Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival 2025 to explore AI and recent Greek history
'The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival takes place this year in a critical moment for our broader neighbourhood, Europe, but also for the whole world,' the Festival's team, including General Director Elise Jalladeau, said in a statement. According to the organisers, the films screened 'portray and unveil what we experience in our precarious times' and, crucially, 'urge us to take a good hard look at the raw reality and reappraise the preciousness of cinema, while reminding us that truth can never be relevant or dubious'.
Opening the festival on 6 March is About a Hero (2024) by Piotr Winiewicz, a fascinating film based on a script written by an AI trained on the works of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog. This unique film will surely set the tone for a festival that promises to challenge perceptions and push creative boundaries.
Closing the event will be Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (2025), a documentary directed by Shoshannah Stern about the first deaf recipient of an Academy Award for acting, Marlee Matlin.
A highlight of the festival will be the tribute to Artificial Intelligence, titled AI: An Inevitable Intelligence – delving into the shifting boundaries between the man-made and the digital world, inviting viewers to reflect on AI's growing presence in our daily lives.
This exciting exploration includes a selection of thought-provoking documentaries and an intriguing visual installation called 'LAUREN: Anyone Home?' by artist Lauren Lee McCarthy. Additionally, there will be a special AI-themed masterclass for filmmakers and – in the spirit of experimentation – the Festival's magazine, First Shot, will be co-created this year with the help of AI.
The festival will also feature a special tribute titled "Geography of the Gaze: Off-Plan Greece (1950-2000)'. This collection of 19 documentary films offers a unique exploration of Greece's social, political, and cultural life in the latter half of the 20th century.
Highlighting rare and lesser-known works, the tribute includes the recently rediscovered Kastoria (1969) by Takis Kanellopoulos, along with Gazaros Serron (1974) and Prespes (1966) by Takis Hatzopoulos.
Previous tributes include LGBTQI+ documentary cinema and films focusing on Thessaloniki's Jewish community.
This year's festival will also shine a spotlight on two prominent filmmakers, Nicolas Philibert and Lauren Greenfield. Philibert, known for his usually moving documentaries, will also host a masterclass, while Greenfield will present her impactful films, which critique the toxic side of hyperconsumerism.
In addition to the tributes, the festival will feature a range of competition sections, including the International Competition, Newcomers Competition, and Film Forward, which showcases experimental works. The festival will also highlight Greek documentaries, with 71 films on offer overall. A particularly anticipated screening will be premiere of Mysterious Deaths in Ancient Greece: Olympias. Thirst for Power (2025), a chilling investigation into the deaths of ancient Greek figures.
If you're unable to attend in person, make some popcorn and stream some cinematic gems on the festival's digital platform.
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