During the first World War German film propaganda was used to demonize and dehumanize their enemies such as the French, Belgians, Italians and British, and vice versa. After the war the League of Nations developed a culture of peace to humanize the former enemies to avoid another conflict not only with diplomacy but also through film. This culture policy had to be realized by its member-states and international professional film organisations. For this reason (West-) European Catholic professional film organisations developed from Catholic Action, decided to form the International Catholic Office for Cinema (OCIC) in 1928. Their aim was to be present as an independent Catholic democratic film institution in and with the secular film world where the church as institution was absent and to influence international policies. OCIC considered cinema as an art and a medium which could contribute in a positive way to a culture of peace and to mutual understanding. In the USA the Legion of Decency and the Bishops considered film as a negative medium. In 1936 the encyclical Vigilanti Cura opted for their vision but encouraged OCIC’s work, which was promoting quality films in which Christian values as human dignity, solidarity, reconciliation, forgiveness and spirituality, were expressed, and to do everything, with cinema, to unite Europeans in a culture of peace.
The OCIC General Assembly in Brussels in 1947, was also a political sign of hope to the World and the European politicians that Catholic Europeans, even belonging to countries which had fought each other two years earlier, could unite to promote peace. Now the Vatican recognized OCIC’s work. The European members of OCIC had developed film criticism and film education, had their own highly appreciated film periodicals, and had an impact on the audience and local film distribution.
With its juries OCIC, and later SIGNIS, played an important role in the International film world in Europe. The first OCIC jury ever gave its significant prize at the Brussels’ film fest to the neorealist Italian film Vivere in Pace by Luigi Zampa in 1947. A year later Venice invited as well an OCIC jury. Before the war OCIC had been involved in having at Cannes a film festival as a democratic counter attack against Venice dominated by Mussolini’s and Hitler’s fascist film propaganda. In 1952 Cannes asked for an OCIC jury which gave its first prize to Due Soldi di Speranza by Renato Castellani. In a certain way this film criticized the Church for not understanding the tragic dimension of poverty. Berlin wanted an OCIC jury in 1954 to give it an international dimension and to show the Communist World that values as human dignity and spirituality mattered. Its first Prize in Berlin was for Dulio Coetti’s La Grande speranza which encouraged the “reconciliation between peoples” and “expressed the hope of a fraternal world”. To the consternation of the Church in general and the Spanish one in particular OCIC made an award to Jovita produced in Communist Poland at its 10th year in San Sebastian (1967). In 1973 the prize of the first ecumenical jury, working with the Protestant international film organisation Interfilm at Locarno went to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi. These and other OCIC and Ecumenical prizes for Eastern European directors indicated that the values presented in these films criticized their Communists regimes. After the fall of the wall the East European film world admitted that these prizes often had protected these dissident filmmakers from the worst.
An ecumenical jury, with a representative of the Orthodox Church, was invited to the Moscow film festival in 1989. From that year on, the policy of the European members of OCIC united in EUROCIC was to integrate the Catholic film professionals from Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine in their film policy to build, in collaboration with Interfilm and other religions, a peaceful Europe. This was one of the aims of the OCIC Assembly in Prague in 1994. In the following years EUROCIC, and from 2002 on, SIGNIS Europe continued this policy. The presence at the film festivals in Europe and organizing meetings especially in Eastern Europe, were and are key for it. Today SIGNIS Europe has members in 23 countries and is one of six regions of SIGNIS. Since 2008, it names annually the Best European Film of the Year to promote and generate interest in emerging European films for their cinematographic quality and the values they express. Values which characterize the OCIC Europe’s policy are embodied in the work of many European filmmakers such as those of Margarethe von Trotta and Ken Loach. These two were and are critical of the dehumanizing tendencies in the democratic, capitalist and neo-liberal regimes in (Western) Europe, which are not favoring peace in the continent.
