Nowhere – Director’s Cut

A filmed version of the original stage production Nowhere which was commissioned by the National Theatre of Greece to inaugurate its renovated Main Stage in 2009. Nowhere was conceived as a site-specific project. The scenic space itself was choreographed by programming the new stage mechanisms. A group of humans confronted the spatial challenges created, measuring space with their bodies. Nowhere was performed twice daily in overlapping shows, bringing the audiences face-to-face. Nowhere is a thought about the very nature of theater, as a machine that mirrors human life. The filmed version of the central scene (dedicated to the memory of Pina Bausch who had just passed away), was published seven years ago, in June 2014, and went viral with over 2.5 million views.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Dimitris Papaioannou

Script: Dimitris Papaioannou

Cinematography: Dimitris Papaioannou, additional filming: Kyriacos Karseras, Stelios Kammitsis

Editing: Dimitris Papaioannou, Advisor: Matt Johnson

Sound: Kostas Michopoulos

Music: Coti K.

Production: Dimitris Papaioannou, 2Works

Producers: Dimitris Papaioannou

Co-production: Original production commissioned and Produced by the National Theatre of Greece, Athens, Greece, 2009 (Artistic Director: Yannis Houvardas), Film produced by Dance Umbrella Festival (London, United Kingdom), and Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (Recklinghausen, Germany) with the support of Teatro Della Pergola – Firenze (Florence, Italy), Saitama Arts Theatre and the National Theater and Concert Hall (Taipei, Taiwan)

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Greece

Production Year: 2021

Duration: 43'

Contact: Julian Mommert (julian@dimitrispapaioannou.com)

Nowhere (2009) - Original Production Conceived, Visualized and Directed by Dimitris Papaioannou. Music and sound design: Coti K. Associate Visual Artist: Zafos Xagoraris. Lighting Design: Alekos Yiannaros. Costume Design: Thanos Papastergiou. Assistant Director - Artistic Producer and Coordinator: Tina Papanikolaou. Performed by Prokopis Agathokleous, Thanassis Akokkalidis, Panos Athanasopoulos, Maria Bregianni, Ilia de Tchaves-Poga, Nikos Dragonas, Altin Huta, Yorgos Kafetzopoulos, Konstantinos Karvouniaris, Euripides Laskaridis, Konstantinos Maravelias, Yorghos Matskaris, Yiannis Michos, Christos Papadopoulos, Yiannis Papakammenos, Simos Patieridis, Aris Plaskassovitis, Ilias Rafailidis, Evangelia Randou, Kalliopi Simou, Diogenis Skaltsas, Tadeu Liesenfeld, Simeon Tsakiris, Sophia Tsiaousi, Manolis Theodorakis, Antonis Vais. Commissioned and Produced by the National Theatre of Greece, Athens, Greece 2009 (Artistic Director Yannis Houvardas)

Dimitris Papaioannou

Dimitris Papaioannou, the first Greek performing artist to penetrate the international art scene as an auteur, has seen his creations co-produced and commissioned internationally. He is considered “one of the four most important choreographers in the world” (Le Figaro), “a masterful theatrical magician and imagist” (The Times), and “the most original choreographer of our time” (La Repubblica). His works have traveled four continents, reaching over 30 countries and 50 cities. His first internationally co-produced work, The Great Tamer (2017), was commissioned by the Avignon Festival. He was the first artist to create a work for the Tanztheater Wuppertal after the death of Pina Bausch, followed by Transverse Orientation (2021) and his latest work, INK (2020). Papaioannou’s body of work spans from minimal resources, like Primal Matter (2012), to large-scale productions, like the Athens 2004 – Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games. He is the first Greek artist to receive the European Theater Prize (2017) and has been nominated for the Emmy Award (2016) and the Olivier Award (2019 and 2022). Born in Athens in 1964, he was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis before transitioning to performing arts as a director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, makeup, and lighting.