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We Are Stardust

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"Jon gave me back my childhood trust in wonder. And now I want to share this magic with all of you." E.R.

Dimitra Kouzi in conversation with Elisabeth Rasmussen

Dimitra Kouzi (DK): If you had to describe the film in one sentence, what would it be?
Elisabeth Rasmussen (E.R.): A love letter to citizen science and thinking outside the box.

DK: How did you first encounter Jon Larsen’s story?
E.R.: I had just returned to Norway after living abroad for years. I heard a radio interview where a man claimed he found stardust on rooftops, and I needed to meet this guy. When I met him, I knew I wanted to make a film about him.

How did you approach portraying Jon Larsen’s character—both as a musician and as an amateur scientist—so that viewers could connect with his curiosity and perseverance?”
I wanted to portray Jon first and foremost as a human being. A question that came up for me is why Jon? How is it possible that a Norwegian artist does what big scientific institutions have not been able to do? 
His mum sharing stories about him as a little boy who would come home with pockets full of rocks, teaches us something about him. His background as a jazz musician is essential. Jazz is about improvisation and listening deeply. His art studies told him about textures and pattern recognition. Those same skills informed his scientific discovery. 

Photo: Andrew Farrar

Jon approaches research with a creative mindset.

But beyond that, I wanted to show vulnerability. There were years of dismissal. Years of doubt. 

The audience needs to feel the cost of persistence, not just the triumph.

By allowing time for silence, reflection, and small details, the way he handles the material when looking for it, a particle under a microscope, the way he speaks about rocks, we see not just determination, but wonder. I spent nearly a decade filming him, which allowed space for real moments to unfold naturally.
By showing both his doubts and his persistence, the audience can see themselves in him. He is not a superhero. He is someone who refused to stop looking. And that makes him a hero.

The visual scale moves from microscopic particles to cosmic imagery. How did you approach this cinematically?
I have always been fascinated with micro/macro perspectives. A friend showed me Charles and Ray Eames’s ‘Powers of 10’ during a conversation at Cannes film festival in 2007, and I was mesmerised. I later learned that electrons exist in orbitals (clouds) around a dense, central nucleus composed of protons and neutrons like tiny little solar systems in our body. Nature’s and life’s circular connectedness is so beautiful. I wanted to approach this by showing how our solar system was created by stardust, and how micrometeorites were the beginning of life on Earth through bringing water molecules and other materials like carbon from space. As this process happened 4.6 billion years ago, we solved this cinematically by working with VFX. It was very important to us that the scientific correctness remain valid, so we leaned on scientific institutions as well as the scientists in the film to provide images and feedback on our animations. I have taken inspiration from ‘Powers of Ten’ in the sense that we move from a human body and show different steps all the way to the Milky Way and back, and also inside the body, down to the electron swarm – simply to illustrate the connectedness of everything.

Photo Viktoria Kovalenko

Why was it important to frame this story as character-driven rather than as a conventional science documentary?
When you are a documentary filmmaker and meet someone as passionate and fascinating as Jon Larsen, it is next to impossible not to turn a camera on him. I wanted to share with audiences what he represents – freedom, dream, hope. I do like science films; however, I feel that traditional science films might sometimes alienate broader audiences. Jon stands for openness, curiosity and wonder. His method for finding stardust in urban areas is as interesting to me as stardust itself. I did not want to make a film for scientists; I wanted to make a film that makes it possible for everyone to understand what stardust is, and how we can find it.

How did you portray Jon’s determination without romanticising him? What drew you to his underdog struggle against ‘gatekeepers’ of science?

I come from Sápmi, the traditional homelands of the Sámi people that stretch from Norway across Sweden and into Finland and Russia. My people were colonised and told that their language, culture and belief system were wrong. I guess that makes questioning the perceived right and wrong inevitable. My last documentary was about a punk who never gave in to conformity and established rules. See the pattern here? I love the fact that Jon follows his intuition. He is so humble and inclusive. He teaches even children to find stardust. Just letting his personality shine through the camera, and using that same energy in the edit, having open communication with the editors, encouraging them to go with their gut helped the film find balance without romanticising Jon.

Stradust hunting on the Olympion Rooftop

How did you balance Indigenous cosmology with scientific rationalism?The beautiful Sámi myth I heard as a child about how a reindeer wandered down a ray of sun and brought life to Earthmakes me feel awe and connectedness with the sun and nature around me. I felt the same magic and awe when I heard that stardust could be found everywhere around us and that it is these tiny micrometeorites that brought life to Earth. The sun is our parent and everything around us is connected. I feel great comfort knowing that, and a deep love for nature.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during production?
One challenge was to understand and stay on top of the science before interviewing Jon and top astrophysicists and geologists. I spent a good while preparing myself.

