CinEast (ciné-East) is an annual film festival held in Luxembourg every October since 2008. It’s a celebration of Central and Eastern European cinema, featuring 50-65 feature films and 40 short films from 21 countries. The festival screens over 100 films across various cinemas in Luxembourg, showcasing fiction, documentary, and animated works. The 16th edition of the festival will take place from October 5 to 22, 2023.

“Mania: The Story of a Cigarette Factory Worker” (original title: “Mania: Die Geschichte Einer Zigarettenarbeiterin”), directed by Eugen Illés in 1918 and starring Pola Negri in the title role, is a classic melodrama. The film narrates the love story between a young girl and a composer named Hans, who writes an opera for his beloved Mania. However, he cannot perform it due to the jealousy of his rival, who covets Mania’s affection. Mania tries everything to help Hans present his work to the public but her efforts ultimately lead to tragedy.

For many years, the film was considered lost. In 2006, a Czech collector donated one of the earliest films featuring Pola Negri to Filmoteka Polska, and it turned out to be “Mania.” Digitally reconstructed by Filmoteka Narodowa, the film has been screened all over the world since its second preview in Warsaw in September 2011.

Thursday, 12.10.2023, 20:30
Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg
Place du Théâtre 17, 2613 Luxembourg
More informations

CZERWIE bad, D. Orwat

During the screening at the Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy a blend of vintage cinema and modern music performed by the CZERWIE band — one of Poland’s premier groups specializing in live music accompaniment for silent films. The band consists of Wojtek Zaborowski, Maciek Kudłacik, Paweł Zawarus, and Piotrek Bogunia.

Photo of Pola Negri: Filomoteka Narodowa – Instytut Audiowizualny

The event is supported by the Polish Institute Brussels. Check out the full festival programme.