PETER WINTONICK PRESS CONFERENCE
A press conference was given on Friday, March 20 at the Ianos bookstore by the expansive Canadian director, producer and political activist Peter Wintonick, guest of honor at the 11th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century.
Peter Wintonick was welcomed by the artistic director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Dimitri Eipides, who noted: “Peter Wintonick has been a personal friend for many years, he has encouraged me and has guided by development. The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival owes him a great deal, since he has contributed to its development. We owed this honor to Peter. Festivals depend on these people who generously offer their energy and enthusiasm”.
The Canadian director responded to the artistic director’s warm words by saying that: “Dimitri Eipides has Festivals in his DNA, there is a mutual respect between us. I have admired his work since the time he had helped create some of the most worthwhile film festivals in Canada and the US”.
Speaking specifically about the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Peter Wintonick stated: “I’ve come here 6-7 times, and I’m happy to see that it keeps improving. What makes me come back to Thessaloniki year after year is the increased interest I notice. The first year there weren’t more than 7.000 viewers at the Festival, but this year this number could go up to 50.000. What keeps me alive and what I look for at every festival I attend is the energy of the audience, and its desire for genuine information through documentaries”.
Then he explained how important he believes the use of modern technology is in the protection of human rights. “Over the last 10-12 years, the wider availability of the portable video camera has brought about a real revolution. Events such as the beating of the Afro-American Rodney King by the police can now be revealed much more easily. Every activist can easily become a film maker and shine a light on human rights violations all over the world through the Internet. Now the tools of documentary production are available to everyone”.
Then the Canadian director spoke about the role of the art form today: “I have the need to create in me, and I draw inspiration from every form of art, even experimental forms. We need art more than ever in order to deal with difficult times and the problems created by the global economic crisis. I think it is insane that state funding for art and culture is being cut because of this precise financial tightening”.
