As part of the FMX (www.fmx.de) conference in Stuttgart, Germany film director Roland Emmerich (10,000 BC, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, STARGATE) was interviewed by Tommi Lechner (Head of Production at Filmakademie Bade-Wuerttenberg). The discussion was entitled “A Personal View on Visual Effects (VFX), Animation and Digital Techniques” in it the debate over whether American and European films have different aims. The question was posed to Emmerich as to whether American films aim to entertain and European films don’t care if the audience is entertained. I thought it was an interesting question to pose to the German born director who has emerged as a catalyst for pro-American films such as THE PATRIOT and INDEPENDENCE DAY.

While Emmerich seemed unconvinced that European films are unconcerned with entertaining he praised films such as Foreign Film Oscar winner THE LIVES OF OTHERS for being of the highest quality and also entertaining and said that American films should not just be judged as Hollywood films as independent films from Sundance are also part of the output that needs to be considered. I think he may be right to a certain degree, but in many ways the films that Americans are exposed to from Europe are more thoughtful and contain artistic integrity and the films Europeans remember America for are (like his) aimed to entertain as the paramount goal.

In related news, today it was announced that THE LIVES OF OTHERS will be remade as a Hollywood movie. The film which tells a personal and riveting tale of an East German author whose life is invaded without him knowing by an East German spy was written and directed by newcomer Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck. The revamped version will have to be re-worked by Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella who have purchased the remake rights. Pollack said to Variety “We would just desperately love for that film to be something that reaches ore people. We haven’t gotten locked into making it yet, but we’re working hard at trying to get it going.” In other words, he’s hinting that it will be hard to transform the uniquely German themes from the 1980’s to an American setting. Minghella (THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY) and Pollack (THE INTERPRETER) are a natural fit for this sort of material. I think Minghella’s pacing is more reminiscent of THE LIVES OF OTHERS, but perhaps Pollack is the better fit to direct a remake in that he’s able to consistently raise the stakes in his films without seeming overly tedious as Minghella is capable of doing (BREAKING AND ENTERING and THE ENGLISH PATIENT come to mind.)

• Roland Emmerich to make ‘2012′ for Sony
• Anthony Minghella = Dead
• Sydney Pollack = Dead
• VITUS- LIMITED RELEASE THIS WEEKEND
• Richard Roeper’s 10 Best Films of 2007