22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

The 22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival moved online. It was originally scheduled in March, and changed to May 19 – 28, 2020. The essential sections were – at least partially – moved to the online version. Also the juries (among them the critics’ jury) worked online.

Prize, International Competition Feature Length section: Welcome to Chechnya by David France (USA, 2020, 107 min). Motivation: “In these unprecedented times, sociopolitical activism is more essential than ever. As the lock-down has made it easier for the white, straight, male populists around the world to impose their extreme policies, Welcome To Chechnya by David France gives voice to the voiceless: women and the LGBTQ communities that are always the first to suffer when our freedoms of speech and expression are pushed to breaking point. And it does so by uncovering the little known, shocking truth and its cost, using deep fake techniques, like digital face alterations. How apt and effectively ironic.” Print source: Public Square Films, igor@publicsquarefilms.com.

Prize, best Greek film participating in the international program: The Music of Things by Menios Carayannis (Greece, 2020, 90 min). Motivation: “There are films that, beyond offering information, pave the way for new realities and help us develop a sensitivity for space and time, for sounds, images and materials. These films let us discover the beauties and peculiarities of our surroundings. The world right next to you gets alive, vibrant, and it is a challenge to explore it. Imagine how much less people would need to consume, if they could develop these capacities. And how careful (our) life could be. “The Music of Things” by Menios Carayannis is such a film.” Print source: Menios Carayannis, men.carayan@gmail.com