The line-up of the new podcast section of the 23rd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is the first in Europe to present a new podcast section, exploring the eclectic affinities of this new genre with cinema, as part of the 23rd TDF from June 24 to July 4, 2021.
Fictional, poetic, narrative, comical, thrillers, personal and tender podcasts will be presented in the 23rd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in the new podcast section that reveals the eclectic affinities of the genre with cinema.
The new podcast section includes:
*A Competition section with 23 Greek-language and English-language podcasts.
*An Out of Competition section with 13 Greek-language podcasts.
*A Special Podcasting section with two special podcasts from the US and Denmark, as well as special podcasts created by the festival for the 23rd TDF.
From June 24 to July 4, users from Greece and abroad will be able, through the festival website filmfestival.gr, to listen to the podcasts for free. The participating podcasts will have their world premiere at the 23rd TDF. Also, the festival will present on a daily basis short podcasts, which will inform the audience on the films, the themes explored in this year’s edition, etc.
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is one of the first film festivals in the world and the first one in Europe to include in its program the audio files that have taken over the world. In March, the online 23rd TDF organized with great success a series of workshops and an open discussion with the participation of top podcast professionals from Greece and abroad. The workshops and the open discussion are available to the festival’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/filmfestivalgr).
COMPETITION SECTION
Cult, mystery stories, a journey to space, conversations on what it means to be a woman, fascinating personalities are revealed in the podcasts of the Competition section, which is comprised by 20 Greek-language and three English-language podcasts, pioneering in form and style.
The podcasts of the competition section will compete for an award, accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 euros.
The jury members are:
Calliope Alpitsi, Chief Executive Officer, elculture.gr
Nadja Drakoula, writer, documentary producer, radio producer at Best 92,6 Radio
Lefteris Charitos, director, partner at pod.gr
The podcasts of the competition section are:
Α nameless memory
Creator: Andreas Vagias. Production: Alexis Anastasiadis / ARTCUT. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 24΄
Α morning coffee, an internal monologue that explores the borderline between loss and presence, oblivion and remembrance, joy and pain.
A woman from Bulgaria
Creator: Christina Karavezyri. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 23΄
Ι paint faces on a grey piece of paper
and I talk to them
The animals come out slaughtered
and tenderly wrapped in the paper
…the nurse folds her knitting away
“I need to send the money to Bulgaria…
Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday…”
A monologue
A dialogue among fears, dreams…
among the loved ones…"
Bright Side
Creators: Ira Katsouda, Dimitra Nikitea. Production: Provocateur / Radcast. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 43΄
Chronic diseases are still -unfortunately- a taboo subject in today’s society. Ira Katsouda and Dimitra Nikitea are stand-up comedians. Both having people in their families facing chronic health problems and knowing first hand the racism and the inadequacy of the Greek society towards the chronic patients, they decided to create “Bright Side”, a podcast with guests suffering from chronic diseases. In a comfortable atmosphere, with humor, but free of fatalism or pessimism, they openly speak about their diseases, highlight their difficulties, joke with themselves, poke fun at the Greek reality and break down the taboos they are up against. This episode is dedicated to Multiple Sclerosis (Multiple Sclerosis).
diaspora (la)
Creator: Womxn_gr. Production: Womxn_gr (Alexandra Petavridou, Evelina Gkatenio). Language: Greek. Production country: France. Duration: 57΄
The female experience in the diaspora. How do Greek and foreign women experience diaspora? Why do we leave from Greece? What are we faced against as we arrive in a new country? What do we miss about Greece and how do we view our country of origin now that we are away? An overview of women's experiences through four interviews with Greek women in diaspora, a questionnaire and articles.
Emergency
Creator: En dynamei ensemble. Production: Eleni Dimopoulou / En dynamei ensemble. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 36΄
A group of people trapped in an audio file. A podcast transformed into a prison. People-voices, which maintain constant engagement with the listener to confess their worries, fears and dreams, emphasizing their underlying need: to regain a physical form, whatever this may mean.
Enallax
Creators: Danai Dimopoulou, Elpiniki Papadopoulou. Producers: Enallax - Danai Dimopoulou, Elpiniki Papadopoulou. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 25΄
In a world dominated by pairs of opposing forces and stereotypical narratives, we decided to create a podcast that will deconstruct a series of famous personalities by presenting the unknown aspects of their lives and breaking down the stereotypical narratives that accompany them. Besides, as we like to say: everything in life goes one way or another (enallax)!
