Skolimowski film competes for European Parliament’s Lux Prize

The list has been announced during the International Film Festival in Karlove Vary, which lasts until the end of the week.

Remaining candidates include Moretti’s Habemus Papam (with Poland’s Jerzy Stuhr in one of the lead roles), Wim Wenders’ Pina, The Turin Horse by Bela Tarr, Attenberg by Athina Rachel Tsangari, The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Robert Guediguian, and The Mysteries of Lisbon by Raul Ruiz.

A shortlist of three films will be announced at the end of the month, with the winner being selected in a vote by members of the European Parliament on 16 November in Strasbourg.

Awarded since 2007, the Lux Prize highlights European Parliament’s support for European cinema.

The winner benefits from the financial support of the European Parliament, consisting of subtitling in the 23 official languages of the European Union, including an adaptation of the original version for visually- or hearing-impaired people.

Essential Killing won the special jury award at last year’s Venice Festival and the main award at this year’s Polish Film Festival. Its main protagonist is a Taliban fighter (played by Vincent Gallo, pictured above left), who is taken prisoner by Americans for killing three US soldiers.

During his transfer through what seems to be Eastern Europe he escapes and embarks on a bloody fight for survival. The film is a Polish-Hungarian-Norwegian-Irish production. (mk/jb)