Transforming Book to Film – at virtual European Film Festival

It’s a rarity to hear of a film that became a good book, but turning books into films is fairly common practice nowadays.  Of the 12 films in this year’s European Film Festival, four are based on books. Three film directors and an author will gather on Zoom to discuss how it all works.  The live discussion Transforming Book to Film on Tuesday, 17 November  at 6pm is part of the Special Events programme of the virtual European Film Festival (12-22 November). 

Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Voerden are directors of the Dutch film Becoming Mona, Griet Op De Beeck is the award-winning Flemish author of the book on which it is based, Kom Hier Dat Ik U Kus.  Also participating is Stefan Ruzowitzky, director of Narcissus and Goldmund, the legendary story by Nobel Prize-winning Hermann Hesse, and no, Hesse will not be participating, he passed away in 1962. But his book lives on and has another incarnation in the film version by Ruzowitsky, who won an Oscar in 2007 for his film The Counterfeiters, which in turn is adapted from a memoir written by Adolf Burger. 

Clearly there is lots to talk about in how the world of words transforms into the silky magic of film. How seamless is this transition, if at all?  Do the multi-layered dimensions of the audio-visual medium, with its drama, acting and sound, help us experience a story any better than the nuances and reflections we create ourselves when reading?  How different are the interpretations, and does it matter?  Local documentary producer and literature festival curator Tiny Mungwe will lead the discussion.

Tune in via the Special Events page on www.eurofilmfest for 6pm (SA time) on Tuesday 17 November.

Online Book Launch

Wednesday, 18 November features Griet Op De Beeck at the Online launch of Kom hier dat ek jou soen, the Afrikaans translation of her book that has recently been published in South Africa by Protea Books.  Hosted by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders, Azille  Coetzee will be in online conversation with the prolific writer about this coming of age novel and her writing inspirations.  Access the conversation at 18.00 on Wednesday through the link.

The conversation will be streamed in Afrikaans and Dutch at 6pm on Wednesday 18 November on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/flanderssa/) or through the festival website www.eurofilmfest.