TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 202

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3TH FILM FESTIVAL IN VARNA: VIDEO COMMUNICATION, A MEDIUM FOR THE FUTURE

From 9 to 18 June 1979 the seaside resort of Varna, in Bulgaria, was the host of the 8th International Festival of Red Cross and Health films. This festival, which is sponsored by the League of Red Cross Socie- ties, the ICRC, WHO and UNESCO, is organized once every two years by the Bulgarian Red Cross in co-operation with the League.

During the festival an audio-visual workshop brought together about twenty representatives of National Societies. Luc Chessex, a Swiss photographer currently on mission for the ICRC, chaired the debates on photography, while Dr. Georges Karpaty, a Hungarian film director, chaired those on the cinema. George Manno, head of the audio-visual ser- vice of the American Red Cross, introduced the debate on video-films, which proved to be the most fruitful moment of the workshop; video-techniques have already been put to use by several National Societies and all agreed that they have a vital role to play in the future.

of the 290 films entered for the competiton, the selection panel retained 163 for present- ation in the following four categories: Red Cross films (that is, films that it produced or commissioned), short or medium-length films, television films and full-length films.

Although it was a pleasure to see so many productions taking part, it should be noted that there were no films from Latin America

or Africa, whereas various countries and National Societies from Asia presented a total of 15 films. Most of the productions came from Europe, and more especially from socialist countries.

The majority of the Red Cross productions were concerned with blood donations and the

teaching of first aid; rather more rare were films on the activities of a particular National Society and recruitment films. However, a new feature was the application by certain National Societies of recent cinema techniques first used in advertising films. The producers of the short and medium- length films expressed their interest in environmental problems and in the fight against the abuse of tobacco and alcohol. The productions intended for television were mainly concerned with medico-social infor- mation and preventive medicine, while seventeen of the full-length fiction films portrayed social situations and problems.

The first prize in the latter category

was awarded to Reinhardt Hauff's film "Knife in the Head" (Federal Republic of Germany). The first prize in the other three categories was awarded to: "Summer Has Come" (USSR) in the Red Cross category, "Don't worry, it's not serious" (Netherlands) among the short and medium-length films, and "Four Women"

(Canada) among the television films. The film "Challenge in Africa", produced and presented by the ICRC, was awarded a gold medal.

ICRC PRESIDENT ABROAD

In June, the President of the ICRC, Alexandre Hay, went to several different countries. On his first journey, to Paraguay, where he met the President of the Republic, General A, Stroessner, Mr. Hay was accompanied by André Pasquier, Delegate General for Latin America, and Serge Nessi, Head of the ICRC Financing Division. Mr. Hay, Mr. Pasquier and Mr. Nessi had meetings with members of the Government and leading members of the National Society, with whom they discussed ICRC activities in the world and its financing.

Mr. Hay then went to Brazil, heading the ICRC delegation at the XIth Inter-American Red Cross Conference organized in Rio by the Brazilian Red Cross. He also went to Brasilia, where he met the Head of State, João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, and the Minister of the Interior, Mario David Andreazza.

Upon his return to Europe, Mr. Hay, accomp anied by Melchior Borsinger, Delegate General for Europe and North America, went to the Federal Republic of Germany to attend the General Assembly of the National Society, which took place from 13 to 16 June. Mr. Hay and Mr. Borsinger visited Bonn, Munster (where they were received by the local authorities), Arolsen (Headquarters of the International Tracing Service/SIR) and Berlin, where they were received by the head of the Berlin Senate. They also met the Federal Minister for Internal Relations, Egon Francke.

From 22 to 24 June, President Hay, accom- panied by Françoise Perret, jurist, was in Poland for the VIIth National Congress and the 60th anniversary of the Polish Red Cross. The President of the ICRC met the President

of the Polish State Council, Dr. Henryk Jablonski, who presided over the ceremonies of the National Society, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Eugeniusz Kulega.