S e r v i c e s

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-moscovich-302a5168/

 

Luxembourg City Film Festival 2024

Another year, another Luxembourg City Film Festival. Its 14^th edition took place from 29^th February to 10^th March 2024.

Luxembourg City Film Festival’s mission is "to maintain the quality of the programme, to promote national cinema, and to offer a young audience programme". This was reflected through the Festival, that´s for sure. Needless to say, I couldn't see all the movies. 

Three main selections have been part of the LCFF: 

Official Competition, Documentary Competition and Official Selection out of Competition. 

In purple, I have rated the films on a scale of 1 to 5 (mainly on X) according to my personal taste; considering the plot, characters, photography, shots, editing, music, lighting, etc. An important indicator is if I check the time on my phone in the middle of the film.

From the OFFICIAL COMPETITION category, I´ve watched:

Hoard. This film was given a Special mention for the Direction (Luna Carmoon) at the Prize ceremony, the last day of the festival. 2,5/5

Melk by Stefanie Kolk. 5/5

It's Raining in the House (Il pleut dans la maison) by Paloma Sermon-Daï 2,5/5

Terrestrial Verses (Ayeh haye zamini). This film was given the Grand Prix – By Orange and the INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS AWARD (FIPRESCI) to Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami at the Prize ceremony, the last day of the festival. 4/5

 

From the DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION category, I´ve watched:

El eco (The Echo) by Tatiana Huezo. This film was given the 2030 AWARD BY Luxembourg Aid & Development at the Prize ceremony, the last day of the festival. 4,5/5 Bravo! 

La memoria infinita (The Eternal Memory) by Maite Alberdi 4,5/5

Reas by Lola Arias. This film was given the DOCUMENTARY Award – BY BGL BNP Paribas at the Prize ceremony, the last day of the festival. 1/5 

From the OFFICIAL SELECTION OUT-OF-COMPETITION category, I´ve watched: 

Los océanos son los verdaderos continentes (Oceans Are the Real Continents) by Tommaso Santambrogio 4/5 

Paradiset brinner (Paradise is Burning) by Mika Gustafson 4/5 

The sweet east by Sean Price Williams 1,5/5 

Hors-saison (Out of Season) by Stéphane Brizé 3/5 Très long. 

The Dead Don't Hurt by Viggo Mortensen 4/5 just a bit too long. 

The locations... Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, Ciné Utopia, Neimënster, Kinepolis Kirchberg, Casino – Forum d’art contemporain, Cercle Cité, Cour des Capucins, MUDAM (Musée d’art moderne Grand-Duc Jean) and Centre National de l’Audiovisuel. My favourite? Cinémathèque!  

It's a pity there are no movie screenings for adults during the morning (I mean, not just for kids and/or schools). Different film festivals all over the world offer this possibility, sometimes followed by a thematic lunch. 

Some souvenirs from this LuxFilmFest… 

-I had the chance to talk to Argentine director and screenwriter Damián Szifron, member of the International Jury; alongside Ira Sachs, Marianne Slot, Sebastian Koch, Arnaud Valois and Vicky Krieps. A bit enchanted, Szifron was taking pictures of the beautiful Cinémathèque (outside and inside the building). Located at the “Place du Theatre”, this cinema hall has been a member of the International Federation of Film Archives since 1983. 

-I had random informal chats with cinema lovers before or after a screening. Actually, it would be nice if there were physical meeting points in some of the cinemas during the LuxFilmFest so people can discuss the movies, make new contacts, exchange social networks, etc. 

-I saw Viggo Mortensen in person! Handsome, smart and humble, this actor and director born in New York City and raised mainly in Argentina and Denmark, gave a multilingual speech before introducing his new Western "The Dead Don't Hurt". Likewise, Vicky Krieps spoke in different languages (including Luxembourgish!) and remembered that many years ago, in that same movie theatre (Kinepolis), she watched Titanic, a film that changed her life. 

I´m already looking forward for the 15th edition of the LuxFilmFest! Save the date, from 6th to 16th March 2025!

 Corina Moscovich

Social media disclaimer: Views expressed are my own.

 

"My own version of Luxembourg" Corina Moscovich

Illustrations: Sara Colzani.

(ENG.) In order to buy my book "My own version of Luxembourg", you can find it at Ernster."My own version of Luxembourg" is the first book in the Luxpiration series. It is a collection of 10 poems written in English by Corina Moscovich and illustrated by Sara Colzani, an Italian artist living here. Featuring the creative work from multicultural writers and artists living in Luxembourg, Luxpiration series asserts the importance of the relationship between poetry and art. It is made by people for whom Luxembourg is part of their lives.

