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59^th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [1-11/11/2018] || 1-11/11/2018

Screening: A Paris Education by Jean Paul Civeyrac

In a sold out screening, the audience had the chance to enjoy Jean Paul Civeyrac’s film A Paris Education on Sunday November 4, 2018 in “Stavros Tornes” theatre. The screening was part of “Life Lessons” admission-free tribute of the 59^th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, consisting of films that, with education as their common denominator, teach valuable and universal lessons in a non-didactic, yet perfectly meaningful way.

The film director introduced his film saying that: “The film is about the life of film students, but not exclusively. It also focuses on the hard choices we may make in our teenage years. When I was a student in Paris, in the 80s, there was no Internet and TV. We used to watch movies in tragic copies. I even watched Japanese movies with no subtitles. The point is that, if I liked a movie, I did so under any circumstances”.

After screening, a Q&A session followed. First, Jean Paul Civeyrac explained why he chose to shoot for black and white: “The film is black and white because I wanted it to look like a novel. Also, because it is divided in chapters, and because youth always belongs to the past. Just like our health, youth is something we remember only after we lose it. Furthermore, black and white makes the film more sentimental. I also use twice in the film a famous nursery song, “Frère Jacques” (“Brother Peter”), as an introduction to the main character’s memories. For him, it is a sign that past will make a gentle comeback in his life. I also borrow quotes and excerpts from the work of the poet and novelist Gerard de Nerval, because my heroes are weak and very sensitive”.

As to whether he identifies with his characters, Jean Paul Civeyrac said: “I am part of every person in my movie. I used to be a film student myself. For me, cinema is an existential matter, so in a way I am part of every movie I make”, he said. He also gave an advice to the young filmmakers: “I would tell them to be consistent with what they believe. What always shocks me in a movie is someone talking directly to me for their experiences in life. If young filmmakers are interested in making films not for fun or for the fame, as the characters in my films, they have to find a way to talk about what they have inside them”.

The “Life Lessons” tribute is implemented through the Operational Program "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning" and is co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds. Its co-funded projects deal with education and employment. Some of its main goals relate to:

• The development and promotion of human resources skills,
• The improvement of the quality of education & lifelong learning, awareness on environmental education,
• Linking education with the labor market, and
• Strengthening social cohesion and social inclusion of vulnerable social groups.

This is the third tribute of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival funded by the Operational Program "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning".

The 15 films of the International Competition section of the 59^th Thessaloniki International Film Festival became the material of the event’s main exhibition titled "Caritas Romana: 15 Acts of Devotion”, the opening of which took place on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at the Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki (Warehouse B1, Port). The exhibition is organized by TIFF in collaboration with the Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki with the support of NEON Organisation and Plaisio Computers SA. 

 “My films carry a very intense personal hue, they crystallize my own idea about modern times and past accomplishments. I try to depict experiences and thoughts that escape preset boundaries and plunge the viewer into a state which allows them to unfold their imagination and create lasting thoughts that will not be ephemeral”

“I make films to discover myself. I don’t consider myself such a good director. I look like Sisyphus. I’m trying to reach the top and then start all over again. Yet, each film is an opportunity for me to explore the film language". 

59^th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [1-11/11/2018] || 1-11/11/2018

Exhibition opening: “#CedefopPhotoAward: Youth education and training”

As part of the 59^th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, on Friday, November 2, 2018, the opening of the photo exhibition “#CedefopPhotoAward: Youth in education and training” took place at the Cinema Museum of Thessaloniki (Warehouse A’, Harbor), in the presence of the TIFF General Director, Elise Jalladeau.

The exhibition is organized by Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (www.cedefop.europa.eu), located in Thessaloniki, and is curated by Cedefop and TIFF. The exhibition showcases the first, second and third prize winning stories, along with the runners-up in the competition “#CedefopPhotoAward 2018: Youth education and training” organized by Cedefop. As part of the competition, groups of European vocational school students were invited to illustrate their experiences in the form of photo stories.

The first to speak was the deputy chairman of Cedefop board Mara Brugia, who warmly thanked TIFF’s General Director and Anna Milossi, Head of Public Relations. Mrs Brugia noted that Cedefop is awarding these prizes for the third consecutive year and added: “One of the winning groups, the one from Lithuania, also attended the opening ceremony of the 59^th TIFF and will spend their weekend watching films”. After thanking the Cinema Museum of Thessaloniki for hosting the exhibition, she noted that this award ceremony “is another way for us to appreciate the usefulness of our work in action” since the event gives Cedefop members the opportunity to make contact with the young people they work with.

Mrs Brugia said that education and training are very high on the European agenda. According to a research organized by Cedefop, not only the institutions, but an overwhelming 90% of European citizens consider education and training to be of high value. “Studies in the field of education and training are highly appreciated by employers”, she added, noting how important education and training are for society itself. “In Cedefop we are trying to change the belief that vocational training has to be of minor importance compared to other options”, she concluded.

No less than 100 groups with more than 300 members and about 80 schools from 18 EU member states took part in the competition #CedefopPhotoAward 2018. The photo stories illustrating the experiences of these groups in education and training can be considered an excellent example of innovation, communication and group work. The three winning groups are from Italy, Hungary and Lithuania; the first two were invited to attend the Vocational Skills Week that will take place next week in Vienna.

Consequently, TIFF’s General Director Elise Jalladeau took the floor. After welcoming the Cedefop team and the competition winners, Mrs Jaladdeau pointed out that the photos were a collective project by young people from all over Europe, that “gives all of us the opportunity to admire their work in Thessaloniki and the Festival, and helps them benefit from their presence in the event”. As she noted, “The Festival appreciates and promotes education; we offer film education programs for young children, in an effort to instruct the new generation of cinephiles, and not just them. We also offer training to film professionals, such as the distributors”. Concluding, Mrs Jaladdeau talked about the theme idea of the exhibition, “Tell us your story”, pointing out that this is what cinema does: it tells stories, thus unifying photography with motion picture.

After the award ceremony, it was the winners’ turn to speak. They thanked the committee and the Festival for the invitation, making special mention to the team spirit that marked their work, the self-confidence they acquired via the competition, and the strong friendships they developed both between them and with their teachers. One of them described Greece as one of the most beautiful countries he has visited and thanked the Festival for giving him the opportunity to be here and take interesting photos.

At the end of the event, Cedefop head of communication Gerd Oskar Bausewein gave gifts and brochures to the winners and the audience.