The Italian film “Venti fail Suogiro” (The winds blows round) opened the seventh European Film Festival on Saturday at the Italian Cultural Club in Jeddah.

Nine European countries are participating in the festival.

Italian Consul General Simone Petroni said he was glad that Russia joined for the first time and hoped film fans would come to watch participating movies from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Turkey, Greece, Russia, Belgium and Britain.

“Cinema is not only for entertainment but it is also an expression of culture and art. It is even defined as the seventh form of art,” said Petroni.

“Venti fail Suogiro” portrayed a sleepy village in the Italian Alps and a professor who came to settle there with his young wife and three children to produce goat cheese and escape the wrongs of civilization.

“El Greco,” a Greek biographical film about the life of this Greek painter, was screened yesterday at the residence of the French consul general.

“The Barber of Siberia” is a Russian film about a beautiful American lady who arrived in Russia 20 years ago. It can be seen tomorrow at the residence of the Russian consul general.

The German consul general will show “Almanya” (Welcome to Germany), a cheering comedy tellling the story of Huseyin Yilmaz, Germany ‘s 1,000,001st guest worker, at his residence on April 24.

“The Sandman” is the story of a small coffee shop owner who gets sand in his bed. The Swiss film will be screened at the residence of the Swiss consul general on April 27.

“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” is a thriller from Turkey. It will be screened at the residence of the Turkish consul general on April 28.

The French consul general will show at his residence on April 29 a family drama about a jobless father, his son and his sister called “De rouille et d’os”.

The European film festival will draw the curtain with “The Iron Lady,” a film based upon the life of the late Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Britain, at the residence of the British consul general on April 30.

All the films will be screened in the original language with English subtitle. Entrance is allowed only with invitation.

Saudi films did not take part for the first time in five years in the European Film Festival. Neither were Saudi films shown at the Asian Film Festival.

Fahad Gazoli, Saudi film director and producer and a committed participant in both festivals, told Arab News that Saudi films would have taken part in the festival if they had known about the festivals on time.

The inauguration of the festival was done in the presence of Simone Petroni, consul general of Italy; Louis Blin, consul general of France; Christian Strob, cultural attaché, consulate of Germany; Chronis Polychroniou, consul general of Greece; Manal Hussaini, representative from British council; a representative of the Swiss consulate and others.