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passage to Europe 

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Published in Greek in the local newspaper “To Galaxidi” March 2021[1]

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Save the date: 27 August 2021 Galaxidi

Film Screening: of passage to Europe by Dimitra Kouzi, WINNER for Best documentary, at the San Francisco Greek Film Festival 2021, Special Jury Award Documentary at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

Both by luck and design, a privileged choice, dictated by the pandemic, to stay in Galaxidi since late August 2020, offered us the pleasure for an even more unique in-person world premiere for my film, Good Morning Mr Fotis![2]Being in Galaxidi throughout this period gave us another blessed opportunity – to enjoy a swim in the sea almost every single day throughout the winter![3]

Everyone who was there at the October 2020 screening expressed their wish for something more.[4]

A few short hours after the screening, Mit[5] wrote a very helpful, to me, article/review, titled ‘Hosting Refugee Children in Greece’.[6]

The public’s response in Galaxidi, Mit’s review on the morning following the screening, a 5 month tutorial with him and later Tue's Steen Müller’s review, (two months later), prompted me to create a new film, during the lock-down.[7]

passage to Europe was selected to be screened at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival on 10–20 May and at the Greek Film Festival in Berlin on 1–6 June (both events online).[8] The first live in-person screening in Greece will take place at Galaxidi on Saturday 27 August.[9]

Mit's text might very well have been subtitled: ‘A guided tour to the new Athens’. Viewers, including the Greeks who don’t live in the city centre nor pass by Vathi Square, where the film is set, embark on a kind of a ‘journey’ out of their bubble and to this neighbourhood, which has dramatically transformed in the last ten years. The area is now almost exclusively inhabited by immigrants and refugees. This is a common occurrence in many European cities, but in the suburbs;[10] here, it has happened in the very heart of the city. It is the neighborhood that is the context in which the story takes place, that creates the conditions, that made me think and make a film. My own setting, my environment, is what determines the conditions of my life; it gave me the opportunity to think about making a film; yet my broader environment in Greece was definitely not what helped me turn my vision into reality – or will help me to make my next film. 

The issue of a lack of a conducive framework often arises in our discussions. We are lucky here in Galaxidi to have a reference to a very specific and easy to grasp framework once in place in the village – a framework developed by seamen, which was the differentiating factor for Galaxidi. What would these seamen say after the second screening, in August 2021, sipping their coffee in the three cafes (Krikos/Hatzigiannis/Kambyssos) on the Galaxidi port? 

A picture containing road, outdoor, street, person Description automatically generated

Mit argues that in the 70 minutes of the original film there was not a strong enough link to the refugee issue,[11]especially for Northern European viewers who are not immediately aware of the connection, but will certainly face the issue eventually, as it is in Northern Europe that almost all the children in Good Morning Mr Fotis dream of living in ten years’ time.[12]

So my goal was to condense the action and highlight the immigration issue. Mit proposed me to give the film an open ending which I did without any further filming taking place. Mr Fotis should not be alone in carrying the load, when every year he welcomes a new class of children of multiple nationalities, often with non-existent Greek, making us complacent and creating the illusion that, as long as there are teachers like Mr Fotis, everything is fine. For the different end I used black and white pictures by Dimitris Michalakis.

Shorter durations are more ‘portable’. They afford much more freedom. It’s like travelling light.[13] Evaluation – what goes out, what goes in – is hard and puts you to the test, as it requires exacting standards and constant decisions. In passage to Europe, as the new film is called, the beginning changes, the end changes, and the duration decreases (from 70ʹ to 48ʹ). 

In fact, all children wish to leave for countries that do not have their own ‘Lesbos islands’, writes Mit (10/26/2020). This adds moral value to Greece’s efforts, he adds. He supposes that pupils may well take for granted what Fotis does (he agrees on this with Tue Steen Müller from Denmark and his review of the film);[14] viewers do, too, I add. At the same time, we all wonder, ‘Why aren’t there more people like Fotis?’ 

passage to Europe deals with the issue of immigration in the light of social integration, with respect for diversity, not in theory but in practice. 

