Speech by Ambassador David Daly

At the official opening of the Windows on Europe Film Festival,

Dendy Quays Cinema, Sydney

12 February 2010

Mr Noel Campbell, Official Secretary of the Governor of NSW,

The Hon Ian Macdonald MLC, Minister for State and Regional Development,

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2010 Windows on Europe film festival. This is the 5th year of this 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 in Sydney – I recall I had the pleasure of opening the inaugural festival here last year - and in Brisbane . This year , I am happy to announce that this festival will also be screened for the first time in Melbourne and in Auckland , New Zealand .

The Windows on Europe festival could only happen in Canberra , Sydney and Brisbane with the help of Dendy Cinemas and I should like to extend a huge vote of thanks to Dendy, and in particular to Nick Hayes, the National Operations Manager. Den dy'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 help and cooperation 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 creating a successful multi-cultural society.

The seventeen films in this year's festival are a celebration of this European 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, Television and Radio School (and we have eminent members of this august organization here tonight) 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 young director from AFTRS (Lucy Gaffy) attend the DocPoint Film Festival in Helsinki which is famous for its focus on documentary film. Later this year, 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.

We have 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 be 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.

And the most important and dramatic point of the film comes when …ah, but that would be telling

It is a very touching film

Please enjoy

Thank you.

This page updated February 19, 2010