Press coverage by Screendaily, Cineuropa, Business Doc Europe, Kathimerini Eye for Film and more!

What surprised you during the making of the film?
I was astonished to find out just how many tonnes of terrestrial material Jon went through to find one extraterrestrial particle. But most of all I was surprised when I saw how beautiful micrometeorites are!

The moment when NASA scientists climb onto their own rooftop to collect micrometeorites feels almost absurd. What did that sequence represent within the larger arc of the story?
It is true that NASA have spent billions on finding extraterrestrial particles in space. In my interview with NASA Stardust Curator Mike Zolensky, he said that on one such mission, they found half a milligram of stardust. Jon had found much more than that. Scientists need to study this material to learn about where life came from before our solar system was created, and whether there is life in other places in our universe. Before Jon, stardust was only found in space, Greenland, Antarctica and deep ocean sediments. By finding stardust on NASA’s rooftop, Jon proved once and for all that it can be found anywhere. This was a game changer both for Jon and for the field of micrometeorite research. Mike Zolensky said that Jon, through his discoveries, has opened a new door to the beginning of our solar system.

World Premiere March 2026 Photo: Katerina Tzigotzidou

The invention of a microscope camera capable of capturing micrometeorites in vivid colour introduces extraordinary imagery. How did you integrate VFX and AI-assisted animation while preserving the documentary’s authenticity and intimacy?
Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle is one of the most interesting and knowledgeable people I have ever met. He created the microscope camera used to photograph Jon’s stardust. Together, Jan and Jon continued to improve it. The photographs they take of cosmic dust are breathtaking, and there has been absolutely no AI or VFX manipulation of the still photos of Jon’s stardust. Micrometeorites are simply that beautiful when you see them enlarged.

But, being a filmmaker, I wanted to see a tiny micrometeorite move. I wanted to see it fall from space and land on Jon’sbreakfast table, because that is what set this whole journey into motion. I’ve seen it inside my head since I heard the story and wanted to visualise this beautiful journey that these small cocktails of life-sustaining materials make when they fall down to Earth like snowflakes.
Making the 0.3mm micrometeorite fall from space and land on the table proved challenging to visualise. We worked closely with Colin Byrne at Little Shadow in London. They used a high-resolution photo of an actual micrometeorite from Jon and Jan and cutting-edge VFX and AI-assisted VFX technology to make it both visible and in a realistic size as it moves.

Those photos of the Micrometeorites made possible due to the microscope invention of Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle

We Are Stardust suggests that science belongs to everyone. In an era of polarisation and mistrust of expertise, do you see the film as political?
One of the simplest definitions of politics I heard was from the late Swedish prime minister Olof Palme, who said, ‘Politics is to want something.’ In that sense, the film is political, as it wants to give people the power and inspiration to think outside the box. As Jon says, we tend to think that everything is invented; but it is not. Geologically speaking, we are still beginners; there is so much more to come. Everyone can help shape how the future is going to look and what will be discovered. You do not need money or a science degree to do that. You need curiosity and perseverance.

Elisabeth Rasmussen, Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle and Jon Larsen

What do you hope audiences will take away from the film?
It is my hope that every viewer of this film will feel the excitement and zest for discovering stardust that Jon’s micrometeorites reawakened in me. The connection I felt to the stars as a little girl was indeed more real than I realised at the time. We are all part of something bigger; we are all connected. If the film can make the audience feel connected to nature and to each other, or be inspired in any way, that would make me very happy.

Producers (left to right) Jamie Hever (UK), Benedikte Bredesen (NO), and Ulrik Gutkin (DN) Thessaloniki Film Festival / Studio Aris Rammos

Looking ahead, what would your ideal future for the film’s journey look like?
The ideal journey would be as many festivals and public-TV platforms as possible, and special screenings where there is a stardust hunt so audiences can learn how to look for stardust themselves. We hope to sign with the right sales agent, one who understands the film and can find audiences in unexpected places. I have been blessed with the most incredible team of producers – Benedikte Bredesen, Jamie Hever and Ulrik Gutkin – as well as the crew and characters in the film. I hope the film opens doors that lead to a place where we all get to continue doing what we love: making stories come alive. We would all love to do screenings for young people, people in prisons, people in hospitals… I want the film to reach as far and wide as a documentary can and for as many people as possible to meet Jon and feel encouraged by his quest. The sky is not the limit!