Fotis Psycharis has been a teacher at a public school in the heart of Athens for 30 years. The majority of his students, as in the wider region, are children of immigrants and refugees from Africa, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, who often see Greece as an inevitable stopover to other countries of Europe. Cultural differences, the lack of a common language, the overcoming of these challenges, Ramadan, Bollywood, the unexpected things that occur during rehearsals for the performance they are preparing to mark their graduation from primary school, the children’s dreams and insecurity for the future, all make up a unique everyday reality in this class, which consists of 17 students from 7 different countries. Aimed at an adult audience, the film provides a rare opportunity to experience life in a public school in today's Greece, which is a host country for immigrants and refugees.

It is an observational documentary. Both Mit and Tue agree on that. I observe a reality that makes me think. What does it mean to grow up in two cultures, in a country other than where you were born? What can we learn from similar cases in history? To create the present, Mit says, one must go back to the past, and from there to the future. To create the future it takes creativity in the present, rather than taking comfort in the past, I believe.  What does that mean for a place such as Galaxidi, a formerly vibrant shipbuilding, ship-owning, and seafaring town? 

In early 2017, when I started making my film Good Morning Mr Fotis, I was planning for it to be 20 minutes long, reasoning that ‘smaller’ meant ‘safer’. I sought to obtain a filming permit from the Greek Ministry of Education to film in the school.[15] However, I went on to shoot a lot of more good material. So much so that it is enough for a third film, if only funding is secured.[16]

During making passage to Europe, things happened that can only happen when you actually do something. Now I think, combine, see differently, take more risks. I have my gaze fixed on this issue, which seems to have fallen out of the news[17] but is bound to return with a vengeance, aggravated by the pandemic. In mid-March 2021, Turkey-Germany negotiations resumed,[18] with the former demanding compensation in order to continue to ‘keep’ refugees outside of the EU.[19]

I feel grateful for making this journey in space and time together with Fotis and for capturing this moment on film twice.  It's a diary, a proposal to look at a story that concerns us all in Europe. In the film, one school year ends and the next one begins. Yet, it doesn’t come full circle and end with the end credits. My intention was for it to be an open circle, a relay, encouraging viewer interpretations, continuities, thought and action.

Dimitra Kouzi
Galaxidi, March 2021

[1] Translated into English by Dimitris Saltabassis

[2] I would like to thank all viewers who showed up at the Youth House on 25/10/2020 to watch my film, Good Morning Mr Fotis, an audience of some 35 indomitable persons who braved the fact that the screening was ‘al fresco’ in the courtyard in the evening, with social distancing and masks, in a freezing maistros (mistral, the north-westerly wind). Not only that, but they stayed on after the screening for a lively Q & A! For me, this was a magical moment, and I would like to thank everyone who was part of our audience – an indispensable element to a creator! Even more so during a time such as this, when everything takes place online! I was fortunate to show my film to people most of whom have known me since I was a child, and my parents and grandparents, too.

[3] ‘Sure, the sea is cold,’ is the standard reply – and that’s precisely what makes a brief winter swim (5–15’) so beneficial! Let alone how great you feel after you pass this test! 

[4] Good Morning Mr Fotis, documentary, 70', Greece, 2020, written, directed, and produced by Dimitra Kouzi • goodmorningmrfotis.com, Good Morning Mr Fotis: Greek Film Centre Docs in Progress Award 2019 21st Thessaloniki Documentary Festival • Youth Jury Award 2020, 22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival • Selected to be nominated for IRIS Hellenic Film Academy Award 2021 for Βest Documentary. 

[5] Mit Mitropoulos, Researcher, Environmental Artist, Akti Oianthis 125, 332 00  Galaxidi, Municipality of Delphi [email protected].

[6] ‘Hosting Refugee Children in Greece’, To Galaxidi newspaper, November 2020.

[7] This ‘discussion’, which could only take place thanks to the fact that both I and Mit were constantly in Galaxidi due to the pandemic, was the main reason why I decided to make passage to Europe.

[8]  Earlier on, the film was screened at the San Francisco Greek Film Festival on 16–24 April 2021.

