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Home arrow newsitems arrow Record Prize Winner Actor Lonsdale to EuroFora: 3 new Films(+Olmi 2012)+Hope in Mediterranean change

Record Prize Winner Actor Lonsdale to EuroFora: 3 new Films(+Olmi 2012)+Hope in Mediterranean change

Written by ACM
Sunday, 22 May 2011
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The Actor who was awarded the most Prizes this year, veteran Humanist Michael Lonsdale, laureat in 2011 of a "Cesar", a "Crystal Globe", a "Lymiere" and a "Henri Langlois" award for his role in the landmark Film "On Gods and Men", which also got a "Grand Prix" at Cannes Festival last year (2010), after appearing in more than 180 Films/TV shows in his particularly long career, told "EuroFora" that he continues now to work on Mediterranean and Religiously-inspired Humanism, depicted even in extremely hard situations (Comp. infra), with 3 New Films throughout 2010 - 2011 and 2012, and strongly believes on a message of "Hope" for the on-going Changes in many 3rd Mediterranean Countries.
 
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This was said despite several tragic hardships, even setbacks, including, f.ex., that of the recent Killings of Christians in  Egypt, after Iraq, Turkey, and elsewhere, of which Lonsdale appeared well aware, as he revealed when, interested to have a detailed look at a recent "EuroFora"s publication on a Lecture he had given at Strasbourg's Cathedral, astonishingly attended by more than 3.000 People, on the personal Diary of one of the Monks murdered in Tibhirine (Algeria) back in the 1990ies, followed by meetings of various Christian Religious leaders from the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean (Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus, etc) with MEPs at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, he told us that he recognized in our Photos certain personalities that he had earlier "met at Notre Dame" in Paris. 

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The move was in line with the astonishing Popularity of both Lonsdale's lectures in Strasbourg (See supra) and of the Top Box-office 3 awards-winner Film "of God and Men" itself, already seen by more than 4 or 5 Million People in France, the UK and USA, progressively distributed in more some "75 Countries" all over the World, after getting both the Cannes' Festival's "Grand Prix", and a "Cesar", as well as a "Lumiere" award, for an austere but profoundly Human, tragic story describing the life of 9 Monks living in Peace and Harmony with their simple neighbours, but brutally murdered in 1996, during the period of Clashes between the Algerian Government and Extremist Islamists.

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Lonsdale himself, for his role in that landmark, Record-breaking Film which got a "Grand Prix" at Cannes International Festival (where it was reportedly presented just at the last minute, in a hurry), usually given to the most "Original/Research" Film, he has just been awarded a "Cesar" on 2011, after receiving also Cultural Journalist s' "Crystal Globe" prize, as well as the "Henri Langlois" prize for Cinema and Cultural Heritage,  and the "Lymiere Award for Best Actor", decided in Paris by the  International, Foreign Press. This reportedy led him to modestly deny to be "a big Champion of Awards", observing with humour that " the only prize I ever received (before 2011) was a certificate for breaking the Sound barrier on a Concorde Flight on my way to New York.".. 
 
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By a double coincidence, speaking to "EuroFora" the same day that the 2011 Cannes' International Film Festival gave its "Palme d' Or" Prize to the very interesting film "Tree of Life", of another award winning "Veteran", the 67 Years old American Film Director Terrence Malick, a son of a Lebanese Assyrian immigrant from the Mediterranean (Syria), Lonsdale,  a very active and experienced "Veteran" who has played in more than 180 Films and TV shows, celebrates his 80th Birthday this Wednesday, at the eve of the Deauville G 8 Summit where Head of State/Government from the most powerful Countries in the World are due to review recent developments in 3rd Mediterranean Countries, from Libya up to Syria and beyond.

Lonsdale, who has a solid reputation of a convinced Christian, smiled when he said to "EuroFora" that in his Next Film, which will go Public on Cinema Screens "from September" 2011, he plays the role "of the Rector of a Mosquée", a Muslim Religious shrine, "in Paris, during the 2nd World War" ! 

