As the meeting point of the Greek film industry, the twenty-one fiction films and four documentaries that composed the Greek selection of the 45th International Film Festival of Thessaloniki were at the center of discussion between audiences, critics and filmmakers. The screenings may have been well-attended, but rarely did the films meet the audiences’ expectations. The hopes of the new Greek cinema didn’t propose anything different. The most calibrated (and conventional) films were by the older generation: Pantelis Voulgaris (Brides), Yorgos Karypidis (Utopia), Tassos Psarras (Dust), Nikos Panayotopoulos (Delivery ).
And the younger directors did not inspire, either. This was noted by the Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK), with its award announcement, which mentioned that: 1) the Greek film production highlighted the shortcomings in the cultural education of our country, and 2) Greek directors are detached from reality.
The comparison allowed by an international festival only makes this clearer. In this negative climate we single out the more interesting and daring approaches of two young directors, Real Life by Panos Koutras, and CC TV by Vassilis Katsikis.
Some directors were upset by the turnout of the awards.
Stratos Kersanidis
© FIPRESCI 2004