[9] passage to Europe, documentary film, 48ʹ, Greece, 2021. Written, Directed, and Produced by Dimitra Kouzi ([email protected], at the moment Parodos 73, 33 200  Galaxidi, Municipality of Delphi).

[10] Jenny Erpenbeck (author), Susan Bernofsky (translator), Go, Went, Gone, Portobello Books, London 2017. Set in Berlin, where immigrants and refugees have also been received, the book is based on a large number of interviews with immigrants and their stories. The main character is a solitary retired university professor, recently widowed and childless. One day he suddenly ‘discovers’ the existence of refugees in his city; through the fellowship that develops and the help he gives them, he finds new meaning in his life, which seemed to be over when he retired.

[11] The refugee/immigrant issue will historically always be topical – all the more so now that the revision of the EU policy is pending, which was transferred to the Portuguese Presidency that took over from the German one on 1/1/2021.  It is one of the most hotly contested issues facing Europe at a time when there are member states that call for ‘sealing off’ Europe to refugees and immigrants and only accepting people of specific ethnicities, cultures, and religions, according to Santos Silva, Portugal’s foreign minister (Financial Times, 2/1/2021, p.2).

[12] What’s striking to me is that refugee children wish to leave Greece for the very same reasons that Greek young people do: due to the lack of a framework.

[13] Like sailors, who never have a lot of stuff in their cabins. 

[14] filmkommentaren.dk/blog/blogpost/4887, 25/1/2021

[15] The film Good Morning Mr Fotis was not funded by the Ministry of Education. I addressed a registered letter to the Minister, Niki Kerameos, on 4/2/2021, to inform her about the film and to suggest that Fotis Psycharis be honoured for his overall contribution as a teacher. I have not received a response nor has Fotis received any acknowledgement of his work – at a time when the need for teacher evaluation is increasingly felt.

[16]  See article footnote 5.

[17] In early March 2020, some 7,000 persons live in Kara Tepe, the camp that replaced Moria. More than 2,120 are children; 697 are four years and younger. ‘The Desperate Children of Moria’, Der Spiegel (in English), 1/4/2021, https://www.spiegel.de/international.

[18] At the time of writing (March 2021), Greece makes efforts to send back to Turkey 1,450 asylum-seekers whose application has been rejected. According to the United Nations World Food Program, 12.4 million Syrians live in famine and pressure Turkey in the form of an influx of migrants (currently holding, according to official UN figures, 3.6 million from Syria and another 300,000 from elsewhere). See Handelsblatt, 14/3/2021, ‘Deutschland und die Türkei verhandeln neuen Flüchtlingspakt – Griechenland verärgert, Die Türkei hält Geflüchtete von der Weiterreise in die EU ab. Das soll sie für Geld und Zugeständnisse weiter tun. Das birgt diplomatische Probleme.’  [Germany and Turkey negotiate new immigration agreement – Greece is annoyed, Turkey restrains migratory flows from continuing their journey to the EU. To continue doing so, it is asking for money and benefits. This creates diplomatic problems.]

[19] Handelsblatt: ‘New refugee deal negotiated by Germany and Turkey – “Greece upset”. According to information cited by Handelsblatt, the points that are most likely to spoil a new agreement are being discussed.’ To Vima newspaper, 14/03/2021

Doc-making, EN, People

One of the good Greek docs in Thessaloniki 2014

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In times of recession three Greeks try to take their destiny in their own hands.
Could this crisis be our chance to re-invent ourselves and our society?
This is the theme of the feature length documentary "Gr. work in progress" (the title is indeed not so good - but the film is!) by Elena Zervopoulou which made its premier at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in March. Elena Zervopoulou the film director who also did the production is a ethnopsychologist and holds a master in documentary making from the University in Paris.
In her film she succeed to make 3 strong portraits of Greeks who took their destiny in their own hands! This is what she was thinking about her film in December 2012... "The financial crisis strikes Greece and spreads out worldwide. We are loosing our financial security and our living standard, but how much of our values, our humanity and our decency is going down with the rest? Could this be our chance to re-invent ourselves and our society?"
zervopoulou

The three protagonists together reflect the current potential for transformation in Greece. Positive change dynamics move from the bottom up. We follow the single individual (Giorgos) who finds the strength to overcome his difficulties and rebuild his life. The film examinee Grigoris’ family as it retightens its bonds and seeks a better quality of life. Finally, the journey takes us to the activist volunteer group behind the “potato movement” (Ilias) as their activities impact the society as a whole by challenging the commercial foods supply chain and practicing solidarity and direct democracy.