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Cover Photo: Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle Elisabeth Rasmussen, and Jon Larsen: Thessaloniki Film Festival / Studio Aris Rammos

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Doc-making, EN, Festivals, Interviews, People, Press Kit, Screenings-Events

La Pietà

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INTERVIEW with the Directors, Pepe Andreu and Rafa Molés (above picture Thessaloniki Film Festival / Studio Aris Rammos)

By Dimitra Kouzi

You describe the glacier as the true protagonist of La Pietà. How do you direct — and produce — a film in which the central character is neither fully human nor fictional, but a living entity fast disappearing?

It’s difficult to stand before the magnificence of a glacier and not feel that it is something far beyond an inert mass of ice. The ice moves; it groans, it speaks — you could almost feel that it sings. It holds physical particles of our history, oxygen our ancestors once breathed, entire universes trapped within its depths. For us, it is something overwhelming, almost mystical.

So for nearly two decades we have been searching, through cinema — our way of expressing ourselves — for a way to convey to the viewer the blend of beauty and pain we felt when we first stood before Vatnajökull over twenty years ago.

The idea was to treat the glacier as a living being: a vast and powerful being that is now dying. A being that moves, that speaks to us and that weeps; a being to love, to care for, and to mourn when we lose it.

The key to conveying that admiration and compassion for the glacier was discovering that there were many others like us, long before us. We learned the story of Flosi Björnsson and his brothers, who lived in isolation on their remote farm, looking after the glacier. Then we encountered the farm, which is still there, like a still life. Then Flosi’s texts and a 16mm film in which they appear exploring the glacier… And later the photographer Ragnar Axelsson and other characters who, like pilgrims — like us — have, for centuries, been drawn to the lament of Vatnajökull.

It is the human gaze that makes us human, and that humanises. So together, we look at the glacier as we would a wounded young person, like a whale stranded on the sand, like something more than a ruined cathedral… and we do so with the intention of awakening the viewer’s empathy, memory, and awareness.

Watch the TRAILER

Pepe Andreu right (director, editor, script-writer and producer) and Rafa Molés left (director, script-writer and producer)

What makes your film different from other films about climate change?

Beauty is the way. Beauty moves us, and it has moved human beings since our beginnings. It stirs us deeply, makes us react, and makes us act.

From the start, we never thought of making a film with climate change as the central focus, but rather a film about beauty and fascination — about something that moves us and that we are letting die. In fact, the film speaks more about human stupidity than about climate change.

We have all the information available about climate change. We have the data, the forecasts; we know the solution, and yet there is nothing to suggest that we will react as we should. Climate change overwhelms us — it seems too big, beyond our control. But beauty, stories, are something we all understand.

That is our small contribution: to make a film — what is within our power — just as our characters did before us. Beauty works on us, and on many others. We wanted to try. La Pietà is our small contribution to a global problem.

Directors
Pepe Andreu and Rafa Molés together with their Music Composer Alberto Lucendo at a Radio interview

We live in a moment of both eco-anxiety and paralysis — we are mostly aware of the facts, yet often feel unable to act. In what way do you hope this film could counter that paralysis?

At one point in the film, Oddur Sigurðsson, a prominent retired glaciologist, speaks with Ragnar, a renowned photographer who has dedicated his work to showing the consequences of climate change for Arctic populations. Oddur tells him that we must find other ways to reach people and convey the urgency of this problem. Scientists have been precise, but they struggle — and are fully aware of how complex it is — to communicate these issues to the public. Oddur Sigurðsson places his faith in the idea that where science falls short, the work of artists can help.

This is how we would like the film to function. In this case, art can serve as a bridge between science and the public.

We all find it difficult to act because the meaning of what we are losing has faded; we have grown accustomed to hearing that there is a problem, yet we are unable to grasp its scale. This is where poetry comes in: to reveal, once again, the meaning of the catastrophe.

However, we do not feel there is pessimism in our film, but rather profound reflection, tough realism, and the belief that— throughout the history of art — the beauty of a still life has moved us and reminded us of our most humanistic side.

Flosi Björnsson and his siblings devoted their lives to the glacier long before climate discourse existed. What does their radical life choice reflect back to us today?

The legacy this family leaves us is an example to follow. Small actions within our reach can transform the world. Their example has moved scientists, artists, the current inhabitants of the valley, and us — to make this film.

Their relationship with everything around them, their awareness of being a natural part of the place they inhabited, and the interest they showed in their surroundings — the flowers, the insects — their desire to learn everything.

