Breathing wins Cannes Europa Cinemas Label

The Europa Cinemas Label, for Best European Film in Cannes Directors Fortnight sidebar, has been awarded to Karl Markovics’ debut feature Breathing (Atmen).

The is the ninth year of the prize, which is judged by a rotating jury of four exhibitors.

Now Breathing gets prmootion and programming support across the Europa Cinemas network of 1000+ cinemas. It also gets another Cannes screening, Saturday at 14:00 at Theatre Croisette.

The jury - comprised of Slovakia’s Barbora Drobná, Italy’s Elena Mascioli, Russia’s MaryNazari and France’s Vincent Paul-Boncour - issued the following statement: “Karl Markovics has given us a very strong debut feature. The story of a young man leaving prison and learning how to lead his life mirrors many of the themes involving young people present in other Cannes films this year - coping with the problems of growing up, parents, school and love. Markovics put less emphasis on the aesthetics - although the photography is very good - but gives us a dark but positive story that is full of life, sparked by excellent performances. We very much hope this Label prize will help this great film secure as wide a European audience as possible.”

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Thomas Schubert, Karin Lischka, Gerhard Liebmann and Georg Friedrich star in the story of a young man who questions his history after being released from a juvenile detention centre.

Markovics, who is an actor-turned-screenwriter/director, starred in Oscar winner The Counterfeiters.