Watch the trailer:

http://onevibefilms.com/en/creative-documentaries/produced/greece-work-in-progress-greek.html

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The best doc fest!

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This is the letter Navina Khadib director of producer wrote after her visit to the Thessaloniki Documentary film festival. navina
Navinas film (first feature film) a wonderful documentary CASA LUZ about an children's home in Peru was part of the official selection.
Here is what she wrote to the festival after returning to Berlin.

Dear Thessaloniki Festival Team,
I can‘t tell you enough, how thankful I am for the invitation to your wonderful festival. I am still overwhelmed by your organization skills, helpfulness, good humor, the city and your passion for film. Your communication and hospitality were amazing, I even would say unique in this field.
I have attended quite a lot of festivals so far and none of them felt as perfect as yours. As I also worked for film festivals, I know how hard it is to organize and to hold a festival. All those tiny and big challenges which you simply can‘t prepare for and have to be flexible and persistent. You did such a great job on this.
In times of political instability it is even more important to overcome those tensions and borders by art and culture. Documentary films let us dive into the worlds of people and makes us empathize with them. I believe in this world empathy is the key and the answer. Your festival is a great contribution to it and it shows what can arise under the impulse of passion.
I really would like you to know that your work is special and important. Keep on this fantastic work. Thank you for everything.
Many regards,
Navina Khatib - Director and Producer / House of Light (Casa Luz)

www.towandafilms.org
facebook.com/casaluzmovie

EN

Is this Greece’s next prime minister?

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HOPE_ON_THE_LINE_10_web

Hope on the line (Greece, 2013, 73 min.), directed by Alexandros Papanikolaou & Emily Giannoukou, follows the leader of the Greek radical-left party Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, during the course of a year, from the campaign for the close-call June 2012 elections to the sudden shutdown of the Greek public broadcasting corporation (ERT) in June 2013. Shedding light on Tsipras' personality, political views and ambitions, the film includes insider's footage from the party, the views of militants and high-ranked members, and witnesses decision-making processes both in Greece and abroad. From the frontline man, Alexis Tsipras, up to the party's Political Bureau, strategy is being built, political lines evolve, another future for the nation is timidly being imagined. Within the political turmoil, Greek citizens seek answers to their fundamental and dramatic questioning. The very status of the country is at stake: its place in Europe, its future and destiny.

What is so fascinating about this story?


The economic crisis in Greece, as well as elsewhere in Southern Europe led public opinion to take an introverted turn and installed a sense of distrust toward traditional politicians. Thus, the center parties, as in most European countries, are struggling to stay in power, while extreme groupings and radical parties are rising in the polls. In Greece, where the crisis worsened dramatically in a very short period of time, and where democracy is expressed directly as a result of the country's electoral system, the fact that Syriza might take power becomes all the more significant. Syriza rose from 4.5% to 27% in less than three months, and became the second-largest party in Greece and the leading opposition party.



Alexis Tsipras has an intriguing personality. An ambiguous and lesser-known figure until recently, he now stands a great chance of becoming the next prime minister of Greece. He is fairly experienced despite his young age. Thus, he was able to change the political scene in the country and win the support of voters who have grown disenchanted with the old parties.



This film shows the transformation of Syriza during the month that preceded the election, also seeking to reveal the actual goings-on within the party in order to provide a better understanding of the way decisions are taken. During the last campaign, we saw the young and charismatic Alexis Tsipras emerge as a true threat to his opponents, even if he was narrowly defeated in the end because of the debate over the euro. He managed to change the way his party is perceived by centre-ground voters and got a spectacular number of votes.