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Together with "Algerian Film Director Ismael Ferruci", in this 2011 New Film titles "Free Men" ("Hommes Libres"), the Franco-Brittish Actor revives a story of the Past, where the Rector of the Mosquee, "Not a Religious Priest, but a Manager with the title of a Plenipotientary Minister  of Morocco", was "Helping Persecuted People, including Christians, Jewish, Muslim, etc. who hadn't their "papers" in order, to flee towards Freedom, by passing them through a Network of Undeground Tunnels" in order to escape arrest.
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Londsdale was in Strasbourg, on his road towards Paris, comming "from Mulhouse", at the Swiss borders, after shooting an episode of his forthcoming, Future Film, due to be published Next Year, "on 2012",  with the World-famous Italian Humanist  Film Director Ermanno Olmi, (another experienced "Veteran", 80 Years old : born in 1931, exactly like him !), whose "best film" is generally considered to be (even according to "Wikipedia") the unforgettable Masterpiece : "The Tree of Wooden Clogs" ("l' Arbre aux Sabots"), an original story of the Medieval times, played by simple Peasants of Lombardy, where a poor Family of Serfs, simple People admiring the Music played by Rich and Cultivated Young Men overheard through the Windows of a Luxuri ous House, is chassed away from its humble Hutt, by their Landlord when the Father risks his job by taking a few Tree branches to make Wooden Shoes for his 6 years old Kid whose Feet are Wounded and Bleeding when he walks to a School located far away from Home : An Historic Palms d'Or Prize at the 1979 Cannes Festival "unanimously".
 
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Olmi's Next Film pictures some Homeless People inside a Church at South-Eastern Italy "in Barri", (very close to Ships' traditional Sea-routes linked to Greece, etc; but also to the rest of the Mediterranean South and East), and is due to be called "Pape Village" ("village en carton" : in reference to a makeshift Shanty Town "built" only with piece-meal compressed papers, etc.), evoking, inter alia, also a message related to the "New Evangelisation", i.e. also of People located at the Heart of EU itself, as Lonsdale agreed in reply to "EuroFora"s questions.
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(NDLR : Lonsdale looked much better, young and fresh, when he was relaxed, smiling at the beginning of his meeting with "EuroFora" ;  Even much better than all his "official" Photographs at Cannes or at the Cesar awards..  Apparently Olmi and Switzerland have also some regenerating capacities.... But he was, later on, when the are became overcrouded, anxious to arrive on time for a travel to Paris, and his expression, at this last-minute photo, doesn't show how he really looked when we spoke togeher. Afterwards, when "EuroFora" accompagnied him towards his destination, away from an overcrouded area, he got again that relaxed, smiling and efficient look. But he was speaking so fast, that "EuroFora" didn't have the Time to get a fresh photo.. When we tiold him that he looked better in reality than in official "pro" photos, he smiled again, and rushed into a Taxi, completing fast his last sentence  about his next film due to be published in 2012)..

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(NDLR : DraftNews, as alreaddy sent to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more complete and accurate version is due asap). 

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    EU Rapporteur on Enlargment Strategy, maistream German MEP Elmar Brok, speaking to "EuroFora", welcomed the proposal made earlier this week by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the EU to"start Now Talks with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", instead of full Accession, at a period when Ankara looks more and more unfit and/or unwilling to respect EU conditions.

    - "For Europe to have strong Political will, it must stop dilutiing itself in an endless Enlargement. It must have borders...Diversities enrich, on the condition that they don't undermine European Cohesion, and don't weaken EU Unity", Sarkozy stressed.
    
    - "Countries like Turkey share a part of common destiny with Europe, with which they have a vocation to build a Privileged Relation, to be closely associated, but not to become Member of the EU"  : "Noone respects his friends by telling them lies. Noone respects his friends by making them promises that will be never kept", he added.

