Tag Archives: ERT

EN

Suleiman in Thessaloniki

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KISMET explores the phenomenal success of Turkish soap operas from Turkey to the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans, capturing their poignant impact on women across the region.

Kismet by Nina Maria Paschalidou premiert at idfa 2013 in November, it was one of the documentaries of ARTE for the special Theme Week "Starke Frauen", Power Women and was broadcasted on Sunnday March 9 under the title “Kismet, Emanzipation auf Türkisch”.
kismet1

In Istanbul, Cairo and Abu Dhabi, the film discovers how prime time Turkish soaps are breaking taboos and inspiring women to change their lives. In ‘Fatmagul’, a woman is raped but finds the courage to take her case to court. In ‘Life Goes On’, a girl is forcibly married to a 70-year-old man. In ‘Noor’, the protagonist suffers before discovering true romantic love, and in ‘Suleiman the Magnificent’, our sympathies lie with a Christian slave who becomes the most powerful woman of the Ottoman Empire.
The film uncovers how these melodramas are capturing Muslim audiences by showing how Turkish women handle modernity. Featuring unprecedented secular liberties -extramarital affairs, women struggling to assert themselves in the workplace, divorce- these soaps also question current practices, such as arranged marriages, violence against women, child marriages and honor crimes.

Kismet will make its Greek premier at the Thessaloniki Doc festival on March 20 and 23, it will make an Avant-Premiere on Tuesday 25-3 during the Festival du Film Francophone in Athens and after that starting March 27 it will be distributed by CineDoc (Rea Apostolides, Aura Georgiou and Dimitra Kouzi) in the cinemas in Athens (Danaos and Sporting) and Thessaloniki (Olympion).

trailer: http://you.tube/aPTgLPf8x00

EN

A Greek film about Turkish Soap Operas premieres at idfa

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KISMET - How Turkish Soap Operas Change the World
directed by Nina Maria Paschalidou premieres at idfa on 23.11

Have you ever watched a Turkish soap opera? What to you think about them?

Turkish soap operas are incredibly popular - and not just in Turkey. Throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans and Asia, millions of viewers are glued to every episode of series such as Noor, Fatmagul, Suleiman and Life Goes On. The Turkish cities used as locations have become tourist attractions, and huge numbers of parents name their children after the main characters. Kismet seeks out the secrets behind the soaps, which while breaking taboos also count many strict Christians and Muslims among their loyal audience. The film alternates interviews with the stars, directors, and scriptwriters with analyses by sociologists and portraits of faithful fans - most of them female - from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Athens, Mostar, Sofia and Istanbul. The soaps transcend cultural and religious boundaries, and their devotees see them as much more than a temporary escape from their often dismal social reality. They may swoon at the hotly debated romantic intrigues, but they are also emboldened by the female characters, all of whom are strong, independent fighters. Alongside illustrative scenes from the series, the documentary brings us the personal stories of women who followed in the footsteps of their heroines to fight for their rights, and to ultimately break free of oppressed lives.

Watch the trailer.

Festivals, Screenings-Events

HARDSHIPS & BEAUTIES (2013) by Kimon Tsakiris

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An alternative farmer's road trip into a country that will never be the same again. An inside look into rural Greece, how the country’s economy imploded and how economic hardship and despair is fraying the country's social fabric.
It's 2012 and Greece is facing its greatest economic disaster since World War 2. Mitsos Tsiganos, a.k.a “Mitsigan”, is a modern day Greek cowboy, an empirical philosopher and the owner of one of the biggest farms in southwestern Greece, named “Hardships & Beauties”. Despite the crisis, Mitsos has managed to keep a positive attitude while exporting his goods abroad. Personal disaster strikes, as he loses his mother and his crop in the same year. Forced to rethink his life philosophy, Mitsos decides to leave his farm and take a trip to meet with old friends and new people in search of new motivation and inspiration.

Following his trip we catch a glimpse of rural Greece today, along with some of its typical characters, ranging from exporting producers to immigrants searching for a better life in the Greek Wild West. In the course of this trip Mitsos will realize that focus on human values and ethics is an indispensable key to overcoming the current crisis.

His road trip will become a symbolical trip into a country whose institutions and values had gone bankrupt long before the actual country itself. Mitsos's H&B journey along this fertile land will strengthen his belief that the crisis can be overcome through hard and productive teamwork.

The film will be screened in Thessaloniki, at the 15th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 15-24/3.

Doc-making, EN, Festivals

Be an observer at “Docs in Thessaloniki 2013”

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March 20-24, 2013 in Thessaloniki, Greece

Docs in Thessaloniki is an international pitching forum and workshop organized by EDN in collaboration with the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival-Images of the 21st Century.
I have been an observer myself many times at Docs in Thessaloniki.
It's really a great experience and I warmly recommend it!

Docs in Thessaloniki consists of a five-day program, where 21 selected documentary projects will be developed, re-written and pitched.
The first three days are focusing on development.
The participating project teams work on their projects’ structure, style and focus of the content as well as the presentation and pitching techniques.
The 21 projects are divided in 3 or 4 small groups under guidance from international experts and through highly informative seminar sessions. At the end of the workshop each project is re-written and presented to the participating financiers in a 2-page presentation.

During these 5 days before the pitching of the weekend the seminar prepares everybody with a project how to make a better pitch. Many times you see trailers being changed, and the synopsis and pictures of them reshaped so that they reach the financiers. And it makes a difference!
You watch the progress of the treatments during these 5 days and you can literally see the projects develop and get in shape for the pitching following. You hear the feedback from other people, other cultures, and mentalities and its wonderful for the networking, one of the most important things in that business. Here you will develop, pitch your project and network with European colleagues and financiers in a relaxed and constructive atmosphere.

During these 5 days there are also interesting guests' talks about distribution, festivals, the art of pitching and other issues that are important for filmmakers and producers.

It's a hard-core pitching training and it's really worth watching it and participating, especially without a project because then you can really absorb and enjoy the seminar.
You can only win by being an observer.

When participating as an observer you will take part in all sessions on equal terms with the pitching participants. Only exception is not having a concrete project developed and pitched. Observer participation fee is 200 Euro. To apply for an observer seat please send a short motivation for your participation to Hanne Skjødt.

In addition to the five-day pitching-session programme, the participation fee includes all lunches and coffee breaks, dinner on the first evening and a festival pass for the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

EN, Festivals, Screenings-Events

A great Greek feature-length film at idfa 2012

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One step ahead (Ena vima mprosta) is the portrait of the unconventional Greek wine producer Yannis Boutaris and his bid to become the mayor of Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, in 2010. Athiridis' camera follows closely the charismatic entrepreneur throughout his political campain and personal moments, while Greece sinks further into the financial crisis. What I liked the most about this film is its balance, with its second layer where he talks about his background and private life, his alcoholism and the death of his wife, while we watch great previously unseen family footage. In 132 min. (could be 10 min. shorter) Dimitris Athiridis provides  us with a deep look into the Greek society and helps us to understand the current situation in Greece. Artemis Anastasiadou has done a good job in the editing room and both Stavros Gasparatos and Terry Papadinas have chosen great music for the soundtrack of the film. The film is co-produced by ZDF/ARTE, ERT and YLE. It is a world premiere at idfa and will be broadcast on ARTE's special theme day on Greece, in June 2013.

You can still watch it on Thursday November 22 and Saturday 24 at idfa.

Thursday 22/11, at 21.45 Munt 13 and
Saturday 24/11, 14.45 Munt 13

Watch One Step Ahead trailer at idfa