Latest news with #ThessalonikiIntl.DocumentaryFestival
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Head on Power of Art to ‘Preserve Reality' With Truth, Democracy Under Threat
As the Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival prepares to host its 27th edition, which runs March 6 – 16, festival director Orestis Andreadakis sees no shortage of threats to truth, freedom and the values on which the democratic order is based. 'Four months have passed since the [Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival], but it seems like we're already living in a completely different world — unfortunately, not a better one,' Andreadakis tells Variety. Likening the times to 'a historical documentary about the 1930s, screened backwards,' he describes world events as 'an educational documentary that taught us nothing. It is a testimony for the horror of fascism and totalitarianism that it seems we have forgotten,' he continues. 'It is a film record of a horrific historical reality that some are trying to repeat in the worst possible way.' More from Variety 'We Live Here,' About a Former Soviet Nuclear Test Site, Boarded by Syndicado Ahead of CPH:DOX Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) 'Adobe of Down,' About a Religious Community in Siberia, Picked Up by Taskovski Ahead of CPH:DOX Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Greenwich Entertainment Acquires Peter Miller's 'Marcella,' Sets May Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE) This year's festival begins hardly a fortnight after Russia's war in Ukraine marked its three-year anniversary, and as a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza seeking to put an end to that bloody conflict appears in jeopardy. In the U.S., President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented assault on personal liberties and political norms in his first six weeks in office. Meanwhile, Europe's continued rightward turn was solidified by recent elections in Germany, where the far-right AfD party secured 20% of the popular vote. While widespread unrest and uncertainty could make the very notion of a documentary film festival seem quaint, however, Andreadakis insists such events underscore the importance of art as a 'bulwark' against the assaults on our fundamental principles 'as the value of truth is in danger of becoming irrelevant.' 'The art of documentary tries to preserve reality. This is the most important thing in our difficult times. To realize what is truth, what is reality,' he says. The films screening at this year's Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 'portray and unveil what we experience in our precarious times.' The festival kicks off March 6 with 'About a Hero' (pictured), director Piotr Winiewicz's AI-assisted documentary that takes aim at German auteur Werner Herzog — who has been loudly dismissive of artificial intelligence — by creating an artificial version of a Herzog film. The closing film, Shoshannah Stern's 'Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore,' which arrives fresh off a well-received Sundance premiere, tells the story of the titular, trailblazing actor who in 1986 became the first deaf person to win an Oscar. Across the festival's three main competition sections and diverse programming strands, a total of 261 documentaries will be screened, including 72 world, 40 international and 11 European premieres. Among them are 71 feature and short films from the host nation, reflecting Andreadakis and the programming team's commitment to the Thessaloniki Doc Fest as a 'showcase of the Greek industry.' Highlights from the international competition, which sees 10 films vying for the Golden Alexander, include a trio of documentaries coming off Sundance premieres — 'Coexistence, My Ass!,' Amber Fares' portrait of Israeli activist and comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi; Jesse Short Bull and David France's 'Free Leonard Peltier,' about the Native American activist who spent nearly half a century in prison; and Gianluca Matarrese's 'GEN_,' about an unconventional doctor at a fertility clinic in Milan — as well as Juanjo Pereira's 'Under the Flags, the Sun,' which follows the discovery of an audiovisual archive documenting Paraguay's 35-year dictatorship, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival. World premieres in the main competition include 'Sculpted Souls,' the latest documentary from veteran Greek filmmaker Stavros Psillakis, which follows a Swiss dentist who's spent nearly three decades treating lepers in Greece for free, and 'Child of Dust,' by Polish filmmaker Weronika Mliczewska, about the child of an American soldier left behind during the Vietnam War who seeks to reconnect with his father in the U.S. Other festival highlights