(FR.) Pour ceux qui souhaitent acheter mon livre "My own version of Luxembourg", on le trouve chez Ernster. Mettant en vedette le travail créatif d'écrivains et/ou d'artistes multiculturels vivant au Luxembourg, la série Luxpiration affirme l'importance de la relation fructueuse entre la poésie et l'art. La série Luxpiration est réalisée par des personnes pour lesquelles le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg fait partie intégrante de leur vie. "My own version of Luxembourg" est le premier livre de la série. Il s´agit d´un recueil de 10 poèmes écrit en anglais par Corina Moscovich et illustré par Sara Colzani, artiste italienne habitant au Luxembourg.

(ESP.) Para comprar mi libro "My own version of Luxembourg", lo puedes encontrar en Ernster. "My own version of Luxembourg" es el primer libro de la serie. Es una colección de 10 poemas escritos en inglés por Corina Moscovich e ilustrados por Sara Colzani, una artista italiana que vive en Luxemburgo. Al presentar el trabajo creativo de escritores y/o artistas multiculturales que viven en Luxemburgo, la serie Luxpiration afirma la importancia de la fructífera relación entre la poesía y el arte. La serie Luxpiration está hecha por personas para quienes el Gran Ducado de Luxemburgo es una parte integral de sus vidas.

Museum of Broken Relationships (Zagreb, Croatia)

I´ve heard about this museum and I decided to give it a go. When you enter, after paying your ticket, you read this:

The Museum of Broken Relationships grew from a travelling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins. Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery from grief and loss, the Museum offers the chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creation: by contributing to the Museum’s collection.

Whatever the motivation for donating personal belongings – be it sheer exhibitionism, therapeutic relief, or simple curiosity – people embraced the idea of exhibiting their emotional legacy as a sort of a ritual, a solemn ceremony. Our societies acknowledge marriages, funerals, and even graduation farewells, but deny us any formal recognition of the demise of a relationship, despite its strong emotional effect. In the words of Roland Barthes in A Lover´s discourse: “Every passion, ultimately, has its spectator... (there is) no amorous oblation without a final theatre.”

Conceptualized in Croatia in 2006, the Museum has since toured internationally, creating an ever evolving, community built collection that challenges our ideas about heritage. Although coloured by personal experience, local culture and history, the exhibits presented here form universal patterns that bring comfort to all those who uncover them. Hopefully, they can also inspire our personal search for deeper insights and strengthen our belief in something more meaningful than random suffering.

Already... Wow! Right? But this is just the beginning. People look a bit puzzled, nervous, some giggle, some start to get a bit serious, some sweat a lot (especially on a hot summer day, hehe). You start walking around, visiting the different areas of the Museum.

From the exhibition, I especially liked a few items. For example, this one: 

 Mind the fact that I´m Capricorn... The irony is quite humorous, but is definitely black humour. 

One of the sections of the exhibition simply reads:  

For very special reasons, this piece was really touching for me.

The Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures.

“One thousand Origami Cranes” is a sad story about a Japanese woman who gave birth to two babies, the first one kept alive but the second died in her womb two months before the due date. 
Folding one crane after another helped her to believe “that the baby was happily living in heaven”. 

The testimony ends like this: “May all the children who could not be born rest in peace and be forever happy in heaven”. Your stomach clench up in knots.  

Before and after: Croatia is an EU member country since 1 July 2013

Ćirilometodska ul. 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

Reading (English and Croatian mostly), taking in. As soon as you start moving, it becomes reading-taking in-breathing. It starts to feel a bit suffocating. Maybe the heat, maybe your past, your present, your future... You think of items you may still have belonging to an ex... Or you think of creating your own Museum of Broken Relationships... Or you think this experience could be the beginning of SOMETHING new... And suddenly you feel... You just feel... You need water as you can´t really swallow nor breathe... You realize that you are not alone, that so many people suffer or have suffered while you were doing the same. And again: we are all human beings, body and soul.

Discover graffiti and street art in Zagreb.

