19th TDF: Opening ceremony

19th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
3-12 March 2017

OPENING CEREMONY
 

Music set the tone at the opening ceremony of the 19th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival on Friday, March 3rd, 2017, at the packed Olympion Theatre. Once the lights went out, the screen was filled with black and white photos of Thessaloniki in the past: The White Tower, the beach and the Agia Sophia square, streets, neighbourhoods and people, all this combined with a unique soundtrack by Thessaloniki-born musician Nikos Diminakis, who accompanied the short video with a live performance of beatbox and baritone saxophone.

Right after this, the Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Orestis Andreadakis went on stage. He confessed he was impressed by the show and thanked Nikos Diminakis, who is also the protagonist in Gina Georgiadou’s documentary Beatbox and Winds – Nicos Diminakis, which is screened in this year's edition. Mr. Andreadakis went on to ask the musician to perform some more and show how he manages to do that, while the audience in the theatre was applauding.

Afterwards Mr. Andreadakis stressed that appearances can sometimes be deceiving, as Salva Munoz’s short documentary about the city of Thessaloniki demonstrated earlier at the opening of the 19th TDF. He also added: "But this is the great challenge of documentaries: to transcend mere appearances and transient cinematic tricks and manage to make a bold comment on the truth and the reality that surround us".

He went on to invite on stage the General Director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Elise Jalladeau, who in turn welcomed the audience to the second main event of the organization; the Thessaloniki International Film Festival held every November being the first.

Orestis Andreadakis noted that during the 19th TDF we will have the chance to watch 213 feature and short documentaries, 64 of which are Greek, while Elise Jalladeau added that this year’s edition films concern life and human rights, wars and political issues, but also the love and hope that emerge through the darkness.

"This year’s edition documentaries talk about our world and all its difficult, dangerous and strange aspects. But also, about all that is beautiful and capable to preserve human dignity," he noted. Ms. Jalladeau added: "We will also watch films about history and memory, environment, minorities and population flows, but also films about music, the passion of the arts and the magic of cinema itself".  

Orestis Andreadakis stressed yet another point, underlining that "in the documentaries of this year's edition we will discover the drama and struggle, but also the research and revelation, and –as strange as it sounds- even the thriller, comedy and animation, since all genres coexist in documentary films, just as in the case of fiction films".

Elise Jalladeau mentioned the innovations featured in this year's event, as for the first time an International Competition section is introduced with 12 films - three of which are Greek –, as well as an international jury that will bestow the Golden Alexander and the Special Jury Prize.

Moreover, as Mr. Andreadakis added, this year there are new segments about experimental documentaries, the history of cinema and food. The latter is approached not only as nourishment and pleasure, but also as a culture, a memory and a human right, while a contest for the best dish will be held for the first time in the city’s restaurants, since Thessaloniki is the capital of flavors.

Apart from that, the festival is a vivid cultural hub in the city of Thessaloniki all year long, said Ms. Jalladeau, stressing that: "We Love Cinema is a series of activities which aim to attract the city’s audiences to the festival theatres all year round. The Thessaloniki Cinematheque reminds us of the best classic films of global cinema, while the educational programs at the Film Museum and the Olympion theatre bring the children closer to the art of film. We also work with other institutions of Thessaloniki to organize film tributes, special screenings and events and we are planning some very interesting surprises in the summer”.
In his turn, Mr. Andreadakis thanked the sponsors and supporters of the festival, stating that "none of the above mentioned would ever be possible without them," and also thanked "the amazing staff, partners and volunteers".

Afterwards, Paul Dugdale’s The Rolling Stones Ole Ole Ole: A Trip Across Latin America, the opening film of the 19th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, was screened.