All is Drama! In his correspondence from the festival’s 47th edition, Panos Achtsioglou praises the best of the short film medium for being daring and often pushing boundaries, making them not just a necessary step towards feature films but also as autonomous and unique filmic entities, forming a vibrant and pulsating cell of world cinema.
The Drama International Short Film Festival officially lifted the curtains of its 47th edition on Monday September 2nd, showcasing films, opening debates, organizing press conferences, and offering both its visitors and the steady cinephile audience of the city of Eastern Macedonia a glimpse into the impressively diverse, uniquely sensitive, and effortlessly creative world of short films. For the 47th year, a festival that timidly took its first steps as a national initiative by the Drama Film Club (and later, in 1995 achieved its international status) now reaffirms its position as the most important meeting point for short filmmakers in Greece, as well as one of the most evolving, welcoming, and extrovert cinematic institutions in the country.
The festival’s flagship events are its two main competition programs, the International and National competitions. In particular, the National competition has consistently served as a springboard for the recognition of the talent of its predominantly young creators and gradually served as a stepping stone for their further artistic development in the Greek film industry. Yet, short films (often wrongly marginalized by mainstream audiences) are autonomous and unique filmic entities, forming a vibrant and pulsating cell of world cinema. They can be approached as a pure form of expression and creation, free from the commercial demands, obligations, and agendas that often accompany their feature-length counterparts. Short films can provide filmmakers with the tools to openly contemplate about all those themes that often do not fit, are not approved, or are not promoted by the system of cinematic ‘normalcy’. Despite their short duration, these films dare to say so much, to spark reflection, and often push boundaries, making them not just a necessary step towards feature films but also a result of autonomous and tremendously creative artistic expression. They are able to encompass all aspects, typologies, rules and disruptions, genres, conventions, emotions, and concerns that accompany the global cinematic reality.
That being said, the Drama International Short Film Festival is not limited to its two main competition sections (although the International and National competitions usually attract the most attention, as expected). For about a week, the city lives and breathes the air of cinema, hosting engaging masterclasses, theoretical and practical discussions around the value, identity, and future of short films, literary gatherings, press conferences, ‘therapeutic’ film sessions, and countless screenings of short films made by students, animators, local creators, educational activities, and much more. The response from the local community is, as always, enormous, and the large numbers of attendance of both spectators and professionals simply proves the significance and multi-level impact of the festival, which grows and matures year after year. Thus, paraphrasing the famous title of Pantelis Voulgaris’ film (also the official slogan of the festival), “All is Drama!” this year too.
Trying to unravel some of the highlights of the National Competition Program, Honeymoon by Alki Papastathopoulos depicts tenderly yet unflinchingly the hidden love between two trans young individuals, Faye and Sandra, while trying to cope with a reality of violence and abuse. Faye has decided to leave Greece for good, and Sandra accompanies her to the bus station. When yet another transphobic attack leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, emotions find a way to flood the screen and rational decisions are cast aside in the face of the raw power of love. The persistent close-ups along with the contrast created between the harshness of the environment and the characters’ tender interactions result in a fascinating artistic outcome of a film that explores its queer themes with both realism and optimism.
Through an excellent art direction and meticulous attention to detail, Zange by Iris Baglanea tells the story of two young girls living with their pregnant mother and severely ill father in an isolated house, somewhere in the Messolonghi wetlands. The film seems to balance between the arrival of a new life and the end of another, observed through the tender yet disarmingly honest perspective of the two sisters, who face the mysteries of birth and death with an unpretentious stoicism and a unique expressiveness; something that gradually fades during adulthood.
In 7Hz by Maria Hatzakou, a woman is trapped in a phone booth in the middle of nowhere, as the narrative slowly reveals a story of dystopian social oppression. Meanwhile, MJ by Giorgos Fourtounis examines the deceptive allure of social media fame, which meticulously hides immeasurable sadness, insecurity, and loneliness beneath fake jewelry, poorly designed tattoos, and rented luxury cars.
Nicoletta Leousi’s Non-essential movement presents a uniquely melancholic ode to the city bus and its passengers, purposefully blending cinematic genres and conventions. Christos Zenios, with Pakistani, films the efforts of a conscientious funeral director to discover the identity of a deceased migrant, while subtly commenting on the state’s indifference in the face of the humanitarian crisis.
Vaggelio Soumeli’s Phoebe traces the journey of a young woman – just before the end of her rehabilitation program – attempting to regain custody of her young son, through a visit to the prison where his father is held. Finally, Athina Pavlou-Benazi delivers one of the festival’s most heartbreaking and expressive performances, complemented by the silent mourning of young Gogo Kovatsi, who is trying to accept the death of a classmate in Despina Kourti’s unpretentiously moving Numb.
Panos Achtsioglou
Edited by Steven Yates
© FIPRESCI 2024