Through this documentary, we focus on Alexis Tsipras' personality during a crucial historical moment. We also try to provide insight into the political views that emerge from discussions behind closed doors, inside the party, how these views evolve and how Tsipras presents these ideas to the public, as well as how he shapes public opinion and becomes a symbol of opposition to the memorandum. Our aim was to sketch the image of a political persona during this difficult political juncture in Greece at which society is trying to regain its bearings.

Read the complete interview with Alexandros Papanikolaou & Emily Giannoukou.

Watch the official trailer.

EN

Lets talk about KISMET

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Interview with the Director Nina Maria Paschalidou about her documentary KISMETpasxalidou1
What is so fascinating about this story?
When you first watch Turkish Soap operas, or any soap operas, you cannot imagine that they can actually affect women in this way. But there are many levels to a story and one has to be open to see them. Especially when you are filming a documentary, I believe that the secret is to see beyond the obvious elements in a story and dig deeper.

How did you approach casting for your main characters?
We conducted a lot of pre-production and we spent months in Egypt and Turkey, locating our mail characters and also obtaining access to the industry and Turkish actors. We actually found many women whose lives have been affected by watching the series. Especially in Egypt, we met women, who don’ t have Egyptian role models any more, especially after the failure of the Arab Spring, they don’t even have hope in finding role models any more. This is why Turkish women, presenting a modern type of Muslim women, who are fighting for what they want and are getting it appear inspiring. In finding characters we also had a lot of help from our co-producers in the United Arab Emirates, in Bulgaria and Croatia.

What do these women have in common and what makes them different?
What these women have in common is the need for love, respect and happiness. I know it sounds cliché, but these are very common for women around the world. So the struggle for women’ s rights is common, and it spreads from the Arab World to the Balkans to the West. Look at what is happening in Spain right now on the issue of abortions. The fight never ends even in parts of the world we consider to be modern. On the other hand, we must not forget that each country has its unique characteristics. And so do the women in these countries. What divorce means to one woman is not the same to what it means for another. One can see this difference in the film, in the story of Samar, who is inspired by the series Fatmagul and breaks her marriage after 13 years of suppression and violence. It is not the same to divorce in Abu Dhabi, as it is Athens. Traditions are also very different and one has to always consider them when studying or filming women. But it is all these that make women magnificent to film, I find that women characters are complicated, and fascinating at the same time, and very intriguing to follow in a film. Being a woman also helped very much with gaining access to these women’ s lives. There are some things that a woman only tells a woman.
kismet2

What was the challenge for you telling this story?
The challenge was to be sincere. And this is the challenge in every documentary. Not to fall into your own premonitions, prejudice, and to follow the story where it takes you. And I am insisting on this, because so far in Greece, the only approach to Turkish Soap operas, was negative, and they are considered Turkey’s cultural weapon.

How did you change after finishing this film?
I think I have a better understanding of myself as a woman, and also I have learned to never ignore something that can be considered “cheap” in some people’s dictionary. Even soap operas can be useful in society, and I don’ t believe in those who snob them, because I think that these are the very same people who secretly watch them when no one is around.

What is success for you?
Success is to do what you love the most. Creating documentary films is what I love, but my prime need for this comes from my wish to understand the world. Maybe this is a method to understand myself, as well as humanity. It is a lonely process, sometimes you lose yourself in the lives of others, but it is worth it.

EL, Festivals

Φεστιβαλιστής ή Καρναβαλιστής;

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Το Φεστιβάλ - τι ποιο Φεστιβάλ, μα το 15ο Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ Θεσσαλονίκης φυσικά - ξεκίνησε την Παρασκευή 15 Μαρτίου 2013 με πολύ ενδιαφέρον πρόγραμμα. Η ταινία έναρξης ήταν το βραβευμένο ντοκιμαντέρ Πρώτη θέση (First Position) της Μπες Κάργκμαν (Bess Kargman) που μας ξεναγεί στον εντυπωσιακό κόσμο του επαγγελματικού μπαλέτου. Την ταινία λήξης την επιλέγει το κοινό και προβάλλεται μετά την τελετή λήξης, το τελευταίο Σάββατο (φέτος 23/3) του φεστιβάλ.
Η «Αθήνα» συνηθίζει να ανεβαίνει στη Θεσσαλονίκη κατά την Τετάρτη – εκεί είναι το φόρτε της ιστορίας.
Μου αρέσει πάρα πολύ η φετινή αφίσα του φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ, με το σαφές της μήνυμα: ένα πρόβατο με καλυμμένα τα μάτια. Την υπογράφει η εταιρεία Freelance (Β. Ανδρεάδης, Ι. Γκιζώτης Ο.Ε.) από την Πυλαία Θεσσαλονίκης – πολύ καλή δουλειά.