Bear in mind: Museum of Broken Relationships is a global crowd- sourced project with permanent museum outposts in Zagreb and Los Angeles. Go to their website: brokenships.com

Corina Moscovich 

12 questions for a vegan. A multilingual interview to Inês Vasconcelos. French, English, Spanish, Portuguese

Living in Luxembourg means multilingualism. You speak certain language/s with certain people at certain places. During one day you can speak three or four different languages. It´s like that. It´s amazing. It´s real. Multilingual interviews start with Inês Vasconcelos, a vegan, Portuguese young woman living just across the border and working in the hub of Kirchberg. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish, French and English and she is always eager to learn new languages.

1. Penses-toi que l'alimentation végane revient plus cher qu'à votre alimentation actuelle?  Non, je ne pense pas car après être végane pendant 6 mois j’ai remarqué que je ne dépense pas autant d’argent comme avant. En fait, l’alimentation végane est basée sur les aliments qui ne sont pas industrialisées, donc ils n’ont pas des addictifs et Chimiques. Si on n’achète pas de gâteaux, des bonbons, des biscuits, des frites, chocolats et une infinité des produits qui l’industrie alimentaire nous fait croire que l’on a besoin, la vérité c’est qu’on va sauver de l’argent. Car les produits dans leur état naturel comme les légumes n’ont pas un gros coût de production.

2. A Vegan in Kirchberg... What do you eat for lunch? Do you have any suggestions? Most of the time I cook the day before so that I can bring my own food to work, which is healthier and another way to save money. When I don’t have something prepared I go to Exki in Auchan. I’m sure I’m not the only vegan in Kirchberg, since they have vegan soups and other dishes which disappear quite fast if I don’t go there before noon. In addition, there is Dany and David’s just 5 minutes away from my workplace. There you can find a great variety of vegan sandwiches, salads and even deserts. Then, when I go for lunch with my colleagues from the office and they plan to eat somewhere else, I always speak with the waitress and ask for rice or pasta with vegetables. People now start to be more aware of what is it to be vegan and it’s not as difficult as before to explain what I can eat or not.

3. ¿Qué pasa con los productos lácteos y los huevos? Como los productos lácteos y los huevos son de origen animal no están incluidos en la dieta vegana. Quizás las personas piensen que al comer huevos no perjudican las gallinas porque estas siguen vivas (aunque utilicemos sus huevos en nuestra alimentación). Pero la verdad es que por detrás de las imágenes de gallinas felices y libres en la publicidad de las cajas de huevos, hay toda una industria donde las gallinas ponedoras son esclavizadas, mutiladas y medicadas para producir al máximo. De hecho, todo esto lleva a una muerte prematura con una vida media de 2 años que podría ser de entre 7 a 8 años.  Además, muchísimos estudios comprueban que los huevos no son sanos para nuestra salud por el alto nivel de colesterol, la posibilidad de contagio con salmonela y otros riesgos. En lo que dice respecto a la leche de vaca, ésta es una de las mayores causas de osteoporosis porque actúa como un ácido que va lentamente destruyendo nuestros huesos que liberan calcio para combatir ese proceso. Asimismo, está llena de hormonas de crecimiento, antibióticos y otros adictivos. Los productos lácteos están entonces excluidos de nuestra dieta. Es probable que mucha gente lo ignore pero, para tener leche, las vacas deben dar a luz a los becerros, luego tienen que ser preñadas a la fuerza. La industria de láctea le da el nombre de “inseminación artificial “para que no parezca tan malo. Luego el becerro es sacado a la fuerza de su madre para que nosotros bebamos su leche en su lugar. El acto de separar al becerro de su madre le da mucho estrés a la progenitora, resultando en descargas de insulina que van directamente a la leche que más tarde nosotros consumimos. El becerro aun bebé es mantenido en una caja muy pequeña donde se encuentra inmóvil y alimentado sobre todo por líquidos para que luego su carne muy delgada sea vendida y rentable. En el caso de que se estén preguntando de donde sacamos el calcio si no tomamos productos lácteos, es muy sencillo… Lo encontramos en gran abundancia en las semillas de chía y sésamo por ejemplo. También en los higos secos, judías verdes, zumo de naranja, brócoli, kiwi, pepino, espinaca, algas, frutos secos y otras verduras. 

Como alternativa para tomar con el café, cappuccino, yogures y hasta helados, se puede substituir con leches vegetales como de almendras, soja, arroz, coco, etc. A mí me gusta especialmente la de avena. En la cocina, para utilizar en vez de huevo se pude utilizar harina de lino, yogur, plátano, puré de frutas, semillas de agar y de linaza, crema de cacahuetes y claro, el sustituto comercial del huevo.