Magali Van Reeth/Guido Convents
This article is available in CineMag SIGNIS. Europe.\
During the first World War German film propaganda was used to demonize and dehumanize their enemies such as the French, Belgians, Italians and British, and vice versa. After the war the League of Nations developed a culture of peace to humanize the former enemies to avoid another conflict not only with diplomacy but also through film. This culture policy had to be realized by its member-states and international professional film organisations. For this reason (West-) European Catholic professional film organisations developed from Catholic Action, decided to form the International Catholic Office for Cinema (OCIC) in 1928. Their aim was to be present as an independent Catholic democratic film institution in and with the secular film world where the church as institution was absent and to influence international policies. OCIC considered cinema as an art and a medium which could contribute in a positive way to a culture of peace and to mutual understanding. In the USA the Legion of Decency and the Bishops considered film as a negative medium. In 1936 the encyclical Vigilanti Cura opted for their vision but encouraged OCIC’s work, which was promoting quality films in which Christian values as human dignity, solidarity, reconciliation, forgiveness and spirituality, were expressed, and to do everything, with cinema, to unite Europeans in a culture of peace.
The OCIC General Assembly in Brussels in 1947, was also a political sign of hope to the World and the European politicians that Catholic Europeans, even belonging to countries which had fought each other two years earlier, could unite to promote peace. Now the Vatican recognized OCIC’s work. The European members of OCIC had developed film criticism and film education, had their own highly appreciated film periodicals, and had an impact on the audience and local film distribution.
With its juries OCIC, and later SIGNIS, played an important role in the International film world in Europe. The first OCIC jury ever gave its significant prize at the Brussels’ film fest to the neorealist Italian film Vivere in Pace by Luigi Zampa in 1947. A year later Venice invited as well an OCIC jury. Before the war OCIC had been involved in having at Cannes a film festival as a democratic counter attack against Venice dominated by Mussolini’s and Hitler’s fascist film propaganda. In 1952 Cannes asked for an OCIC jury which gave its first prize to Due Soldi di Speranza by Renato Castellani. In a certain way this film criticized the Church for not understanding the tragic dimension of poverty. Berlin wanted an OCIC jury in 1954 to give it an international dimension and to show the Communist World that values as human dignity and spirituality mattered. Its first Prize in Berlin was for Dulio Coetti’s La Grande speranza which encouraged the “reconciliation between peoples” and “expressed the hope of a fraternal world”. To the consternation of the Church in general and the Spanish one in particular OCIC made an award to Jovita produced in Communist Poland at its 10th year in San Sebastian (1967). In 1973 the prize of the first ecumenical jury, working with the Protestant international film organisation Interfilm at Locarno went to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi. These and other OCIC and Ecumenical prizes for Eastern European directors indicated that the values presented in these films criticized their Communists regimes. After the fall of the wall the East European film world admitted that these prizes often had protected these dissident filmmakers from the worst.
An ecumenical jury, with a representative of the Orthodox Church, was invited to the Moscow film festival in 1989. From that year on, the policy of the European members of OCIC united in EUROCIC was to integrate the Catholic film professionals from Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine in their film policy to build, in collaboration with Interfilm and other religions, a peaceful Europe. This was one of the aims of the OCIC Assembly in Prague in 1994. In the following years EUROCIC, and from 2002 on, SIGNIS Europe continued this policy. The presence at the film festivals in Europe and organizing meetings especially in Eastern Europe, were and are key for it. Today SIGNIS Europe has members in 23 countries and is one of six regions of SIGNIS. Since 2008, it names annually the Best European Film of the Year to promote and generate interest in emerging European films for their cinematographic quality and the values they express. Values which characterize the OCIC Europe’s policy are embodied in the work of many European filmmakers such as those of Margarethe von Trotta and Ken Loach. These two were and are critical of the dehumanizing tendencies in the democratic, capitalist and neo-liberal regimes in (Western) Europe, which are not favoring peace in the continent.
Magali Van Reeth/Guido Convents
This article is available in CineMag SIGNIS. Europe.
