KEEP SMILING

By now you have probably seen all the posters announcing the big come back of Eastern Neighbours Film Festival. For ten days in November, starting Thursday, two venues in The Hague – Filmhuis and Het Nutshuis – will host a special festival gathering 38 intriguing feature movies, documentaries, shorts and animations depicting the life and culture of East and South East Europe.

The festival officially opens on Thursday, 6 November, with the Georgian Oscar nominee Keep Smiling by the super talented Rusudan Chkonia. Dynamic edits, remarkable performances and great sense of humor make this social drama a must see in your busy ENFF schedule.

Keep smiling tells the story of 10 mothers, coming mostly from the poorest echelons of the society, entering a beauty contest that could bring them an apartment and 25000 dollars. A wrestle for the main prize abolishes the rules letting the desperate mothers use all the available means… as long as they keep smiling and bring the entertainment on TV screens.

“Such a tragic, painful tale but also so absurd that I could hardly keep from laughing”, says Rusudan Chkonia about the movie that highlights the state of Georgian society.

Filmhuis Den Haag, Spui 191, Thursday 6 November and Wednesday 12 November at 7:30pm until…you stop smiling