    That's why "we'd better start, from now, negotiating with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", Sarkozy proposed.

Significantly, the French President was repeatedly and largely applauded by EU citizens, 3 times, when he made the Turkey point, (strategically placed between Europe's "Political Will" and its cultural heritage, historically open to mutually enriching dialogue with all the World, but never diluted).

    - "We could propose such a great ambition also to Russia, which must not be percieved as an Adversary of Europe, but as a Partner. Thus, we'd create a wide area, of more than 800 Million inhabitants, sharing the same Security, the same Prosperity", he concluded.

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    Sarkozy's move was anounced at the eve of a Franco-German Top meeting with Chancellor Angie Merkel in Berlin on Sunday, to jointly launch the EU Elections campain, after an EU Summit at nearby Prague, to launch a new kind of relations, called "Eastern Partnership", with neighboring countries such as Urkaine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, etc, (to which Russia, reportedly, is not - and does not want to be - included).

    As for Ukraine, which has already expressed her wish to join the EU in future, "Kiev will have a special place, and a very important role to play", replied earlier this week in Strasbourg, to an "EuroFora" question EU Chairman in office , Czech vice-Prime Minister Alexander Vodra.

    - "This direction is more Realistic for Turkey than Accession negotiations", reacted immediately EU Parliament's Rapporteur for Enlargment Strategy, mainstream German MEP Elmar Brok, commenting Sarkozy's idea for "EuroFora"

     Particularly "as far as it concerns the respect of EU Rules by both sides", he added, hinting at Turkey's now obvious inability and/or unwillingness to abide with EU Acquis, EU Commitments (fex. on Cyprus, etc), and European Democracy/Human Rights rules. (Comp. infra).

    Brok added that, in his view, a similar proposal might be made also to Ukraine and other neighbouring Countries, regardless if they have, or not, a "European vocation". This would not necessarily mean that there couldn't be any accession prospects at all." for all the countries that might be included in this area, according to Brok.  But it's preferable, particularly for Turkey, "because it's a more Realistic approach than full Membership".

    On this point, Sarkozy's proposal, (which he'll share with German Chancellor Merkel), seems more crystal-clear.

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    - "Turkey does not fullfil EU Criteria, and will never fullfil EU Criteria" on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law. "Some have been lying to Ankara, but we must tell the Truth, and have honest and close relations with her", said meanwhile to "EuroFora" on the same issue also the President of EU Parliament's largest Group of MEPs (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Joseph Daul.
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"Hot" Debate at EU Parliament reveals CHANGE of mood towards "Suspension" of EU - Tukey talks.
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    Earlier this week, many MEPs, and even some of those who were previously in favor of Turkey's controversial EU bid, strongly criticized the persistance and even aggravation of serious Human Rights violations in the country, that ECHR continues to "unanimously" condemn ":

      - "After winning a big victory in the latest Local Elections, the pro-Kurdish party DTP almost doubled its Elected Mayors from 52 to 98", but afterwards "more than 400 politicians were thrown to Prison and prosecuted" by the Turkish Authorities, denounced on behalf of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group, Belgian MEP Frieda Brepoels.

     At the same time, "more than 1.500 Children are closed in Turkish Prisons", she added. "What will the EU Commission do" against these facts ?

- "Turkey appears to be at greater Distance away from Copenhagen Criteria after 4 Years of accession Negotiations, than when they started !", denounced on behalf of the Liberal Group, German MEP Alexander Lambsdorf.    

"On the central issue of Press Freedom, Critical Journalists face obstacles for their accreditation, others are prosecuted, condemned, fined and/or jailed, Media blocked or closed", he denounced.   

 - "EU Made 2 grave Mistakes with Turkey : To start accession negotiations, and to continue them", despite everything, criticized Dutch MEP Bastian Belder, on behalf of the Ind/Dem group.

(../..)

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