4. Os veganos não têm receio de contrair anemia, ou carência de cálcio, etc.? De onde retiras a tua proteína? Ao principio todos os veganos têm esse medo, mas ao informarem-se bem de como se alimentarem, logo percebem que nao correm esse risco. Como eu referi acima, o calcio pode ser encontrado numa grande variedade de alimentos como verduras verdes, sementes e frutos secos. A anemia também não é um risco visto que uma alimentacão com grande variedade leguminosas e legumes aporta todo o ferro necessário com alimentos como lentilhas, grao de bico, feijao, massas, cereais integrais, soja e tofu etc. A proteína está presente em quinoa, bulgor, folhas verdes, ervilhas, abacate, chia, nozes, tempeh, trigo, grão de bico, couve flor, cogumelos, tomate etc, e nos alimentos referidos anteriormente e muitos outros. Existem ainda suplementos de vitaminas que podem compensar carencias que até uma pessoa que coma carne poderia vir a ter algum dia.

You can follow Inês on Instagram: ines.vasconcelos.9 

5. Connaisses-toi beaucoup des personnes véganes dans votre entourage? Pour le moment je connais 4 personnes dans mon entourage, mas sur internet je connais beaucoup plus et on exchange nos expériences, recettes et motivations.

6. Why did you become a vegan? I did it for the animals, for myself and for the planet. I was vegetarian already for a while and I did the switch because I was already sick of all the cruelty against animals. I have realized that the food industry is lying to us and that animals are kept in really bad conditions from the moment they are born until they die just to serve our requirements and food in our plates. Plus, I got to understand that they have feelings too and the sense of family as we do. They also grieve their loved ones and miss their children as much as we do, and if people don’t want to see that, it is because they choose to be blind. By going vegan we help fighting against deforestation, the war for resources, the climate change, since dairy industry is the most polluting one. And what about the hunger in the world? Can someone explain to me why we are able to feed thousands and thousands of livestock and we are not able to stop the hunger and help children starving around the world? Well, because that’s not profitable as selling meat and dairy products. Finally, by going vegan we can reduce the symptoms of heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and many other health issues. I’m asthmatic and for the last month I didn’t need to take my medication, I think that’s already a good reason enough. Besides, I lost weight and I’m still eating all the time.

7. ¿Cómo reemplazas la ingesta de carne para tener una buena salud? Reemplazo la ingesta de carne con alimentos como seitán, tofu, soja, lentejas, berenjenas, setas, brócolis, espinacas, judías, nueces y siempre intento comer arroz y pastas integrales porque tienen más nutrientes. 

8. Por que é que os veganos têm restriçoes em relação ao uso de cosméticos? Porque a maioria dos cosméticos e productos de higiene são testados em animais tais como coelhos, insectos e ratos de laboratorio. E em muitos casos um simples champô pode ter algum producto de origem animal na sua producão. Uma vez que ser vegano é ser contra qualquer tipo de exploracão animal e proteger os que não se podem proteger a eles mesmos, os veganos sao contra isso. Felizmente, hoje em dia no mercado já se encontra uma grande variedade de productos disponíveis que sao chamados de “cruelty free” e as grandes marcas começam a procurar alternativas na hora de testar os seus productos.

9. Quels sont les ingrédients interdits pour la cosméto végan? Les ingrédients interdits son ceux d’origine animal: extraits animales comme la laine du mouton, le lait de vache, de chèvre, ou le miel et cire des abeilles, la lanoline (une graisse extraite de la laine du mouton), gélatine, extraits de poisson, huile de foie de requin, crustacés, collagène des poissons entre autres.

10. Are you a perfect vegan? There’s no such thing as perfect vegan. It is important that we avoid as much cruelty against other living beings as we can and living a life without exploiting animals. I have the conscience that I’m no superior to any other species in the earth and I feel more connected to the world now. Even if one day we realise that we ate or use something that contained animal products on it, we shall not give up since we are doing our best and we are on the right path.

11. ¿Por qué debemos ser veganos? 
Por todas las razones que dije antes, por los animales, por nuestra salud, por el mundo.

12. É difícil ser vegana? A única razão pela qual é difícil ser vagana é o facto das pessoas te verem como uma extraterrestre quando a única coisa que estás a fazer é tentar salvar o mundo da poluição e salvar vidas inocentes.  Não ha necessidade de comer animais para ser saudável. Hoje em dia ha cada vez mais produtos disponíveis, tais como queijo, leite, bolachas, pão, etc. sem origem em productos animais. Algum dia as pessoas vão entender que o ser humano não é superior ás outras especies e que estamos todos juntos neste mundo e é nosso dever tomar conta dele. Aconselho vivamente a quem se interessar pelo tema a ver documentarios como: Cowspiracy, Earthlings, Forks over knives e what the health.