Είναι και το Pitching Forum του EDN το Σαββατοκύριακο, Σάββατο και Κυριακή 23 και 24 Μαρτίου το πρωί: 21 ντοκιμαντέρ εν δημιουργία θα παρουσιαστούν εκεί, αναζητώντας χρήματα και συμπαραγωγούς. Επί μια εβδομάδα υπάρχει και το σχετικό training από την ομάδα του EDN (European Documentary Network) που κάνει τους επίδοξους ξεφτέρι, ώστε σε 7 λεπτά, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και του τρέιλερ παρουσίασης του project, να καταφέρουν να κινήσουν το ενδιαφέρον των Commissioning Editors που έρχονται από διάφορα Ευρωπαϊκά τηλεοπτικά κανάλια με σκοπό να επιλέξουν ντοκιμαντέρ για να χρηματοδοτήσουν.
Αν δεν έχετε παρακολουθήσει αυτές τις παρουσιάσεις, γίνονται το Σάββατο και την Κυριακή από τις 10 το πρωί στην αίθουσα Παύλος Ζάννας – μόνο, πηγαίνετε στην αρχή και καθίστε μέχρι το διάλλειμα για μεσημέρι γιατί δεν είναι ευγενικό κάποιος να πολεμάει να πείσει δημόσια για την αξία της δουλειάς του και να ανοιγοκλείνει η πόρτα γιατί διάφοροι περίεργοι περνούσαν και μπήκαν. Αν ασχολείστε με το ντοκιμαντέρ και δεν είστε μέλη του EDN, του μεγαλύτερου Επαγγελματικού Δικτύου Ντοκιμαντέρ στην Ευρώπη, με έδρα την Δανία, συνιστώ να γίνετε. Στη Θεσσαλονίκη μπορείτε να δείτε από κοντά την δουλειά τους – την Παρασκευή το απόγευμα μάλιστα, γίνεται και η βράβευση του EDN, στο ισόγειο του ξενοδοχείου Ηλέκτρα Παλλάς.

Το 15ο ΦΝΘ συνεχίζει και φέτος - από τις 17 έως τις 23 Μαρτίου 2013 - το εξαιρετικά επιτυχημένο πρόγραμμα Κουβεντιάζοντας, ένα φόρουμ επικοινωνίας και συζήτησης που προσφέρει την ευκαιρία σε επαγγελματίες του ντοκιμαντέρ από την Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό να γνωριστούν προσωπικά, να ανταλλάξουν απόψεις και να μοιραστούν τις εμπειρίες τους. To Κουβεντιάζοντας θα διεξάγεται 16.00–17.30, στην αίθουσα Excelsior, στο ισόγειο του Electra Palace, και οι συζητήσεις θα γίνονται στα αγγλικά.

Μια νέα διοργάνωση του φεστιβάλ είναι φέτος το Docs in Progress, για ντοκιμαντέρ στο στάδιο της παραγωγής από χώρες της Μεσογείου, της κεντρικής και Ανατολικής Ευρώπης. Η διοργάνωση είναι ανοιχτή μόνο για επαγγελματίες, και συμμετέχουν σε αυτή αγοραστές, διανομείς και παραγωγοί. Πιο πολλά θα σας πει η Αγγελική Βέργου που το χειρίζεται ([email protected]). Φέτος, για πρώτη φορά στο Docs in Progress θα απονεμηθεί βραβείο σε υπηρεσίες post-production αξίας 15.000 ευρώ, από την εταιρεία Authorwave.