The siblings lived almost isolated from the world for most of the year, yet they studied glaciers, botany, geology, entomology… as self-taught learners (Flosi learned several languages on his own, with nothing but books and by listening to the radio), driven by love for the place where they lived. That way of understanding life and relating to nature is the legacy they leave us: to withdraw from the global noise, to look closely at what is right before our eyes, with attention, affection, delicacy, and hope.

Sold out world premiere screening

You’ve referred to the film as a kind of ‘ghost story’. How did this spectral dimension influence both the storytelling and the production choices?

There is an unattainable dimension when you stand before the great wall of a glacier — something that goes beyond what our human mind can assimilate. You try to grasp, with all your senses and knowledge, what you see, what youhear, what you feel, but it’s impossible. It is overwhelming. That spectral dimension is powerful; it is there, if you are fortunate enough to stand on a glacier.

That is why we played with the idea of the ghost, understood in a contemporary sense: a familiar presence from the past, a benevolent spirit that encourages or warns us about what is happening. The farmhouse where the Björnsson family lived is not haunted, but it creaks; the wind slips through the cracks; and, in some way, the voices of those who lived there still resonate — voices from the past that howl like advice, like warnings.

All the Björnsson siblings have passed away. The handwritten texts we found by Flosi, with notes about daily life and his explorations, gave us the real words for that ghost. By reading them, we invoked his spirit and brought his voiceback to life — voiced in the film by the great Icelandic actor Ingvar E. Sigurðsson.

That is also why we filmed the empty farmhouse at different moments of the year: to show — and to hear — the passage of time, with characters whose shadows we barely see (we will all be shadows), focusing on small details capable of evoking it — a box of memories, personal objects they once touched, old paintings, 

You had access to personal archives, even a 16mm reel from 1950. What responsibility did you feel when bringing these fragile memories back to life, and how did you balance preservation with reinterpretation?

When our friend and co-producer Ólafur Rögnvaldsson told us the story of the Björnsson family and we visited the farm, we were in shock — but discovering the 16mm footage undoubtedly pushed us to tell this story.

The old film showed us what we already knew from Flosi’s diaries: the family, the work on the farm, their expeditions to the glacier. But those images had enormous power on their own — almost spectral. It was fascinating and left us spellbound. We wanted to manipulate it as little as possible, to preserve it as we found it, without adding voice-over or ambient sound; only minimal music to help bring that past into the present and allow ourselves to be hypnotised by these images.

We do not believe it is a reinterpretation but a tribute; these frames were shot with a purpose similar to what we are filming today, and they are very valuable material for understanding how this family related to nature.

This respect also extends to the many photographs and personal objects we had access to, which play a fundamental role in the narrative — able to evoke a life and a way of acting that we seek to reframe, or to present as still lifes that function as an offering or an altar.

Sound plays a central role in this film. How did you conceive the sonic identity of the glacier, and at what stage did music and sound design become essential to shaping the film’s ‘voice’?

From the very beginning, we wanted to give life to the glacier and show it as a wounded being, infinitely beautiful. Sound design and music were fundamental to achieving that. We worked with Iván Martínez-Rufat (in charge of sound design) to transform the sounds of the glacier into a lament — into the cry of something that still retains life.

The farmhouse, too, takes on a life of its own. Together with Iván Martínez-Rufat and the wonderful Lithuanian foley team, we played with the idea that inside the house, the wood and the wind should sound like a ship adrift — a kind of ghost ship that carries with it all the life that once inhabited it.

To all of this we added Alberto Lucendo’s score, to create the great requiem the film becomes. Alberto embarked on an exciting sound research project, taking as reference the ideas we proposed (the beached whale, the ruined cathedral, the constant voice of the wind conveying a whispered message, or the running water — like blood), searching for instruments and melodies that would evoke those images and help develop the idea of this requiem.

You have spent many years working in Iceland and building close relationships there. How did this involvement impact the film? Did being insiders give you freedom, or did it increase your sense of responsibility?

Iceland is a place that captivated us more than twenty years ago. And we have not been able to stop going back ever since. This is our second film there, but it could easily have been the first.

When we discovered the country, each of us separately, we immediately felt that one day we would create something out of the glaciers.

From that love at first sight, and from the need to know more, our previous film Lobster Soup was born. That film allowed us to get very close to people and to build a special relationship with them. It also made us understand that we too — more than being part of the surroundings — were part of the problem. We arrived as tourists and, generally, behaved like predators. We have learned this from our capitalist way of life, but here we became aware of it and are willing to act. This is our responsibility.

