Do you think ‘European cinema’ as an entity exists? And what about a canon of European cinema? Starting off with an opening night on Wednesday September 22nd, the Cineforum will continue for two days on the 23rd and 24th of September, during which ten screenings will open the discussion to various themes concerning European culture. Together with you, we will think about the fuzzy borders and representations of themes, spaces, cultures and perspectives in such a canon.

Each film will be introduced by an expert. Artists, academics, film critics and psychoanalysts will each bring their own perspective on this utterly incomplete and failed starting point of a European film canon. Themes include: European (art) history, colonialism, limits of the law, East and West, migration, North and South and gender.

We invite you to contribute your perspectives on the (im)possibility of a European film canon, but you are also welcome to simply sit back and enjoy the rich collection of films.

Cineforum is a collaborative program with the European Studies department at the University of Amsterdam, ASCA, and ARTES.