Orestis Andreadakis is artistic director of both the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (TIDF), the 26th edition of which opens today, March 7, and of the Thessaloniki Festival, held in November.
A critic and curator, he is also a published poet. On the eve of this year’s TIDF, Andreadakis is enthusiastic about what he believes is “one of the strongest selections we have ever had”.
The festival opens with a movie by an Oscar winner, Fernando Trueba’s animated docudrama They Shot The Piano Player. Spanish master Trueba picked up his Academy Award for Belle Epoque a 1992 drama starring a young Penelope Cruz,and Trueba will also receive the festival’s honorary Golden Alexander.
Another special guest is Greek artist, director and designer Dimitris Papaioannou who provided one of his sketches for this year’s TIDF poster. He will be in Thessaloniki to present his video installation Inside. His short films Nowhere and Primal Matter are also screening. International audiences probably know him best as artistic director of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The overall festival selection includes 250 documentaries of which 112 are world, international or European premieres.
Andreadakis claims the festival is now back at “pre-pandemic levels in terms of attendance and audience engagement.”
The international competition includes the world premiere of Enrique Sánchez Lansch’s Pol Pot Dancing, which tells the story of how a star dancer at the Cambodian royal court raises her husband’s little brother without realising he is future dictator Pol Pot, and Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori’s Johatsu – Into Thin Air, about so-called ‘night movers’ in Japan who help people vanish from their established lives without a trace.
Andreadakis talks to Screen about the unique significance of a documentary festival, the introduction of the Citzen Queer programme and why there is a screening of Navalny
What about Fernando Trueba’s They Shot The Piano caught your imagination?
Fernando Trueba’s work is fascinating and it reaches a lot of fields, music, animation, documentary. He has also just finished shooting a film in Greece, with Matt Dillon [Haunted Heart sold by Film Constellation]. He is always looking for the next project and is a pioneer in how he approaches the art of cinema. They Shot the Piano Player is a movie filled with music and that unravels in the form of a political thriller. It combines elements of animation, documentary, archive material, fiction.
Please tell us about why you have introduced the Citizen Queer programme and the films it is showcasing?
Recently Greece legalised same-sex marriages, a landmark decision that will hopefully change the lives of hundreds of Greek citizens. But even before this decision we felt that it was crucial to organise a tribute that would shed light to the liberating act of self-determination.
We chose different films, historical documents on the evolution of the LGBTQI+ movement, stories of everyday life, conveying both a personal and universal message, aiming at wide gamut of issues related to the LGBTQI+ movement, from the origins of its representation and the struggles for equal rights to the forging of its new identity and the benchmark artists that marked its history.
The positive change of scenery with the legalisation of same-sex marriages, the Festival’s Citizen Queer tribute and the upcoming EuroPride 2024, scheduled to be held in Thessaloniki in June 2024, are all links to the common chain of visibility, freedom and dismissal of obsolete mentalities.
How would you characterise the relationship between Thessaloniki’s fiction festival and the documentary festival?
Both festivals carry a long history behind them, constantly seeking ways to evolve, expand and broaden their horizons. In reality, it’s like having two hearts beating to the same drum, sharing common goals and visions, each with its own trademark and solid identity, avoiding with ease the danger of overlapping.
We are very proud of hosting two large-scale festivals of such amplitude and versatility, along with all-year-long screening activity in four cinemas.
Please talk about the events you have organised to celebrate 50 years of democracy in Greece. Why is it so important to mark this evenand how did you choose the films?
We wanted to pay homage to the restoration of democracy and to the brave anti-dictatorship struggle. Democracy is not only a form of government but it is a way of life and the films that are screened in the framework of this mini-tribute remind us of this. This tribute, also accompanied by a series of sidebar events, such as a book presentation and an open discussion, serves a twofold purpose. On one hand, to render homage to legendary historical events and brave personalities who fought for the democratic ideals. On the other hand, to signal a warning bell against the dangers of complacence, corruption and nepotism that threaten the very core of the democratic regime.
How are you dealing with the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine? How do you ensure the festival is a space of constructive dialogue but also of legitimate protest?
The festival has a responsibility to give floor and voice to those who need it. It does not listen to the extreme voices of hatred; it is always on the side of peace. The festival is a meeting point where professionals from all over the world, without discrimination, get together and collaborate.
Of course, we do not select the artistic works or the artists on the basis of gender, race, colour, national or social origin, language, religion and sexual orientation. Yet for another year, the festival welcomes films, projects and professionals from the Middle East. This year, in Agora, the industry event of the festival, we have a project in development from Palestine [If These Stones Could Talk directed by Hana Elias] , as well as a project from Israel in Agora Docs in Progress [The First Lady by Udi Nir, Sagi Bornstein} And of course there have been films from Israel and the Arab world screened at the festival, in the past [for example Talak Derki, Heba Khaled and Ali Wajee’s Syrian doc Under The Sky Of Damascus last year].
Why did you decide to screen Daniel Roher’s film Navalny?
Last year we did not have the opportunity to screen the documentary, however we were really impressed by its power and depiction of the situation in Russia, as well as of the way it handles the legacy of Alexei Navalny. The recent events, following the tragic death of Alexei Navalny, asserted in the most blatant way the need to bring forth movies such as Navalny, which stand up against totalitarianism, censorship and oppression. It is an honour for us to screen this particular film.
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