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EDINBURGH GREEK FILM FESTIVAL 2014 Hard times force Greek fi lmmakers to tell new stories
G reece has had it tough lately. Systemic political corruption, over-reliance on foreign investment and, finally, the global financial crisis set its economy reeling. Public discontent and police brutality led to urban violence and the rise of a far-right extremist party. It didn’t help when international commentators repeated the sneer that Greeks are lazy, even though they work longer hours than any other population in Europe.
Greek cinema, to be fair, hasn’t always been inspiring. For years, it’s tended to produce ponderous historical dramas, dodgy sex comedies or second-rate arthouse experimentalism. Even a world-class director like the late Theo Angelopoulos was more respected for his stately style than for economical storytelling. But the Greeks didn’t invent the word ‘crisis’ for nothing. According to Kevin Anderson and Katy Logotheti-Anderson, organisers of Edinburgh’s Greek Film Festival, the nation’s filmmakers are interested increasingly
58 THE LIST 13 Nov–11 Dec 2014
in facing ugly facts about their national life. ‘Greece has had to think about itself differently,’ says Kevin Anderson. The ongoing social problems, evidenced by the Greek government’s long-hoped-for slapdown of the increasingly criminalised far-right, are showing up in the country’s cinema. Films like Yorgos Tsemberopoulos’ The Enemy Within and Alexandros Avranas’ Miss Violence are, in their different ways, brutal critiques of patriarchal conservatism, while Constantina Voulgaris’ All Cats Are Brilliant? (pictured) is a funny and moving family drama, set in a society in turmoil.
Logotheti-Anderson is in no doubt about the global relevance of the new Greek cinema: ‘These films are not just about Greece. They are international. The very fact that they are being made brings light to the end of the tunnel.’ (Alex Johnston)
Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Nov–Thu 4 Dec.
HITLIST THE BEST FILM RELEASES & EVENTS
✽ The Drop Dennis Lehane adapts one of his short stories into a smart crime-thriller,
starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini in one of his final roles. See review, page 60. General release from Fri 14 Nov.
✽ The Imitation Game Benedict Cumberbatch hangs up his Calabash to
play World War II codebreaker Alan Turing. It’s a brilliant portrayal and a touching drama. See review, page 59. General release from Fri 14 Nov.
✽ Winter Sleep Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan delivers a wonderfully potent – but epically long – family drama. See review, page 60. Selected release from Fri 21 Nov.
✽ Teknowomen As part of the BFI’s Sci- Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder series, GFT
explores the role of women in sci-fi film history. See feature, page 18. Glasgow Film Theatre, Sun 23 Nov–Sat 6 Dec.
✽ 2001: A Space
Odyssey An incredible 46 years after its release, Kubrick’s magnum opus is still the yardstick by which science-fiction films are measured. This new BFI restoration lets today’s audiences enjoy it on the big screen. Selected release from Fri 28 Nov.
✽ Stations of the Cross Provocative drama from Dietrich Brüggemann, which uses the visual cues of religious art to take a look at indoctrination. See review, page 61 and director profile, page 63. Selected release from Fri 28 Nov.
✽ Edinburgh Greek Film Festival See preview, left. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 28
Nov–Thu 4 Dec.