Lobster Soup had an impressive international run, but among all the recognitions we have received, the one we are proudest of is being named adoptive children of the town of Grindavík, where the film takes place. Being welcomed as part of the story and the community has changed us. Iceland is not an exotic or remote place for us, but something closer to home.

You co-direct and co-produce your films. How does this collaboration function in practice? How do you divide and share creative and production responsibilities? How do you navigate divergence of views while maintaining a unified vision?

Sharing the direction of a film comes naturally to us. That is how we met, and almost without thinking about it, that ishow we made our first film — and we have grown into this way of working.

For us, it is an easy way to work, mainly because we start from a shared vision of what drives us to make a film and to tell it in a certain way. We are two minds sharing the same vision, and then we bring in other minds from the team. We talk things through a lot, and the film itself decides — sometimes immediately, and other times over time.

Our roles as directors and writers are constantly intertwined, and while we do divide certain tasks — sometimes one of us focuses more on writing and the other on editing — we are both involved in every decision about the film.

La Pietà embraces a contemplative, slow cinematic language. In a time of accelerated consumption and shrinking attention spans, how do you reflect on the future of cinema, particularly this kind of immersive, patient filmmaking?

Without a doubt, the future of cinema is uncertain. The current crisis goes beyond the industry and economics: we arewitnessing a flattening of narratives under the rule of algorithms and speed-driven consumption — a simplification of film language on a scale we have not seen before. Little by little, we are giving in to a culture of disposability, and the kind of cinema we have understood until now may increasingly survive as a form of cultural resistance rather than simply as a nostalgic trend. Resisting is a beautiful way to create.

What role does humour play in your film?

Director Rafa Molés, and 
Director Pepe Andreu, Thessaloniki Film Festival / Studio Aris Rammos

Humour is one of the most useful tools for expressing or communicating, but also one of the most difficult to articulate. For us it is especially difficult because of our, let’s say, “melancholic” nature, but we would like to have enough talent to use it more.

This film uses humour, but it is closer to satire or sarcasm, with the intention of ridiculing ourselves and the way human beings relate to nature today.

At a certain point, the camera seems to turn towards all of us. The tourists represent each and every one of us — consuming the glacier like insects devouring a corpse, moving through its entrails impassively. The sequence of tourists on the glacier taking selfies is funny, but it is also painful. It holds up a mirror to us: this is who we are; we laugh at ourselves, but it is profoundly bitter.

What do you hope audiences take with them?

We hope that fascination — the love and beauty of glaciers — becomes the spark that helps people wake up and take action.

Directors
Pepe Andreu and Rafa Molés have been working together as writers and directors of documentary films since 2013. Their work has been selected at festivals such as San Sebastián, Visions du Réel, DOK.fest Munich, and Thessaloniki.

The film had its world premiere at the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (2026) were it was awarded The “Human Values” Award of the Hellenic Parliament .

Want to watch it? La Pieta will continue its festival journey:

in Spain, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Lithuania (very soon the details will be announced)

Find more about it in the PRESS KIT

Pepe Andreu and Rafa Molés, Ólafur Rögnvaldsson their Icelandic co-producer, and 
Arūnas Matelis their Lithuanian co-producer

EN

Child of Dust – 50 Years Since the End of the Vietnam War

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Sang, the protagonist of Weronika Mliczewska’s Child of Dust, is one of countless children left behind by American soldiers after  the Vietnam War. Stigmatized and abandoned, he spends a lifetime  longing for the father he never had. When he unexpectedly locates his  gravely ill father in the United States, he is determined to meet him,  even at a heavy cost—leaving his wife, daughter, and grandson behind. 

The Vietnam War (1955–1975) left lasting  scars on millions, particularly the estimated  300,000 Amerasian children, like Sang, born to  American servicemen and Vietnamese  women. Dubbed “children of dust,” they  were often abandoned, stigmatized, and  marginalized due to their mixed heritage.  In Vietnam, where paternal lineage defines  social standing, growing up without a  father rendered these children nearly  invisible. A Vietnamese saying captures  this sentiment: “A child without a father is  like a house without a roof.” 

Screenshot

After the war, many Amerasians faced  extreme discrimination, seen as reminders  of the enemy. They were denied education  and economic opportunities, and their  mothers—often ostracized for their  relationships with U.S. soldiers—sometimes  destroyed any evidence of their children’s  American heritage, making it even harder  for them to trace their roots. 