include a screening of Steve Pink's 'The Last Republican,' which follows the efforts of former Republican politician Adam Kinzinger to bring Donald Trump to justice after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as well as a sidebar dedicated to the rise of artificial intelligence which includes a screening of Tilda Swinton's directorial debut, 'The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze.' An honorary Golden Alexander will be awarded to French filmmaker Nicolas Philibert, who will deliver a masterclass on March 8, and whose prolific career will be celebrated with a screening of films including BAFTA nominee 'To Be and To Have' and Berlin Golden Bear winner 'On the Adamant.' American documentary filmmaker and multi-hyphenate artist Lauren Greenfield will also be honored with a tribute to her award-winning body of work that includes Sundance prizewinner 'The Queen of Versailles' and her most recent project, the documentary series 'Social Studies.' Greenfield will deliver a masterclass on March 13. The festival's 27th edition begins just days removed from massive protests on the two-year anniversary of the Tempe railway disaster that claimed 57 lives, with hundreds of thousands of Greeks taking to the streets in what have been described as the country's largest protests since the fall of the military junta in 1974. The Tempe tragedy, which took place on the eve of the festival's 25th edition, prompted the organizers to cancel that year's opening ceremony amid an unprecedented national outpouring of anger and grief. Two years later, with memories of that tragic day still fresh, more protests are planned in Thessaloniki and across Greece, as the country seeks justice for the tragic loss of so many lives. Against that backdrop, this year's festival hopes to accomplish what so many documentary filmmakers set out to achieve: to bear witness, spark debate, speak truth to power, and provide some measure of comfort and community in tumultuous times. 'Thessaloniki is a city that carries memory and history. It's a place that knows about geopolitical tensions, and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival has always been a place of dialogue, of freedom, of culture,' says Andreadakis. 'This is the most important thing. Because art is one of the most powerful weapons of democracy.' The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival runs March 6 – 16. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Coexistence, My Ass!,' ‘Free Leonard Peltier,' ‘GEN_' Among Competition Lineup at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival has unveiled the International Competition lineup for its 27th edition, which runs March 6-16. The selection includes three films that had their world premieres at Sundance, 'Coexistence, My Ass!,' 'Free Leonard Peltier' and 'GEN_,' and one that debuts at Berlin, 'Under the Flags, the Sun.' The rest are world premieres. The top prize, the Golden Alexander, is accompanied by a cash prize of 12,000 euros, and the Silver Alexander is accompanied by a cash prize of 5,000 euros. The festival is an Oscar qualifying festival and the film that wins the Golden Alexander will automatically be eligible to submit for Academy Awards consideration in the Documentary Feature category. More from Variety 'Under the Flags, the Sun,' About Paraguay's 35-Year Dictatorship, Acquired by Cinephil Ahead of Berlinale Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Alex Ross Perry Says Christopher Nolan's 'Miraculous' 'Dunkirk' Was Main Inspiration for 'Pavements,' Calls Out 'Unforgivable' Scripts Netflix Nearing $5 Million Deal for 'Perfect Neighbor,' Sundance Documentary About Florida's Stand Your Ground Law (EXCLUSIVE) Here's the lineup of the International Competition:'Bull's Heart,' Eva Stefani, Greece (world premiere)Why do we do what we do? This documentary offers an intimate portrait of renowned choreographer and visual artist Dimitris Papaioannou, exploring his creative process. It follows him behind the scenes and during the tour of his show, 'Transverse Orientation,' revealing an existential journey as he seeks meaning in a chaotic world. 'Sculpted Souls,' Stavros Psillakis, Greece (world premiere)Swiss dentist Julien Grivel for 26 years treating Hansenites (lepers) for free in Greece. An experience that helped him see the world and life differently. 'By adopting the language of the Greeks, I unconsciously adopted their thinking,' he says. His friendship with Manolis Fountoulakis (ex-Hansenite) was a catalyst. 