KARACHI, April 28: The four-day European short film festival ended at the Alliance Française on Sunday evening.

The first set of half a dozen films (documentaries) was titled ‘Everything You Wanted to Know about Europe but Were Afraid to Ask’. It kicked of with an Irish documentary ‘Bye Bye Now’ directed by Aideen O’Sullivan and Ross Whitaker. It is a down-memory-lane kind of a film in which some likeable characters recount important moments in their lives with special reference to telephone booths.

‘The Shoemaker’ was a three-minute film from Stivania directed by Viktoria Vellopoulou. The short is about the last shoemaker in the Crete region. Over the years he has made countless shoes which is why he also knows the stories of those who has worn them.

‘The Slovenian Way’, directed by Haidy Kancler, touches on the new-found aspects of Slovenia’s identity through various people who now live in Slovenia. There is a diverse range of opinions where some suggest that it has taken them long to assimilate into the Slovenian society while other think otherwise and point out its brighter sides.

Hungary’s ‘Stolen Rhythm’ directed by Martin Szecsnov traces the genesis of the hip-hop music and dance genre. The film suggests that contrary to what many think (that the genre originated in the US) it took root in a small village Foves. The fact was brought to light in the 1970s by Jozsef Takacs whose parents immigrated to the US in the 1950s. Jozsef Takacs made a short film in the above-mentioned village drawing attention to similarities between a folk music style and the modern-day hip-hop.

Albanian film ‘20 Years Old’ helmed by Leka Borin is a documentary in which the post-communism effects on the small town of Korca are discussed. By virtue of candid, on-the-spot interviews and crafty camerawork, the film highlights the plight of the people who are finding it difficult to cope with the new system in place. There are some who see the glass half-filled but others don’t, and turn nostalgic at the very mention of the time when (two decades back) communism was in vogue.

‘Do You Really Love Me’ from UK/France was the last of the first set of films. Directed by Alastair Cole it is a delightful take on how languages have an impact on romantic couples. It revolves around six pairs belonging to different countries in Europe. It is the tiny things that matter, and are asked about, during the documentary. The couples respond to the questions using their distinct linguistic skills.

The second part of the last set of films was called ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.