2010 Los Angeles Film Festival shifts focus to Eastern European cinema with five reviewed features

Under the leadership of artistic director David Ansen, the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival took place from June 17 to 27 in downtown Los Angeles, spotlighting international films from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. Five notable films garnered attention: "Bibliothèque Pascal" (Germany/Hungary/UK, 111 mins) by Szabolcs Hajdu tells the story of a mother in a Liverpool brothel; "Vlast (Power)" (USA, 88 mins) by Cathryn Collins delves into Mikhail Khodorkovsky's struggles with Putin; "Eastern Plays" (Bulgaria/Sweden, 89 mins) by Kamen Kalev follows a recovering addict during a neo-Nazi incident; "Disco and Atomic War" (Estonia/Finland, 85 mins) by Jaak Kilmi and Kiur Aarma examines Cold War television; and "Street Days" (Georgia, 86 mins) by Levan Koguashvili portrays a father battling heroin addiction in Tbilisi. Reviews noted diverse themes and storytelling techniques.