PRESS CONFERENCE FOTOS LAMPRINOS
Fotos Lamprinos, the director, spoke about the way he approaches historical events in his films, about the role of the contemporary documentary, and about his latest film, Captain Kemal, A Comrade, which is having its World Premiere at the 11th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. The press conference took place on Wednesday, March 18, 2009.
Dimitri Eipides, Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival stressed that the Tribute to the work of Fotos Lamprinos is one of the highlights of this year’s edition. “This great director has been a steady value in the development of Greek documentaries. His important work has inspired a great number of Greek directors. I truly feel proud that we managed to have him with us this year”, Mr. Eipides said.
Speaking about the use of newsreels in his films, and approaching historical issues, Fotos Lamprinos noted that he does not use newsreels as evidence: “What the viewer sees is not a history book. I use newsreel scenes as dramaturgical material in an attempt to “strike at” the stereotypes of Greek history and fixations, while also using humor and of course, cinematic language”, the director explained.
The director then referred to the influence his politicized family background had on him, stressing that certain powerful experiences he lived through are recorded in his films. He continued by giving a short retrospective on his career, from his studies at the Moscow Film Institute with Mikhail Romm, to his acquaintance with Costas Gavras when he began researching archival material. “Gavras paid for research I did on newsreel footage for 2 and a half years, for a film that was finally never made. Later I directed the Panorama of the Century, I made the old newsreel archive for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I am now collaborating with the National Audiovisual Archives for the digitalization of old archives”.
Speaking about the sense of humor that characterizes his work, Fotos Lamprinos noted that his primary goal is to make films that will interest the audience: “Generally, I believe that Greek history is to be laughed at, maybe also to cry over. I want to approach my subjects, no matter what their historical importance is, with humor and sarcasm so that I entertain the viewer, make him laugh and think”.
Speaking about the development of the documentary genre in Greece, Fotos Lamprinos singled out the pioneering Leontas Loisios in the age following the ‘60s, the influence of British film makers and in the age after 1974 when television documentaries ruled. “Today we see new film makers who have studied at respectable foreign film schools, and I believe we are at a stage where we will soon see the results of this”, F. Lamprinos stated.
In his latest film Captain Kemal, a Comrade, having its official World Premiere at the 11th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Fotos Lamprinos presents the portrait of Mihri Belli, a 92 year old Turkish man who fought on the side of Greek rebels during the Greek civil war. Commenting on Belli’s personality, the historical consultant of the film Yiannis Yiannopoulos noted: “Mihri Belli is an important historical document himself. Not so much for his actions and the role he played in the development of events, but because through his personal history we can understand the mind frame an feelings of the people of that era”.