Inês finished the interview by thanking me: “Obrigado Corina por poder partilhar isto contigo e pela oportunidade de esclarecer as pessoas sobre um tema cada vez mais recurrente mas do qual tão pouco ainda se sabe.” 

I am also really thankful to this smart and energetic person who has taken the time to answer in depth all these questions. 

I hope, my dear reader, that you have enjoyed reading her multilingual answers and that you learnt about  being vegan. Maybe now you even consider changing your diet.

Are you looking forward to my next multilingual interview?
Stay tuned!

Corina Moscovich

Aqua jogging classes in Pidal, Walferdange, Luxembourg.

The term Aqua jogging is a relatively new name for the practice of exercise (jogging) inside the water: “Terme anglo-saxon qui signifie littéralement courir dans l'eau. Cette technique a été élaborée en 1970 aux États-Unis comme méthode d'entraînement pour les blessés de guerre du Vietnam. C'est Glenn Mc Waters, entraîneur d'athlétisme des Marines qui en a eu l'idée, semble-t-il le premier.”

Pidal, located in Walferdange (northern suburb of Luxembourg), is a large aquatic and relaxation centre with indoor and outdoor pools, solarium, sauna, gym, bar and restaurant. One advantage Pidal has is that it is a quiet place, close to nature. At the same time, the fact that it is far away and it takes me a lot of time to get there is an inconvenience for me.

Locker and wrist band locker.

The Aqua jogging classes take place in the main pool, on the first floor. It is an indoor pool with a length of 25 meters, a width of 12.5 meters and a temperature of 80 F. Next to the big pool, there is a smaller pool for kids. Both are Chlorine-free. In fact, sanity and cleanness seem to be two of the outstanding characteristics of Pidal. As a matter of fact, one day, while the class was taking place; one of the staff members came close to the pool so as to pick different kinds of samples from the water.  

Lockers, way to go to WC. Then showers, then swimming pool.

Times and routines There is a big clock on the wall that used to be there for swimming competitions, but now it only works as a regular clock. Everyone who is using the pool can check the time as the numbers are big and shiny so as to see them from far away. 

The class takes place on Mondays between 12.30 and 13.30 hs. During the first half hour, exercises grow in intensity as time goes by. The focus is on lower part of the body and legs.

In the following 15 minutes, exercise slows down and the focus is mainly on upper part of the body (arms, abdominals). 

Without a doubt, Aqua jogging involves the use of a swimming pool, swimming wear (swim suit and swim cap) and a jog belt which has two functions: On one hand, it helps with keeping a good upright position. On the other hand, it supports the person in the water. However, elements for the class vary. Sometimes during the routine, the use of water noodles (swim noodles), kickboards, square floating devices, swim gloves is included.

As children´s class takes less time, once we finish the hard work in the big pool, we go to the small pool (where the water is even warmer) and do the final relaxation there. Seldom, we need a partner so as to do an exercise or to help another person to loosen up. 

Regarding what we listen to during the classes, music changes every week as the trainer puts different tunes, already prepared for the rhythm of the class.

http://www.pidal.lu/fr  

Most Mondays, there are other people in the swimming pool, besides the participants in Aqua jogging. They are adults who practice survival techniques of First Aid for Croix-Rouge Luxembourg.

Pidal is a “Syndicat intercommunal”, where there is male and female staff with different specific roles. The Aqua jogging trainer wears swim trunks and swim cap. Marc T. is in charge of Aqua jogging. A key aspect of his classes is how they are being taught. Within the internal regulations, swimming is not allowed during the classes of Aqua jogging. His teaching method is characterized by economy of words and gestures. His main means of communications is body language. Outside or inside the pool he always makes himself understood.

By attending Aqua jogging classes, I adapted better to my new life in Luxembourg. 

Corina Moscovich

Meng Lieblingsbilder aus Lëtzebuerg vu 2017 (My favourite pictures from Luxembourg from 2017)

  Januar (January)

  Februar (February)

  Mäerz (March)

  Abrëll (April)

  Mee (May)

  Juni (June)

  Juli (July)

  August (August)

  September (September)

  Oktober (October)

  November (November)

  Dezember (December)

 

 

Pictures taken by me (Corina Moscovich)