During the first World War German film propaganda was used to demonize and dehumanize their enemies such as the French, Belgians, Italians and British, and vice versa. After the war the League of Nations developed a culture of peace to humanize the former enemies to avoid another conflict not only with diplomacy but also through film. This culture policy had to be realized by its member-states and international professional film organisations. For this reason (West-) European Catholic professional film organisations developed from Catholic Action, decided to form the International Catholic Office for Cinema (OCIC) in 1928. Their aim was to be present as an independent Catholic democratic film institution in and with the secular film world where the church as institution was absent and to influence international policies. OCIC considered cinema as an art and a medium which could contribute in a positive way to a culture of peace and to mutual understanding. In the USA the Legion of Decency and the Bishops considered film as a negative medium. In 1936 the encyclical Vigilanti Cura opted for their vision but encouraged OCIC’s work, which was promoting quality films in which Christian values as human dignity, solidarity, reconciliation, forgiveness and spirituality, were expressed, and to do everything, with cinema, to unite Europeans in a culture of peace.
The OCIC General Assembly in Brussels in 1947, was also a political sign of hope to the World and the European politicians that Catholic Europeans, even belonging to countries which had fought each other two years earlier, could unite to promote peace. Now the Vatican recognized OCIC’s work. The European members of OCIC had developed film criticism and film education, had their own highly appreciated film periodicals, and had an impact on the audience and local film distribution.
With its juries OCIC, and later SIGNIS, played an important role in the International film world in Europe. The first OCIC jury ever gave its significant prize at the Brussels’ film fest to the neorealist Italian film Vivere in Pace by Luigi Zampa in 1947. A year later Venice invited as well an OCIC jury. Before the war OCIC had been involved in having at Cannes a film festival as a democratic counter attack against Venice dominated by Mussolini’s and Hitler’s fascist film propaganda. In 1952 Cannes asked for an OCIC jury which gave its first prize to Due Soldi di Speranza by Renato Castellani. In a certain way this film criticized the Church for not understanding the tragic dimension of poverty. Berlin wanted an OCIC jury in 1954 to give it an international dimension and to show the Communist World that values as human dignity and spirituality mattered. Its first Prize in Berlin was for Dulio Coetti’s La Grande speranza which encouraged the “reconciliation between peoples” and “expressed the hope of a fraternal world”. To the consternation of the Church in general and the Spanish one in particular OCIC made an award to Jovita produced in Communist Poland at its 10th year in San Sebastian (1967). In 1973 the prize of the first ecumenical jury, working with the Protestant international film organisation Interfilm at Locarno went to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi. These and other OCIC and Ecumenical prizes for Eastern European directors indicated that the values presented in these films criticized their Communists regimes. After the fall of the wall the East European film world admitted that these prizes often had protected these dissident filmmakers from the worst.
An ecumenical jury, with a representative of the Orthodox Church, was invited to the Moscow film festival in 1989. From that year on, the policy of the European members of OCIC united in EUROCIC was to integrate the Catholic film professionals from Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine in their film policy to build, in collaboration with Interfilm and other religions, a peaceful Europe. This was one of the aims of the OCIC Assembly in Prague in 1994. In the following years EUROCIC, and from 2002 on, SIGNIS Europe continued this policy. The presence at the film festivals in Europe and organizing meetings especially in Eastern Europe, were and are key for it. Today SIGNIS Europe has members in 23 countries and is one of six regions of SIGNIS. Since 2008, it names annually the Best European Film of the Year to promote and generate interest in emerging European films for their cinematographic quality and the values they express. Values which characterize the OCIC Europe’s policy are embodied in the work of many European filmmakers such as those of Margarethe von Trotta and Ken Loach. These two were and are critical of the dehumanizing tendencies in the democratic, capitalist and neo-liberal regimes in (Western) Europe, which are not favoring peace in the continent.
Magali Van Reeth/Guido Convents
This article is available in CineMag SIGNIS. Europe.
