Euro Film Festival 2024 closes with powerful Namibian film ‘Lukas’
Last week, the 2024 Euro Film Festival concluded with a stirring final screening at Ster Kinekor, Maerua Mall.
Since its launch on 18 September, the festival showcased eight critically acclaimed European films, drawing crowds and celebrating cross-cultural storytelling over two months.
This year’s festival theme, "Year of Skill", underscored a commitment to local talent development, weaving capacity-building initiatives into the cinematic showcase. The festival fostered growth and learning within Namibia’s budding film community, providing aspiring filmmakers a chance to engage with established industry professionals.
The closing night featured Lukas, a Namibian film directed by Philippe Talavera and scripted by Mikiros Garoes. The film, with a 100% Namibian cast and crew, delves into the harsh realities faced by street children, blending fiction with insights gathered from interviews with 17 children living on the streets and four youths who have clashed with the law. Lukas paints an unflinching, poignant picture of survival, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit.
Filmgoers packed the cinema to capacity for the final screening, filling the room with a palpable sense of pride and reflection. Through Lukas, the festival offered not a film, but an invitation to look closely at a reality too often overlooked, honouring the festival’s theme by supporting and showcasing Namibian voices in global storytelling. Namibian Sun was present at the closing ceremony and captured these moments.
Since its launch on 18 September, the festival showcased eight critically acclaimed European films, drawing crowds and celebrating cross-cultural storytelling over two months.
This year’s festival theme, "Year of Skill", underscored a commitment to local talent development, weaving capacity-building initiatives into the cinematic showcase. The festival fostered growth and learning within Namibia’s budding film community, providing aspiring filmmakers a chance to engage with established industry professionals.
The closing night featured Lukas, a Namibian film directed by Philippe Talavera and scripted by Mikiros Garoes. The film, with a 100% Namibian cast and crew, delves into the harsh realities faced by street children, blending fiction with insights gathered from interviews with 17 children living on the streets and four youths who have clashed with the law. Lukas paints an unflinching, poignant picture of survival, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit.
Filmgoers packed the cinema to capacity for the final screening, filling the room with a palpable sense of pride and reflection. Through Lukas, the festival offered not a film, but an invitation to look closely at a reality too often overlooked, honouring the festival’s theme by supporting and showcasing Namibian voices in global storytelling. Namibian Sun was present at the closing ceremony and captured these moments.
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