With consistency and a firm conviction to the vision of accessibility in the cinematic experience, the screening of the documentary Mourning Rock by Filippos Koutsaftis took place on Friday March 3rd, at Olympion theater. The screening is part of the Festival's initiative of hosting universally accessible screenings, the "Cinema for All” program, supported by Alpha Bank, the Festival’s accessibility sponsor. The movie was screened with Audio Description for the blind and the visually impaired, as well as with Subtitles for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
In this documentary Filippos Koutsaftis films Elefsina. The screening was hosted within the framework of the collaboration of Thessaloniki International Film Festival with 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture.
The screening was prefaced by the artistic director of the Festival, Orestis Andreadakis. "There are some films that have a soothing, healing, almost magical effect in times like these, times of suffering and grief that we are going through at this moment. One such film is the Mourning Rock by Filippos Koutsaftis. It was released in theaters 23 years ago, and as the distributor and friend of the Festival, Zinos Panagiotidis of Rosebud.21 reminded us a while ago, it remained in the theaters for 16 consecutive weeks and had sold 60,000 tickets, a record number not only for documentaries but for many Greek films as well. It changed, so to speak, the course of Greek documentary filmmaking," he stated.
Mr. Andreadakis then spoke a little bit further about the teaming up between Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Thessaloniki Documentary Festival with the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, announcing that further actions will follow within the framework of this cooperation.
"The film is set in Elefsina and it inaugurates the new collaboration. In the context of the joint actions and activities that in a way combine with art two emblematic ports of the Mediterranean, those of Thessaloniki and Elefsina, a discussion will be held on Sunday at 17:00, at the Green Room, with the artistic director of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, Michail Marmarinos, Filippos Koutsaftis, and Syllas Tzoumerkas".
Mr. Andreadakis also referred to the fact that the audience of this screening will have the privilege of taking a sneak peek - also in universally accessible terms - of Filippos Koutsaftis’ new documentary, The Eleusinians, a “sequel” to the Mourning Stone that will celebrate its world premiere within the framework of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture
"Filippos Koutsaftis sent us an exclusive sneak peek from his new film. It is set in Elefsina, as well. You will be the first to see it as part of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture. And we also have a surprise for you, related to our Festival, but we will not be revealing it just yet.” Finally, Mr. Andreadakis noted that the film Zakros by Filippos Koutsaftis will be screened on Monday and Tuesday as part of the international competition section of the Festival.
The introductory greeting was followed by the screening of the documentary Mourning Rock.
The documentary will also be available for online viewing on the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival platform from March 4 to 12, with AD: Audio Description for the blind and the visually impaired, as well as with Subtitles for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
