How do we live in Europe? What do we really know about our �fellow countrymen�? With its partners, Franco-German channel ARTE inaugurated an ambitious collection of twenty documentaries which explore the lives of various inhabitants of the European Union. Be they squatters, ministers, farmers or holidaymakers, they were followed by young film-makers from their country equipped only with a basic digital camera. These are entertaining portraits which both arouse our curiosity and encourage reflection, sometimes with a provocative and ironic tone.

Thanassis is a small-time carpenter. On the edge of a mountain village in northern Greece, a characteristic sign can be found which shows that the EU has participated in building a road. The less-developed regions of Europe can in fact benefit from numerous grants. In this case, the road being built will connect the coast to a ski resort. In order to oppose the project, Thanassis battles alone. He is fundamentally convinced that the completion of this road will bring about an ecological disaster. At the other end of the EU, in northern Sweden, the implementation of another project concerns a community living in isolation. Here, we are in reindeer country, and it is common practice to use the helicopter, motorbike and snow scooter to gather the herd together. Helena is one of the Sami, a formerly nomadic people who today still rear reindeer in order to live. The Sami lead their herds close to the Norwegian border, and allow them to hibernate on the forest plains. In order to herd the reindeer, Helena prefers dogs to their motorized substitutes. She benefited from a grant of �80,000 to buy, rear and train dogs to do this job, which aroused surprise and worry in her community.

Credits

Directed by

Terese Ericsson, P�r Lorntzon, Dimitris Vernikos

Co-writers:

Colin Luke

Produced by

Cie des phares et balises & MOISAIC FILMS (G.B), Arte G.E.I.E., BBC (G.B), TV2 (DK), YLE (FIN), NPS (P.B), TV4 (SUE)

Technical information

Copyright :

2000

Running time:

26 minutes

Broadcasts :

Arte (07/05/00), BBC (U.K), TV2 (DK), YLE (FIN), NPS (NL), TV4 (SWE)