Es Trophoniou memanteutai
Creator: Anna Stereopoulou. Production: Anna Stereopoulou. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 23΄
The podcast is a Dream Bilingual Narrative, based on the “Encoimesis” practices taking place at the ancient Asclepeions. It consists of the Soundwalk's Field Recording [Hercyna Springs (Krya) – Oracle of Trophonius – Livadia City-center]. Its goal is to offer a psycho-acoustic experience, similar to the one of each “Sleeper” - patient.
female pressure
Creator: Lenka Kocisova / Akkamiau, Production: Lenka Kocisova / Akkamiau, Language: English. Production country: Germany. Duration: 60΄
In the Female Pressure podcast we listen to the members of female:pressure, a transnational online database and network of women*, AFAB, transgender, transfeminine, transmasculine, intersex [+gender optional], genderqueer, gender nonconforming, a-gender and/or non-binary DJs, musicians, composers, producers, visual artists, agents, journalists and researchers working in the realms of electronic music and visual arts.
Female Troubles
Creator: Elpida Grilla, Production: Elpida Grilla. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 24΄
Greek soft porn, crime, comedy podcast with the aroma of the old harlequin books from the 80s. Women are always the protagonists in stories that unfold in real or imaginary worlds and touch upon love at gunpoint. For the lovers of old-school sex and high-heel attacks.
Flight 2311
Creator: Dimos Vryzas. Production: Dimos Vryzas. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 26΄
Flight 2311 is a fictional sonic journey. Through a surrealistic approach based on a realistic flight sound environment, the podcast, drawing inspiration from covid-19 pandemic conditions, introduces the listener in a journey by plane, following the Athens-Thessaloniki route.
hotel terminus
Creators: Marilou Vomvolou, Kostas Vomvolos. Production: Marilou Vomvolou. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 24΄
What do we know about the ones around us – people we’re intimate with, the plain acquaintances, or total strangers? What do we know about their coming-of-age, their experiences, the myths that accompanied them? A podcast that gathers all the petty, random memories that constitute an identity. Οr maybe not. Maybe it just reveals the personal and collective fluidity we tend to call “our story”.
Maid in Hell
Creators: Line Fabricius - Anna Steen Hansen. Production: The Why Foundation. Language: English. Production country: Denmark, 2021. Duration: 22΄
"Maid In Hell" gives unprecedented access to a frightening and brutal form of modern slavery. Following employment agents who vividly describe the trade, as well as maids who struggle to find a way home after harrowing, and sometimes, deadly experiences, we come to understand the grotesque reality faced by thousands of women each day. This is a podcast version of The Why Foundation documentary of the same name.
Meet the Makers
Creator: Daphne Karnezis, Haris Pagonidou. Production: The Greek Podcast Project - Daphne Karnezis, Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 20΄
A narrative podcast series shining light on the unique mastery of artisans across Greece. We visit their workshops to uncover how their traditional making methods are still relevant today. Episode 1: three generations of the Venizelou family share their story running the straw furniture workshop their family has operated since 1850.
Mother of boys
Creator: Aphrodite Mitsopoulou, Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 42΄
The young mother is surprised to find out that society does not care and her partner is at work. She is called upon to respond alone to a laborious and intensive task. Among the tragicomic situations she experiences, obstetric violence is just another painful reminder of her position.
My Grandmother, Maro
Creator: Eftychia Iosifidou. Production: Eftychia Iosifidou, Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 27΄
"My grandmother, Maro" is a personal documentary podcast about loss and memory. The memory of Maro is reenacted by her granddaughter, 17 years after Maro’s death. What do we know about our beloved ones? How can we describe them without seeing them? What remains alive forever? The past and the present engage in a dialogue to create a narration about family bonds and heritage, and also to explore the subject of memory in a very personal manner.
My Grandmother's Sister
Creator: Eleni Kavouki. Production: Eleni Kavouki, Manolis Manousakis / Figure of Sound Audio Creatives. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 49΄
Larissa, January 27, 2018. Artemis Bita, aged 88, is a Greek Civil War survivor, talking to her sister's granddaughter about the biggest adventure of her life; the war that she joined against her will, the immigration to the Soviet Union, and finally, the return to her homeland.
Overview Effect: To the Stars and Back | Gnosi S' Afton Special Episode
Creator, producer: Christos Athanasoulis. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 21΄.
We are accompanying an astronaut on her journey, from liftoff, through space and back to Earth. We share her own experiences and feel her own feelings. A documentary with elements of fiction, or a fiction with elements of a documentary. A special episode of Gnosi S' Afton.