During the first World War German film propaganda was used to demonize and dehumanize their enemies such as the French, Belgians, Italians and British, and vice versa. After the war the League of Nations developed a culture of peace to humanize the former enemies to avoid another conflict not only with diplomacy but also through film. This culture policy had to be realized by its member-states and international professional film organisations. For this reason (West-) European Catholic professional film organisations developed from Catholic Action, decided to form the International Catholic Office for Cinema (OCIC) in 1928. Their aim was to be present as an independent Catholic democratic film institution in and with the secular film world where the church as institution was absent and to influence international policies. OCIC considered cinema as an art and a medium which could contribute in a positive way to a culture of peace and to mutual understanding. In the USA the Legion of Decency and the Bishops considered film as a negative medium. In 1936 the encyclical Vigilanti Cura opted for their vision but encouraged OCIC’s work, which was promoting quality films in which Christian values as human dignity, solidarity, reconciliation, forgiveness and spirituality, were expressed, and to do everything, with cinema, to unite Europeans in a culture of peace.
The OCIC General Assembly in Brussels in 1947, was also a political sign of hope to the World and the European politicians that Catholic Europeans, even belonging to countries which had fought each other two years earlier, could unite to promote peace. Now the Vatican recognized OCIC’s work. The European members of OCIC had developed film criticism and film education, had their own highly appreciated film periodicals, and had an impact on the audience and local film distribution.
With its juries OCIC, and later SIGNIS, played an important role in the International film world in Europe. The first OCIC jury ever gave its significant prize at the Brussels’ film fest to the neorealist Italian film Vivere in Pace by Luigi Zampa in 1947. A year later Venice invited as well an OCIC jury. Before the war OCIC had been involved in having at Cannes a film festival as a democratic counter attack against Venice dominated by Mussolini’s and Hitler’s fascist film propaganda. In 1952 Cannes asked for an OCIC jury which gave its first prize to Due Soldi di Speranza by Renato Castellani. In a certain way this film criticized the Church for not understanding the tragic dimension of poverty. Berlin wanted an OCIC jury in 1954 to give it an international dimension and to show the Communist World that values as human dignity and spirituality mattered. Its first Prize in Berlin was for Dulio Coetti’s La Grande speranza which encouraged the “reconciliation between peoples” and “expressed the hope of a fraternal world”. To the consternation of the Church in general and the Spanish one in particular OCIC made an award to Jovita produced in Communist Poland at its 10th year in San Sebastian (1967). In 1973 the prize of the first ecumenical jury, working with the Protestant international film organisation Interfilm at Locarno went to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi. These and other OCIC and Ecumenical prizes for Eastern European directors indicated that the values presented in these films criticized their Communists regimes. After the fall of the wall the East European film world admitted that these prizes often had protected these dissident filmmakers from the worst.
An ecumenical jury, with a representative of the Orthodox Church, was invited to the Moscow film festival in 1989. From that year on, the policy of the European members of OCIC united in EUROCIC was to integrate the Catholic film professionals from Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine in their film policy to build, in collaboration with Interfilm and other religions, a peaceful Europe. This was one of the aims of the OCIC Assembly in Prague in 1994. In the following years EUROCIC, and from 2002 on, SIGNIS Europe continued this policy. The presence at the film festivals in Europe and organizing meetings especially in Eastern Europe, were and are key for it. Today SIGNIS Europe has members in 23 countries and is one of six regions of SIGNIS. Since 2008, it names annually the Best European Film of the Year to promote and generate interest in emerging European films for their cinematographic quality and the values they express. Values which characterize the OCIC Europe’s policy are embodied in the work of many European filmmakers such as those of Margarethe von Trotta and Ken Loach. These two were and are critical of the dehumanizing tendencies in the democratic, capitalist and neo-liberal regimes in (Western) Europe, which are not favoring peace in the continent.
Magali Van Reeth/Guido Convents
This article is available in CineMag SIGNIS. Europe.
