PRESS CONFERENCE
MY NAME IS STELIOS / THE BLIND FISHERMAN / PERAH ISTAR/ STAVROULA
A Press Conference in the framework of the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival was held on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, with the directors Yiannis Kaspiris (My Name is Stelios), Stratis Vogiatzis and Thekla Malamou (The Blind Fisherman), Elisavet Laloudaki and Massimo Pizzocaro (Perah Istar) and Ira Dika (Stavroula), whose films participate at the Festival’s International Programme.
The documentary Perah Istar by Elisavet Laloudaki and Massimo Pizzocaro is dedicated to the co-existence of people and pigeons’ in the urban environment. “Before the film, we had no relationship with pigeons. We don’t like shooting films on subjects connected to us, because we feel like we would be missing a big share of the joy we get from learning about new things, a procedure we enjoy”, said the directors. As for the decision to make this film Mrs. Laloudaki explained: “We wanted to focus on the relationship between humans and animals in the inhospitable urban environment. We thought that the most common stray animal in a city isn’t the dog, but pigeons, and we moved following our instinct. It’s more than interesting to observe the contrast between the glorious past of the pigeon/dove, one of the first animal humans domesticated, and its negatively-colored present. The pigeon was domesticated, widely exploited, idealized, became a symbol of positive notions, a symbol of peace, it’s present in arts, but once the problem occurs, there bursts a systematic slander against it. Actually, the problem isn’t that big, nor are we going to be wiped out by pigeons. If something like that was to happen, it would already have happened”. The director characterized the procedure being “a pleasant and revealing trip over something that looks unimportant”, while Mr. Pizzocaro added: “After shooting the film, our relation with pigeons changed. Now, we actually see them when walking, we notice them”.
The Blind Fisherman by Stratis Vogiatzis and Thekla Malamou, shows the everyday life of a fisherman from Chios who lost his eyesight and his one arm at the age of 11. However, for 60 years now he keeps on fishing. The director referred to their acquaintance with the fisherman and said: “Kyr Yiannis came into our lives rather incidentally. We were in Chios when an old lady who wanted to visit him, asked us to give her a lift. Stratis had already heard of him, so we met him the next day, we took a boat trip with him and wanted to film him”. Referring to the difficulties they faced, realizing the film, Mrs. Malamou said: “At first, it took Yiannis a long time to understand and get used to us. However, in the end, I think the hardest moment was saying goodbye”. Then she added: “He didn’t seem to have a hard time in his everyday life. Only when it began to get dark, would I realize that this is a constant situation for him”. Mr. Vogiatzis, in his turn, noticed: “Not for a moment did I feel sorrow or pitied him. He has a very vivid character. We felt like taking a trip along with a very wise man for two reasons: firstly, because we had a great time with him and secondly, because he lives in the present 100%. He is a normal man who makes the most out of life and won’t let a note of life’s melody pass by”. Finally, the director noticed: “The important thing about this film is that Yiannis manages to define his destiny. We need stories like this, especially nowadays. They help us feel life rather that interpreting it. This documentary is a piece of a travel-project that we wish to film all over Greece, searching for stories like that and bringing then out in the light, so as for the human story’s significance to shine”.
Next, spoke the director Ira Dika the filmmaker of Stavroula that follows and records the life of a 86-year-old woman, Stavroula, for a day. The director spoke about her acquaintance with the film’s hero and said: “I knew Stavroula because my mother takes care of her daily. However, I hadn’t really known her until the moment I took the camera in my hands. So, I met a person old in age, but being once again like a baby”. On the relationship between them, the director commented: “Stavroula had no problem with the camera. She knew me and trusted me enough. From the moment I decided to observe someone, I felt I had to do it without hiding a thing”. Stavroula’s personality is very special. “I enjoyed the fact that despite her being old and nostalgic from time to time, her spirits were always high. The film is about being old, but Stavroula is a very optimistic person. She was, once, a poet and a teacher and her deeper complaint was that her husband, whom she loved a lot, being in love with her and jealous, didn’t let her carry on teaching. Even now, I sit by her, listening to her, I might film her once again, as every time we talk is a unique experience”, said the director.
In his prologue, the director Yiannis Kaspiris, introduced his film starting from the ‘different normality’ aspect. He spoke about his documentary My Name is Stelios in which he records the everyday life of Stelios Kympouropoulos. Stelios is a doctor- he entered Medical School achieving top grades- and quadriplegic. “Stelios came and discussed with me after the screening of a film I made over schizophrenia. We spent a long time talking, I remember, until I realized that after the first shock, every modern Greek experiences facing a disabled person, the different, the elderly etc., I treated him on the base of equality. I told him “that is how I feel towards you. Shall we make a film that shows things from this point of view?”. Stelios agreed and suggested we should shoot a documentary on the Independent Living Movement in North Europe and not on his life. As we proceeded, I think I tricked him a bit, because I didn’t occupy myself much with this aspect, but let it be implied”. Mr. Kaspiris confessed: “I was anxious about the film being screened at the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, because after a year and a half of shooting, Stelios and his parents hadn’t watched the film. I think I came over this anxiety. Mr. Eipides, the Festival director has been really helpful with that and I want to thank him, as he managed for the family to come to Thessaloniki and attend the screening”. The creator noticed: “There is much prejudice and this is a matter of education. I hope that, through this film, Stelios will be able to transfer a message of optimism, especially nowadays. The reason why I occupied myself with this subject is that I tried to overcome my personal depression with what happens around us and I think that Stelios brings out a positive aspect of life”. Mr. Kaspiris underlined: “Stelios faces things with optimism and in his everyday life people embrace him, and that reflects him. He carries his different way of being and the message not to be pitied, the message that he is equal. He has a brilliant mind and ethos, he simply doesn’t like being treated differently. He wants for himself whatever applies for other people”.
All Greek films of the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, are being co-finaced, among other actions, by the European Union-European Regional Development Fund, in the frame of Regional Operational Program of Central Macedonia 2007-2013.