Portraits of Objects
Creators: Alexandros Tsitsos, Isavella Kasimati, Production: Panagiotis Fafoutis. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 43΄
In the midst of a global-pandemic, in a state of isolation and lack of human interaction, objects began to speak. From the Greek countryside to the depths of Siberia, on a planet that was once full of life, a Perfume, a Dictionary, a Komboloi and an Axe recount their memories.
Searching for a Way Out
Creator: Lia Katsana. Production: Lia Katsana. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 34΄
The podcast attempts to explore the impact of the pandemic on the field of addiction. Through a discussion with two specialized psychologists, the creators search for answers regarding the increase in substance use and the effects of precautionary measures on dependent individuals and therapy institutions, while contemplating on solution over the development of psycho-social support.
Shadows over London: Crossroads and Agreements
Creator: SOUNDIS.GR. Production: SOUNDIS.GR. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 22΄
In post-war London in 1955, Inspector Eustace Bolton, a World War II veteran, took over the supernatural affairs of Scotland Yard, with the help of his genius nephew, Wesley Thatch. Their logic and observation should prevail over fear and superstition. In this episode a famous musician asks the Inspector for help, to confess a "crime" he committed decades ago, and a deal he made with a mysterious figure who helped him boost his career.
Τhe fucking armor
Creator: Manos Papadakis. Production: Manos Papadakis/ SPiRTO PRODUCTIONS. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 25΄
Manos Papadakis shares his thoughts and concerns about men's relationships with women and how patriarchy erodes our personality. From the problematic patterns around him, the contradictory information that confused him about his role as a young man and the environment that accepted only "macho man" behaviors, to the adult unintentionally abusive behavior towards women, are some of the issues employ him.
The Green Trees and the White Room
Creator: Giulia Osinski. Production: Giulia Osinski. Language: English. Production country: Sweden. Duration: 20΄
This fictional podcast is inspired from the notes the creator wrote during a yearlong depression when she was 19. The confinement caused by the corona-virus reminded her of the confinement caused by depression. These are the notes she kept from the transition-period between adolescence and adulthood. From this period, she mainly wanted to keep the monotonous and repetitive thoughts, the music that she listened to and the song of the birds that she would hear from her window, as a call for life. This is her fictional interview with the person that she was at 19.
Τhe Sheaves of June
Creator: Thomas Sideris. Production: ERT SA - The Voice of Greece. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 59΄
Two villages with a common fate, 3,100 kilometers apart. Their population was slaughtered on the same day and time by the Nazis. The parallel stories of Distomo and Orantour that became the target of the SS on June 10, 1944 through the intertwined narratives of the survivors.
SPECIAL PODCASTING
Two special podcasts that explore the limits of documentary and delve into the world of cinema are presented to the Special Podcasting section of the 23rd TDF. Τhe Festival will, also, present on a daily basis its own podcasts with news, films and themes of this year’s edition.
Solar Mamas
Creators: Line Fabricius - Anna Steen Hansen. Production: The Why Foundation. Language: English. Production country: Denmark, 2021. Duration: 22΄
Rafea is a Bedouin woman who lives with her four daughters in one of Jordan’s poorest villages. She is given a chance to travel to India to attend the Barefoot College, where illiterate mothers from around the world are trained in 6 months to be solar engineers. Will she be able to re-wire the traditional minds? This is a podcast version of The Why documentary of the same name.
The Last Thing I Saw
Host, producer, creator: Nicolas Rapold, New episode co-producer: John Gaudio, Language: English, Production country: USA
The Last Thing I Saw celebrates the art of conversation about movies with critics, filmmakers, and other movie lovers. Discoveries from the rich legacy of cinema, the latest new work from festivals, and sharp opinions on film culture. Hosted by critic and editor Nicolas Rapold. Past guests include Amy Taubin, David Fincher, Manohla Dargis, Soraya Nadia McDonald, Oliver Stone, Richard Brody, Jessica Kiang, Molly Haskell, Christian Petzold, Michael Koresky, and more.
OUT OF COMPETITION
Thirteen podcasts will be presented in the Out of Competition section, during the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. Stories about memory, exciting interviews, art and fiction create an interesting audio mosaic.
Citizens of old Thessaloniki
Creator: Christos Kaltsas. Production: Christos Kaltsas. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 20΄
Thessaloniki has its own rich history. In this podcast, you will hear some very interesting stories narrated by people from the old-days Thessaloniki, which is based on the book The inhabitants of old Thessaloniki, by Costas Tomanas (Nisides publications).
