14th THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL - Images of the 21st Century
March 9 – 18, 2012
14th DOC FILM LINE-UP, FIPRESCI JURY & SIDEBAR EVENTS
The 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century, part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, presents approximately 185 films (shorts and features) by directors from all over the world, as well as a full parallel events program.
OPENING FILM
Indignados by Tony Gatlif, France, 2011, 88’ – Human Rights
A powerful documentary-fiction hybrid and an account of a Europe in upheaval, Indignados places a fictional character name Betty -an undocumented immigrant from Africa- in the core of its narrative. Through her story and arduous travails in Europe, as well as documentary footage from demonstrations in Athens, Paris and Madrid, the film (inspired by revolutionary writer Stephane Hessel’s pamphlet, Indignez-vous!, which provided the name for Spain’s Indignados protesters), paints a picture of people in discontent and a continent in social and moral disarray. Through his energetic and vivacious signature style, Gatlif, who adds this film to an oeuvre concerned with social injustices and the exploration of borders, uniquely captures the fervent pulse of recent events – the film’s screening in Greece takes place in an utterly opportune time.
FIPRESCI JURY
An international FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) jury will hand out one award to a Greek documentary and one award to a foreign documentary.
The five-member FIPRESCI Jury is composed of:
Boyd Van Hoeij, Luxembourg, President
Minou Moshiri, Iran
Nejati Sonmez, Turkey
Guilhem Caillard, Canada and
Stratos Kersanides, Greece
SIDEBAR EVENTS
EYAL SIVAN WORKSHOP
Thursday, 15 March 2012, 11:00-13:00, Cine John Cassavetes
On the occasion of the 14th TDF tribute to his work, Israeli director Eyal Sivan will present a workshop on how he engages, through the medium of documentary filmmaking, with the issues and themes that concern him: collective memory and the past as a means to justify political actions, the use of symbols in political strategy, and the search for a viable solution for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
MICHAEL GLAWOGGER WORKSHOP: Loss of reality in filmmaking that deals with reality
Friday, 16 March 2012, 11:00-13:00, Cine John Cassavetes
On the occasion of the screening of his latest film, Whores’ Glory, the last part of a trilogy on working conditions in developing countries, Austrian documentarian Glawogger will present and elaborate on the unique way he makes documentaries. In addition, he will focus specifically on the unifying concept between the award-winning films Whores’ Glory, Megacities and Workingman’s Death, which constitute the aforementioned trilogy.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
Urban Survivors (Humanitarian Challenges of a Rising Slum Population)
11-18 March 2012, Contemporary Art Center of Thessaloniki, Warehouse B1, Pier
Opening hours: daily 12:00 - 20:00
The 14th TDF, in collaboration with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), presents the photography exhibition Urban Survivors, developed by MSF in collaboration with the noor photo agency and Darjeeling Productions. The project highlights the crucial basic, medical and other needs of urban slum populations all over the world. Award-winning photographers such as Stanley Greene, Alixandra Fazzina and Jon Lowenstein have contributed to the project, shooting powerful images that raise awareness on severe humanitarian issues, in places such as Dhaka, Karachi and Port-au-Prince.
JUST TALKING
11 - 17 March (inclusive), 16.00 – 17.30
Electra Palace Hotel ground floor, Excelsior Room
The Just Talking event, introduced in 2006, brings filmmakers from various parts of the world together and creates a platform of communication, promoting creativity and forging collaboration. Daily discussion groups of directors and producers revolve around issues that concern documentary filmmakers. Apart from the groups, all other accredited festival attendees are admitted to the sessions and can either simply listen or participate.
LIVE STREAMING PROJECT
The 14th TDF will be implementing again this year an innovative program in collaboration with the Electro-Acoustic and Television Systems Laboratory at the Polytechnic School of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University. Film screenings, directors’ Q&As and various events will be made accessible to Athens, the Greek periphery and Cyprus through the use of streaming technology, thus providing documentary audiences the opportunity to experience part of the Festival without having to visit Thessaloniki.
Attached find the 14th TDF Film Line - up