'The Goals of August,' Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, Greece (world premiere)A kaleidoscope of events, incidents and moments from the everyday life of a village in southern Pindos mountains during an impromptu soccer tournament. The documentary's aim is to create, through observation, an 'impressionistic' portrait of a small community in summer. A portrait with light and shadows, charming and sometimes frightening, which despite its contradictions is, above all, unexpectedly alive and genuine. 'Child of Dust,' Weronika Mliczewska (world premiere)Sang is one of countless children left behind by American soldiers after the Vietnam War—unwanted, discriminated against, and scarred by a war that took more than just his father. When Sang unexpectedly finds his gravely ill father in the U.S., he becomes determined to meet him, even though it comes at a price. The only way to fulfil this need is to move to the U.S. permanently, leaving behind his beloved wife, daughter and grandson. In this foreign land, he struggles to find his place—not only in a society that sees him as an outsider but also within an American family that never knew of his existence. Cultural barriers collide as the past catches up with the present in the least expected ways. 'Coexistence, My Ass!,' Amber Fares, U.S.-France (international premiere)'Coexistence My Ass!' follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she builds a comedy show by the same name. Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam's journey in tandem with the region's steady deterioration. Raised in a bilingual Israeli-Palestinian village — the only intentionally integrated community in the country — Noam grows disillusioned with traditional peace activism. She pivots to stand-up and quickly attracts attention across the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her falls apart. With biting, warm satire, Noam pushes her audiences to face difficult truths — and offers an inspiring model for the future. 'Free Leonard Peltier,' Jesse Short Bull and David France, U.S. (international premiere)Directed by Jesse Short Bull ('Lakota Nation vs. the United States') and David France ('How to Survive a Plague,' 'The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson,' and 'Welcome to Chechnya'), and produced by Bird Runningwater. Leonard Peltier, one of the surviving leaders of the American Indian Movement, has been in prison for 50 years following a contentious conviction. A new generation of Native American activists is committed to winning his freedom before he dies. 'GEN_,' Gianluca Matarrese, France-Italy-Switzerland (European premiere)At Milan's Niguarda Public Hospital, Dr. Maurizio Bini leads an inspiring and unconventional mission to transform lives through fertility and gender affirmation care. Balancing the dreams of aspiring parents with the journeys of individuals reconciling their gender identities, he creates a compassionate and empowering space where humor often lightens even the heaviest moments. In a politically charged environment that tests medical ethics, Dr. Bini defies societal constraints to offer hope, humanity, and healing, making a profound difference with both expertise and heart. 'Kick-Off,' Roser Corella and Stefano Obino, Germany (world premiere)In a small village in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where conservative traditions confine women to domestic duties, Gazi challenges the status quo by organizing a women's soccer tournament. As she strives to empower the women and break social taboos, Gazi must navigate through cultural resistance, unveiling a story of resilience, and social change in this unique setting. 'Supernatural,' Bonaventura Durall, Spain-Belgium-France (world premiere)Mathu, a medical doctor, grew into the complete opposite of his father, Malby, a spiritual healer. When Anna, who believes Malby cured her anorexia, invites Mathu to meet him, Mathu confronts his strained relationship with his father and the divide between their beliefs: science versus magic. In 'Supernatural,' two opposing worldviews explore coexistence; sometimes conflicting, sometimes seeking common ground. 'Under the Flags, the Sun,' Juanjo Pereira, Paraguay-Argentina-U.S.-France-Germany (international premiere)In 1989, the fall of Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year dictatorship in Paraguay marked the end of one of the world's longest authoritarian regimes, but also the abandonment of the audiovisual archives that had cemented its power. This footage, crafted to shape a national identity and celebrate the regime, was left to fade from memory. Decades later, a trove of unseen and long forgotten footage has been recovered from Paraguay and abroad, revealing the hidden mechanisms of power behind Stroessner's rule. 'Under the Flags, the Sun' is a visual experience through the history of the media, an archeology of the present in a country where the descendants of the regime's leaders still rule. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