Collective Body and Carnavalesque Songs
Creator: Christos Pozidis. Production: Christos Pozidis. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 26΄
The traditional songs of Greek Carnival are famous for their funny and sexual lyrics. At the same time though, their 'core' is a different, underground sacredness. They carry - just like all the carnival forms and motives - a folk, happy philosophy about the great people’s collective body.
Everybody's talking about performance art
Creators: Thanasis Chondros, Alexandra Katsiani. Production: Oikoi. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 28΄
Thanasis Chondros and Alexandra Katsiani, who have been involved in performance art for years, comment on the developments of the genre and express their views.
Fake News & The Coronavirus Pandemic
Creator: Chrysovalantis-Margaritis Annaoglou-Koutsos. Production: Chrysovalantis-Margaritis Annaoglou-Koutsos. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 21΄
The phenomenon of "fake news" has been growing for years since the development of social media. What can we do as citizens and users of social media platforms? Are there any ways to tackle disinformation? All these and much more can be found on the new podcast "Fake News and the Coronavirus Pandemic" with guests Ariadni Charpantidou and Katerina Toskou.
Family Parodies
Creator: Ant1 Screenwriting Academy. Production: Ant1 Screenwriting Academy. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 20΄
Makis's wife, Lola, on the eve of their wedding, leaves him for a hump. Makis asks the help of his mother and his friend and puts on a hump so he will win her back. But the plan does not go as it was supposed to and things got worse…
Penelope's podcast
Creator: Georgia Syka. Production: Georgia Syka. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 21΄
The story of Penelope today or the story of a woman who - waiting for her Odysseus - is unfolding the vibrating pulse of expectation.
Radio Producers, those superheroes!
Creator: Angeliki Nikolari. Production: Georgios Bougioukos. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 38΄
The radio producers of the city, those superheroes, who magically unite music with the rest of the world, come with their capes and musical choices and save the quarantined people from real boredom and monotony. They talk about the music industry of today.
Stories from Anatolia
Creator: Ensemble “Tell me a Story” (Vilia Chatzopoulou, Νadia Soufli, Katerina Georgiadou). Production: Local Stage - Maria Chatzigianni. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece, 2021. Duration: 27΄
"Did you see it? Did you imagine it? Did you invent it? It’s just the same".
Octavio Paz
The narrations are the heart-wrenching stories of refugees from Asia Minor bearing loss, uprooting, reminiscence, and love. 2022 is the centennial anniversary of Minor Asia Catastrophe. History has been recorded. Stories are still told. Ours are fictional. Or are they not?
Theano
Creator: Sofia Antonakaki. Production: Sofia Antonakaki. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 25΄
Theano was born in the village of Milionas in Prespa, Florina and tells her personal story, as she experienced it from the moment she left her village, still a small child, shortly before the end of the civil war, in the mountains where the last stages of the war took place. Spontaneously and authentically, she narrates her experiences.
The Director's Cut
Creators: Lazaros Kolaxis, Giorgos Togias. Production: Lazaros Kolaxis, Giorgos Togias. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 39΄
Lazaros Kolaxis and Giorgos Togias discuss films based on a theme that changes every 4 weeks. In this episode, the new theme of "Particularly Strange Documentaries" is inaugurated, with the documentary series "How To with John Wilson" that was shown on the American network of HBO.
The “fight” after each game: Hosted by Christina Vrachali: Makis Papasimakopoulos
Creator: Christina Vrachali. Production: SOUNDIS.GR. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 38΄
Christina Vrachali reveals the other side of sports, behind the distinctions, the championships and the league tables. In this episode she discusses with the musician, radio producer and podcaster Maki Papasimakopoulos, whom she admires for his ability to present everyday life in a magical and unique way.
The trilogy of silence and the cosmic experience as a game
Creator: Petros Satrazanis. Production: Petros Satrazanis. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece - United Kingdom, 2021. Duration: 21΄
A poetic essay starting with three films by Theο Angelopoulos and their secret dialogue with the thinking of Costas Axelos. At the beginning of the new century, man is called to confront the experience of the cosmos once again. A director and a philosopher, at the end of the previous century, engaged in a conversation, looking back at the world and its aspects.
White οr black
Creator: Konstantinos Zisis. Production: Karamitsos Kostas - PlayGround Productions. Language: Greek. Production country: Greece. Duration: 22΄
Friendship, love, passion… A game of coincidences, a group of friends, they will get lost all of a sudden. However, if something is real, it is always alive. In real life, you have the choice to be either the player or the pawn. No matter what your decision is... you simply live with it in full...