Με το κατάλληλο πάσο και η είσοδος στο Doc Market του φεστιβάλ, όπου μπορεί κανείς να δει ντοκιμαντέρ σε υπολογιστές – booth που βρίσκονται στον ημιόροφο του Electra Pallas. Νωρίς το πρωί ή αργά το απόγευμα έχετε περισσότερες πιθανότητες να βρείτε θέση γιατί τα booths προορίζονται κυρίως για αγοραστές και διανομείς που ψάχνουν να βρουν ενδιαφέρουσες ταινίες. Στο Doc Market διατίθενται και δύο πολύ χρήσιμα έντυπα – το Industry Guide, με ονόματα, φωτογραφίες, διευθύνσεις και περιγραφή των επαγγελματιών που θα βρίσκονται στη Θεσσαλονίκη για το φεστιβάλ, καθώς και το Doc Market Guide, με όλες τις ταινίες που βρίσκονται διαθέσιμες στο Market.

Σημαντικές είναι τέλος οι εκδόσεις του φεστιβάλ, που είναι πάντα προσεγμένες. Όπως η δίγλωσση έκδοση με αφορμή το αφιέρωμα στον χιλιανό ντοκιμαντερίστα Πατρίσιο Γκουσμάν (Patricio Guzmán), έναν από τους σημαντικότερους εκπροσώπους του είδους παγκοσμίως, ο οποίος δυστυχώς επειδή έσπασε το πόδι του, δεν θα βρεθεί στη Θεσσαλονίκη για να μοιραστεί τις ταινίες του με το κοινό.

Καινοτομία Αγοράς - Πρακτικός οδηγός για ντοκιμαντερίστες
20-22 Μαρτίου 2013, 17:30-18:00, Electra Palace, Αίθουσα Excelsior
Η Αγορά Ντοκιμαντέρ, στο πλαίσιο του 15ου ΦΝΘ, συνεχίζει για δεύτερη χρονιά την επιτυχημένη σειρά συζητήσεων Market Talks, όπου διακεκριμένοι επαγγελματίες του κινηματογραφικού χώρου θα δώσουν χρηστικές πληροφορίες και πρακτικές συμβουλές στους Έλληνες και ξένους ντοκιμαντερίστες. Στις ημίωρες αυτές συζητήσεις, αγοραστές, παραγωγοί και διανομείς θα αναπτύξουν συγκεκριμένα θέματα, βασισμένοι στην προσωπική τους εμπειρία. Ειδικότερα, στα φετινά Market Talks θα μιλήσουν, μεταξύ άλλων, η υπεύθυνη προγράμματος του καναλιού ARTE, Μadeleine Avramoussis (Σάββατο 22/3/2013), η οποία θα εστιάσει στις δυνατότητες για συμπαραγωγές, η σύμβουλος ευρωπαϊκών χρηματοδοτικών προγραμμάτων, Ελένη Χανδρινού (Τετάρτη 20/3/2013), καθώς και ο Luke Moody, υπεύθυνος επιχορηγήσεων του Britdoc Foundation, ο οποίος θα επικεντρωθεί στις χρηματοδοτήσεις (Πέμπτη 21/3/2013).

Κοιτάξτε επίσης, εκτός από το αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα των ντοκιμαντέρ που πρόκειται να προβληθούν στο Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ, την κατηγορία Ντοκιμαντέρ για παιδιά, που περιλαμβάνει 16 μικρού μήκους ταινίες, σε ειδικές προβολές που θα πραγματοποιηθούν για σχολεία την Παρασκευή 15/3 και από την Τρίτη 19 ως και την Παρασκευή 22 Μαρτίου 2013, στην αίθουσα Φρίντα Λιάππα (Αποθήκη Δ, Λιμάνι – ώρες: 9:00-11:00, 11:00-13:00), ελεύθερη είσοδος, και τέλος το πρόγραμμα Masterclass (στην αίθουσα Τζων Κασσαβέτης την Πέμπτη 21/3, 17.30-18.30), καθώς και τις παρουσιάσεις που τρέχουν ως παράλληλες εκδηλώσεις του 15ου Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ της Θεσσαλονίκης.

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.