In the 1980s, the U.S. passed the Amerasian  Homecoming Act, offering Amerasians  and their families the chance to immigrate.  However, the transition was fraught with  challenges. Many arrived in the U.S. only  to encounter racism, cultural barriers,  and economic hardship. While the law  acknowledged their American lineage,  it did not ensure their integration into  society. Sang, like many before him, arrives  in a country that recognizes him on paper  but leaves him to navigate an unfamiliar  world alone—illiterate, disconnected, and  without the support system he once had  in Vietnam. 

His experience reflects the broader  struggles of immigrants and refugees  today—whether it’s undocumented  individuals seeking asylum, DREAMers  fighting to stay in the only home they’ve  ever known, or families separated by  shifting policies. America has long been  seen as a land of opportunity, but for  those who don’t fit an idealized image of  belonging, that promise often remains out  of reach. 

For over 50 years, Vietnam and its people were denied a human face in  American war narratives, allowing propaganda to justify past violence.  Child of Dust challenges this erasure, asking how nations reckon with  the long-term consequences of war. It serves as a stark reminder that  unchecked nationalism and unexamined history leave the door open for  future conflicts. Through Sang’s journey, Child of Dust sheds light on this forgotten history,  revealing how the legacy of war continues  to shape lives today. 

Weronika Mliczewska, Director/Producer, Child of Dust

INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR

WERONIKA MLICZEWSKA, Child of Dust, by Dimitra Kouzi

Weronika Mliczewska is a documentary filmmaker and cultural anthropologist. Child of Dust is her feature-length documentary debut as a director and a producer - a project she has worked on for over eight years.

Child of Dust explores the long-term consequences of war. Half a century after the Vietnam War, what echoes of its impact do you see in today’s world?

The Vietnam War may have ended, but its consequences—displacement, trauma, and the struggle for identity—are still deeply felt. The film serves as a reminder that war doesn’t simply end when the fighting stops—it continues in the lives of those forced to navigate its aftermath. In Child of Dust, the protagonists can no longer suppress their past; they must confront it, as it defines their future. These themes resonate strongly today. From conflicts in the Middle East to the war in Ukraine, we see cycles of forced migration, rape, sending children to camps, exposing them to propaganda, and inherited trauma. If the wounds of war are not transformed into healing, history will inevitably repeat itself. This film is not just about the Vietnam War—it’s about all wars and the scars that remain unseen.

Displacement and identity are major issues in today’s migration crises. Looking at today’s rising nationalism, do you see parallels between the struggles of Amerasians after the Vietnam War and marginalized communities today?

Amerasians embody the lasting scars of war—caught between worlds, unwanted by both sides. Today, children born in war zones face the same fate, pushed to society’s margins as painful reminders of the past. Sang refuses to stay trapped in this role, but escaping it is not easy. His struggle mirrors those of many marginalized communities today, especially amid rising nationalism. They are blamed for simply existing, yet their displacement is the result of political choices made long before them. This film isn’t about blame.

Sang’s journey is about the search for identity in a world that constantly defines you. What does his story reveal about self-discovery and belonging?

At the world premiere at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2025

Sang’s journey begins with a deep longing for belonging, shaped by a culture where fatherhood defines identity. Without love and acceptance as a child, he carries a lifelong sense of inadequacy. Over time, he realizes that identity is not fixed but shaped by experience, displacement, and self-discovery. Rather than providing a definitive answer, the film explores what it means to define oneself in a world that imposes labels. By the end, Sang is free from the pain of the past and culture-based expectations. He no longer seeks validation—he follows his own path, breaking free from childhood trauma and forging his own sense of self.

How do you see Sang’s story resonating with contemporary refugee and immigrant experiences? Does his journey reflect the broader impact of immigration policies on those seeking a home in America?

Sang’s journey mirrors the struggles of many immigrants—caught between cultures, seeking belonging in a place that defines them as “other.” More than legal barriers, the film explores the emotional cost of migration—the longing for home, fractured identities, and the need to prove one’s worth. His American family assumes that moving to the U.S. is the best thing for him, but his journey isn’t about seeking a better life—it’s about healing. Branded an outsider since birth, he longs for acceptance and love, only to realize that no place or person can fill that void. The true transformation happens within him. This film also challenges how we perceive migration. We rarely ask why people leave. Conflicts may seem distant, but their ripple effects shape global politics and individual lives, proving how deeply interconnected we all are.

