trade.

Instead, we are in Melbourne , world famous for the Australian Tennis Open, world famous for the Formula One race, and world famous, in Ireland , for AFL, a first cousin to Irish Gaelic football.

And that's just the sporting side !

I have heard it said many times – not least by my Melbourne-fanatic media adviser (Roger Camilleri) – that Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia .

But Melbourne is famous for culture too, with a beautiful Chamber Music Recital Hall, the International Comedy Festival, and concerts galore.

And, more particularly, home of Australian film making. In 1892 the first film studio was opened "Limelight of Salvation Army". In 1896 the first motion picture shot in Australia – the Melbourne Cup. In 1906 the first feature film ever was made "The Story of the Kelly Gang".

High culture is closely associated with this exuberant, cosmopolitan city – whether it is theatre, dance, fashion, architecture, its cuisine and many other forms.

But to come back to subject at hand, … cinema.

This is the 5th year of the Windows on Europe festival which has its origins in Canberra but, I am glad to say, due to its popularity, has spread to other Australian cities. Last year we screened the festival for the first time in Sydney and Brisbane.

This year , the festival has also screened in Auckland , New Zealand and of course we now begin the Melbourne season.

I would like to extend a vote of thanks to ACMI our partners in Melbourne and in particular to Mme Gazenbeek and Kristy Matheson for their assistance. ACMI's generous support has allowed us to present this festival in state of the art venues, such as this one tonight.

I would also like very much to thank my colleagues from the Member States without whose cooperation in obtaining these films, this event would not be possible.

What makes this festival unique is that it brings together films from across Europe into one festival demonstrating the European Union's rich and diverse culture. With nearly 500 million citizens in 27 Member States spanning from the Atlantic to the Black Sea and from the Arctic to the Mediterranean , and the free movement of its citizens across borders, we are home to a real diversity of culture, with our languages, religions and ethnic backgrounds.

I know that Australia also benefits from a rich cultural diversity and is a successful multicultural society.

The films in this year's festival are a celebration of that diversity. And what better art form than the cinema to convey the diversity of our culture.

The films on show in the coming days have won awards at various film festivals across Europe . They include dramas, comedies, action, romance, and documentaries. In short, there is something for everyone and I encourage you to see as many of the films as you can during the coming days.

I should also like to mention that this festival is not the only way we encourage the art of cinema in Australia . For several years now, we have been in partnership with the renowned Australian Film, Radio and Television School where we present an award to an emerging Australian talent to participate in a European film festival.

This year for instance we have already had a gifted young director from AFTRS (Lucy Gaffy) attend the DocPoint Film Festival in Helsinki which is famous for its focus on documentary film, and in September, another young director (David Edwardz) will go to the Helsinki International Film Festival with its focus on European feature film.

These are just some of the ways that we at the European Union Delegation try to broaden and deepen our relations with Australia beyond our traditional robust ties, important as they are, in trade and investment, and foreign policy.

Just in case you imagined life as Ambassador is all about enjoying sport and culture, I want you to know that we manage a number of outreach programs which encompass science and technology, education, the environment and other industry sectors, as well as mainstream media. Indeed, the range of our bilateral cooperation seems to grow larger every year and this can only be to the good of both parties.

But to come back to the moment at hand, tonight, you will viewing the Spanish film Hector. We chose the Spanish film in recognition of the current Spanish Presidency within the EU.

Gracia Querejeta is one of the finest contemporary Spanish directors and "Hector", her fourth film, won't disappoint the viewer. As in her previous pictures, Querejeta portrays the problems of a family in which the father figure is missing.

The high point of the movie is the work of the excellent actors, with Nilo Mur charming as the troubled Hector, and Adriana Ozores very convincing in portraying the role of the aunt.

It is a very touching film

Please enjoy.

This page updated April 6, 2010