GREEK COMPETITION SECTION
OLGA MARAGOU AND VASILIS SERDARIS
In their press conference, Greek directors Olga Maragou and Vasilis Serdaris spoke about their films “Mirsini” and “Refugee Greece” on Wednesday, March 5th, at the Olympion Renault theatre in the framework of the 5th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival-Images of the 21st Century.
Olga Maragou said about her film “Mirsini”: “I was working as assistant director for my father’s film when I met this young girl, Mirsini at a rehabilitation center. I got the idea to make this documentary while trying to befriend the children there. Mirsini is a special child with a great sense of humor. Her character is manifested in my film”. “I believe that these children need to communicate with others. They are not problematic; besides, in our days we’re all problematic in one way or another”.
Vangelis Serdaris’ film ““Refugee Greece” deals with the Greek refugees of the Greek-Turkish war. “The topic was also part of my film ‘The seventh sun of love’, which was shown in the 42nd International Thessaloniki Film Festival. I needed to investigate it even further. My new film looks into many elements of this tragic war such as the refugees’ deportation, their reinstitution in Greece and the compensations they were promised but never received. My sources were drawn from film archives, photographs and personal accounts. ERT produced the film”. Serdaris added that, “history is our best guide and the truth is what fulfills us as human beings”.
