LUX prize 2011: spotlight on European film

This year's LUX cinema prize went to French film "Les neiges du Kilimandjaro" and after the awards ceremony producer Marc Bordure, who picked up the award on behalf of director Robert Guédiguian, told us how this story set in dockyards of Marseilles is about the whole of Europe, the web and the new challenges we face today.

What interest does this "local" movie from Marseilles have for all EU citizens?

"Les neiges du Kilimandjaro" is about universal values that are fundamental elements of the European identity. It's about "Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité". It may seem obvious but in this period of crisis we have to be aware and careful about a slide into xenophobia.

What does it mean to win the LUX Prize?

If I want to see a Polish movie in a French cinema, it's still very difficult. The LUX Prize will allow a bigger circulation of the movie. Subtitling the movie into the 23 official languages of the EU will awaken the interest of local distributors! Promotion and distribution are very important today and the web is beginning to take a role in the cinema industry.

How can EU institutions support cinema in Europe?

A lot has been done. The system of co-productions works quite well and as a French producer I've co-produced movies in Irish, Swedish and Georgian partnerships. We should invest more on cinema and its distribution. We should also be careful about the fiscal dumping (the use of lower taxes to unfairly attract investment).