with Sangs family in the US
Backstage during the shooting

The film’s climax centers on Sang’s realization that true healing does not come from proximity to his father but from accepting the past and reclaiming his own narrative. How did this shape the film’s resolution?Sang’s realization that true healing comes not from finding his father but from accepting his past and taking control of his own story deeply influenced the film’s resolution. Rather than offering a conventional reunion or closure, the ending reflects the complexity of identity and the emotional weight of intergenerational trauma. The film shifts from an external search—finding a father—to an internal journey of self-acceptance, emphasizing that healing is not about rewriting the past but about redefining the future. By the final moments, Sang is no longer seeking validation from someone else. Instead, he begins to see himself as whole, regardless of the unresolved pieces of his history. This quieter, more reflective resolution stays true to the film’s observational approach, allowing the audience to sit with the ambiguity of his journey, just as Sang does.

Sang's Sister Mel Tores and Cinematographer Mikael Lypinski, Director - Producer Weronika Mliczewska, Dimitra Kouzi Audience Developer and Co-Producer Michał Sikora in Thessaloniki.

The film follows both Sang and his American family, who discover they have an unwanted member they never knew about. Why did you choose to jump between these two worlds?

In Child of Dust, I wanted to show a rare example of a family taking responsibility for their actions, despite how difficult and uncomfortable that process is. It is deeply concerning that even veterans, who lived through the war, still struggle to see the full scale of its impact—not just on the Vietnamese, but on their own people. Many who killed during the war still justify their actions through propaganda, telling themselves they were fighting communism. This mindset hasn’t faded, and for over 50 years, a human face has been denied to the Vietnamese people. There are no winners in war, and this lack of reflection leaves a dangerous window open for future violence fueled by nationalist and imperialist agendas—without truly understanding the cost.

You used an observational, character-driven approach for your first feature-length documentary. Why did you choose this style over a more traditional “interview” format?

I chose an observational, character-driven approach to immerse viewers in Sang’s world, allowing emotions to unfold naturally. This story is full of raw, life-changing moments, and I wanted the audience to experience them as they happen, rather than through guided explanations. Everyday interactions, body language, and silences often speak louder than words, creating a deeper emotional connection. Skipping direct interviews was an intentional choice—a matter of trust. I trusted the audience to interpret Sang’s journey, and I trusted Sang to reveal himself through action.

How did you use cinematography and sound design to reflect Sang’s emotional journey in the film’s natural soundscapes and visual metaphors?

We used cinematography and sound design to mirror Sang’s inner world. In Vietnam, a handheld camera captures his turmoil with intimate close-ups. In the U.S., wider, static shots emphasize his isolation. Natural soundscapes—traffic hum, distant voices, rustling leaves— immerse the audience in his experience. Instead of a heavy score, silence and subtle ambient sounds amplify his loneliness and moments of connection. By embracing quiet observation and poetic realism, we allow the audience to feel Sang’s journey rather than dictate it.

Enormous press coverage! Featured in Variety, Cineuropa, Business Doc Europe, Screen Daily, Daily Entertainment, Eye for Film, elperfil, Exostis, Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Politic, I-efimerida, MACEDONIA NEWSPAPER, TV100, ERT 3, Flix, El Culture, Cinephilia

What are your main influences in cinema or other art forms?

My biggest influences come from filmmakers who master visual storytelling with a rich atmosphere, character-driven narratives, and subtle humor. Jim Jarmusch has been a major inspiration—his minimalist yet poetic style captures the quiet awkwardness of human interactions. His characters don’t always find resolution, but their journeys—both external and internal—are deeply felt. Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation also influenced me, particularly its introspective tone and themes of alienation. The unexpected, often humorous cultural clashes in that film reflect my own experiences navigating different cultures, especially in Tokyo. For the second part of my film, I drew inspiration from Alexander Payne’s humanistic storytelling. He masterfully balances humor and melancholy in his portrayal of everyday life, an approach that helped me frame Sang’s journey—not just as one of hardship, but of self-discovery, and even moments of quiet absurdity.

How did your studies in anthropology and directing actors influence your filmmaking? My background in anthropology allowed me to approach Child of Dust with deep cultural sensitivity, ensuring Sang’s story was told with authenticity and respect. It helped me observe without imposing, allowing moments to unfold naturally rather than shaping them to fit a preconceived narrative. At the same time, my experience in directing actors influenced how I worked with real people—paying close attention to body language, subtext, and emotion to capture deeply personal, character-driven storytelling. This combination of anthropology and cinematic direction helped create a documentary that feels both observational and immersive, blurring the lines between reality and narrative cinema.

