Sydney hosts a film tribute
all the way from Greece!
Sydneysiders will now have the opportunity to enjoy a series of docos, films,
shorts, features, colour and black
& white gems from 1956 to 2007 all the way
from Greece, in a film tribute, titled “Immigration in Greek Cinema” that will be
screened from Sept 2 -10 at the Factory Theatre.
The retrospective, first screened in the greek section of the prestigious Thessaloniki
International Film Festival.
Most will agree with Despina Mouzaki, director of the Thessaloniki International Film
Festival, when she says that “Immigration, is a subject that will never date, and
expects each new era to create the cinematic narratives that express it best”.
“Immigration in Greek Cinema” will no doubt strike a cord with the Australian community,
given that it deals with a social issue that many will relate to both directly and indirectly.
This cinematic journey will take viewers within and beyond the borders of Greece, to
countries like France and Germany amongst others.
The retrospective aims to provide a representative picture of the way Greek filmmakers
have approached the subject over the years. To date, these approaches have ranged from
the so called old Greek cinema’s tales of rich Greek immigrants returning from
abroad, to
more recent productions
in which the immigrant/alien attempts to integrate into
contemporary Greek society, with interesting films along the way dealing with the condition
of Greek immigrants in Europe and the communities of the Greek diaspora.
“The works selected
also represent the way in which cinematic narratives
centering on
immigration have altered over time inline with more general changes in Greek cinema:
through the cinema of genres, through the signature style of the auteurs, through
documentaries and fiction, and finally – for the time being – through the
mixing of genres
and techniques,” adds Despina Mouzaki.
The film tribute has been brought to Sydney, very appropriately, by Australia’s oldest (non-
English) community organisation founded in 1898; namely, the Greek Orthodox
Community of NSW, organisers of the very successful annual Greek Film Festival and Greek
Festival of Sydney. It was brought to Sydney as part of its 110th anniversary celebrations,
in association with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and Century Venues.
“Given that we are a nation of migrants, and there are no language barriers, nor borders in
cinema, I am sure this film tribute week will appeal to the wider Australian community”
says Harry Danalis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW.
In addition to the screening of documentaries and movies, there will also be a special
discussion forum on the theme of immigration, a free event, on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at the
Factory Theatre.
When: Sept 2 -10, 2008
Where: Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville, Sydney. Box office: (02) 9550 3666
Tickets: $9 (concession) $11 (adults) including booking fee.
Opening Night: $25 (includes food and drinks)
All films have English subtitles. Viewing restricted to persons aged 18 and over.
Media enquiries and further information:
Kosta Nikas, Event Manager, Tel: (02) 9750 0440, Mobile: 0413 705 046
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