Ten Greek films will screen at TIFF this year as the City to City programme turns its focus on Athens. The Greek capital has seen it’s share of conflict in the wake of the global economic downturn, and programmers say those themes are reflected in the films assembled by lead programmer Dimitris Eipidis, TIFF’s international program chief and director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The slate of films includes a mix of world premieres, award-winning features from the last four years, and some directorial debuts from emerging Greek Filmmakers.
September – Dir. Penny Panayotopoulou
Anna (Kora Karvouni), a solitary, self-sufficient thirty-year-old, lives a life of modest contentment until the sudden death of her beloved collie.
Wasted Youth – Dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos
Based on a violent real-life event that shook Athens, this drama about a frustrated policeman and a teenage skateboarder set to cross paths during a scorching summer day goes from a steady boil to a furious finale, simultaneously indicting Greek corruption and serving as an homage to its multifaceted capital.
JACE (Just Another Confused Elephant) – Dir. Menelaos Karamaghiolis
Witness to his mother’s brutal murder, Jace, an Albanian boy of Greek origin, keeps falling into the hands of violent gangsters, who end up smuggling him to Athens.
Wild Duck – Dir. Yannis Sakaridis
A pair of telecom engineers set out to investigate hacker activity but make a scandalous discovery.
Miss Violence – Dir. Alexandros Avranas
This chilling and incisive drama recounts an 11-year-old girl’s inexplicable suicide and the family secrets that surround the tragedy.
The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas – Dir. Elina Psykou
After twenty years in the television business, Antonis Paraskevas, Greece’s top morning talk-show host, mysteriously disappears. The nation suspects a kidnapping, and the ratings go through the roof. For the first time in years, people are praising the work of this once-adored entertainment icon. It couldn’t have gone better if Antonis had planned it himself – which, of course, he did.
To the Wolf – Dir. Christina Koutsospyrou and Aran Hughes
A foggy village full of goat farms in the mountains of rural Greece sets the scene for a timely portrait of economic collapse in this thought-provoking first feature by directors Christina Koutsospyrou and Aran Hughes.
Standing Aside, Watching – Dir. Yorgos Servetas
Antigone returns from Athens to her troubled hometown, determined to keep a low profile. But this is a complex, difficult woman and her run-ins with the town’s brutish men set a dramatic series of events in motion.
Unfair World – Dir. Filippos Tsitos
A black comedy about a 60-year-old cash-strapped police officer named Sotiris who is fed up with his job, and embarks on an ambitious scheme which results in the death of a corrupt security guard.
The Daughter – Dir. Thanos Anastopoulos
Taking inspiration from the financial crisis that continues to devastate Greece, the third feature from Thanos Anastopoulos is a taut and timely thriller as well as an artful political allegory, about a teenage girl who abducts the young son of the man she blames for her own father’s bankruptcy.
For schedule and ticket details visit tiff.net
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