What were the biggest challenges in earning Sang’s trust and authentically portraying a Vietnamese story as a Polish filmmaker?

Sang trusted me because, for the first time, someone truly listened. He knew this film could give voice to a forgotten history. I was fortunate to have a strong Vietnamese team who helped build trust and preserve cultural authenticity. Their insights ensured that Sang’s story was told with care and respect. What moved me most was his strength—the courage to challenge his fate. Despite abandonment and uncertainty, he took control of his story, embracing change even when it meant struggle. His journey is a testament to resilience, proving that identity is not just inherited but shaped by choice.

You are both the director and the producer of this film. Did being the producer influence your creative decisions?

Co-Producer Michał Sikora, Director - Producer Weronika Mliczewska, Sang's Sister Mel Tores and Cinematographer Mikael Lypinski

This film would not have been possible if the roles were different. Who else would have taken on such risks or gone into debt for years to bring this story to life? While I had experience as a producer, this was my first time producing and directing a feature-length documentary. After early setbacks—when no one believed in the project—we ended up securing five co-production partners and two TV stations. That alone speaks to the universal nature of this story. In the end, persistence and unwavering belief made this film happen. I am incredibly proud of the team behind it. Wearing both hats allowed me to maintain creative control while staying adaptable, ensuring that every decision—both artistic and logistical—served the heart of Sang’s journey.

During production, you had a baby. How difficult was it to balance filmmaking, family, and travel across three continents? As a female director, was it particularly challenging to manage a documentary shoot that couldn’t wait?

It was incredibly difficult, but it proved that nothing is impossible. If a female director wants to balance filmmaking, family, and a fulfilling personal life, I can now say: Go for it. It is possible! Rather than conforming to existing structures, we shape reality to fit our needs. I had immense support from my husband, which allowed me to shoot in Vietnam while four months pregnant. I remember sweating in a cramped, sweltering corridor with our protagonist and his family, thinking—this is my dream come true. It wasn’t about comfort; it was about passion. With the support of my husband, his mother, and his sister, we made it work—filming while pregnant, then traveling with our son, ensuring he felt loved and cared for through it all.

How do you see the role of fathers evolving in Western societies?

Fatherhood is shifting beyond the traditional role of provider, with fathers now expected to be more emotionally present. This evolution is why I wanted to explore fatherhood in my film—to question and redefine it across cultures. Regardless of where we begin, being a father reshapes identity, just as it does for mothers. The film suggests that parenting may be our most profound impact on the world, shaping future generations. As my protagonist says, “My home is my family”—a reminder that love, not politics or divisions, should be our foundation.

Weronika Mliczewska and Dimitra Kouzi in Thessaloniki

How did your personal experiences influence your approach to this story?

As a teenager, I was bullied and often felt like an outsider, which drew me to stories of displacement and identity. Beyond filmmaking, I’m also a cultural anthropologist, having studied in the UK, USA, and Poland. All my films have been made in Asia—Japan, India, China, and now Vietnam—exploring characters who exist between worlds. Navigating different cultures shaped my perspective, allowing me to connect with Sang’s journey on a deeper level and portray his story with empathy and authenticity.

What is the most important message about intergenerational trauma in Child of Dust?

Intergenerational trauma isn’t just history—it shapes identity, relationships, and belonging in the present. Sang’s journey asks whether breaking free from this cycle is truly possible. The outcome of his story is unexpected, unfolding in ways we couldn’t predict—just like life itself. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond. And that’s Sang’s greatest strength. Some may see his story as tragic, but to me, he’s a winner. He took a risk, fulfilled his dream, and finally moved forward. If his journey inspires even one person, I’ve done my job.

What kinds of audiences do you seek for this film? How do you think different audiences will relate to Sang’s quest for identity?

This is a film about human connection, loss, and resilience—themes that transcend borders and speak to a global audience.

What do you hope for Child of Dust and its impact on global conversations about war, trauma, and reconciliation?

My goal is for the film to not only shed light on the forgotten stories of Amerasians but also to show how the consequences of war continue to shape lives across generations. More than anything, I want this film to highlight how imperialism and propaganda create divisions, fueling violence while justifying violence, even genocide. By making this film, I am making a statement: we need to heal from the past and focus on offering love to our children, ensuring history doesn’t repeat itself.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Child of Dust won a Special Mention at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2025 International Competition

Watch the trailer

Access Child of Dust Press Kit

Articles, Doc-making, EN, Festivals, Screenings-Events

passage to Europe 

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

-------------------------------------------------

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.