Enhanced accessibility screening at the 28th TiDF

Within the framework of the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Dimitris Koutsiabasakos’ multi award-winning documentary Heracles, Acheloos And My Granny (1997) was screened on Saturday, March 7 with enhanced accessibility features.

Committed to the vision of an inclusive cinema, TFF expanded its accessible initiatives in this year’s edition through a truly pioneering endeavor. For the first time in Greece, a documentary was screened under enhanced accessibility conditions through the use of film pictograms (FilmpiX), further enhancing the viewing experience for neurodiverse audiences. The screening was also sensory-friendly, with reduced sound and lighting levels to ensure that people on the autism spectrum could enjoy the film comfortably.

The Festival’s Artistic Director, Orestis Andreadakis, welcomed the audience: “Once again, I’m delighted to welcome you to yet another accessible screening of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, made possible with the support of Alpha Bank, the Festival's accessibility sponsor. This is a screening accessible not only to deaf, hard of hearing, and visually impaired audiences, but, for the first time, also to neurodiverse viewers. I’d like to thank Emmanouela Patiniotaki, an accessibility specialist who assists us with these screenings, as well as Thanasis Papantonopoulos, who has made this special addition for neurodiverse audiences.”

Next, Mr. Papantonopoulos, IRIS ACCESS Social Cooperative Enterprise, took the floor to speak about the interventions that ensure enhanced accessibility for the documentary screening: “Essentially, we add another initiative to the ones that already exist, based on pictograms (FilmpiX). These pictograms are not drawn from a database but from the film itself. We had to create approximately 500 pictures related to the film, following an analysis of each part. This is what differentiates it from other accessibility initiatives; the pictograms provide explanations for neurodiverse audiences, not merely information.”

In turn, Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, the film’s director, expressed his gratitude to the Festival for the invitation and the opportunity to have his documentary shown as part of such a memorable initiative: “I feel deeply touched, as it has been 30 years since we shot the film, and I feel very honored and proud that it is being screened in this context. It is a great honor for the film. I hope that, even after three decades, it will still resonate with you and that you enjoy it. Congratulations again on your initiative.”

My grandmother lived to be 100 years old. She saw the film at a profoundly moving screening in Trikala, where a large audience had gathered. This brought her immense joy. - Dimitris Koutsiabasakos

The audience then watched the documentary Hercules, Acheloos and My Grandmother. Following the screening, an engaging discussion took place with the director about the film's timely environmental message, even 30 years after its premiere, as well as the conditions under which the film was shot. The director was also asked to share behind-the-scenes stories about his late grandmother, and to explain how the film, through its filming location, the village of Armatoliko, is connected to his most recent documentary, titled The Goals of August. He noted that places of origin can speak in a remarkably insightful way about the present and the way we organize our social life.

Subsequently, Thanasis Papantonopoulos explained that this particular documentary was chosen to be adapted for enhanced accessibility due to its narrative flow, and then presented the process involved in decoding the narrative and adding pictograms to a documentary for the first time. As for the film’s black-and-white footage, the director remarked: “This is archival footage from a natural disaster that caused extensive material damage, fortunately without any casualties. I found this footage from a channel in Arta and used it, trying to illustrate the struggle between mankind and nature.”

When asked whether the director’s grandmother had the opportunity to watch the documentary and what her reaction was, he stated: “When I filmed the documentary, my grandmother was 87 years old. I was very anxious at the time, as I was nearing the end of my studies, because I feared that my grandmother would soon pass away, and that I wouldn’t have the chance to film her. My grandmother lived to be 100 years old. She saw the film at a profoundly moving screening in Trikala, where a large audience had gathered. This brought her immense joy," he concluded, eliciting applause from the audience.

The printing of the 28th TIDF’s program in Braille was carried out in collaboration with the Center for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind (CERB). The accessible screening of the documentary was made possible with the support of Alpha Bank, the Festival’s accessibility sponsor. Subtitling for accessibility reasons: ATLAS E.P.