Kedzierzawska, Lechki win awards at Thessaloniki Film Festival

Poland’s film director Dorota Kedzierzawska was granted the honorary Golden Alexander award for lifetime achievements at the 51st Thessaloniki International Film Festival that ended on Sunday.
Marek Lechki won the Best Screenplay Award for “Erratum”, the film he also directed and produced.
On show during the festival were Kedzierzawska’s films “I am”, “Devils, Devils” and “Time to Die”. The films illustrate the Polish director’s original, outstanding style and her compassion for the people she portrays and profound respect she has for their choices, festival organizers wrote.
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is a top film festival of South Eastern Europe. Founded in 1960 as the Week of Greek Cinema, it became international in 1992.
(Polish Press Agency) 

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2010 Thessaloniki Film Festival

The 2010 Thessaloniki Film Festival came to an end, with the International Jury bestowing this year’s awards at the Olympion Theatre on Saturday.  The film Periferic/Outbound by Romanian director Bogdan George Apetri was the big winner, receiving the Golden Alexander (Best Feature Film), the best actress award for Ana Ularu’s performance and the Greek Film Critics Association Award. Athena Rachel Tsangaris’s Attenberg got the Silver Alexander (Special Jury) award. The Bronze Alexander, given for the first time this year, went to Jean Gentil by Laura Amelia Guzman and Israel Gardenias.  Τhe Best Director Award was received by another Romanian director, Marian Crisan for his film Morgen, which was also chosen as best film by the International Federation of Film Critics Jury (FIPRESCI). In the Greek section, the FIPRESCI award went to Apnea by Aris Balafoukas.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

Poems on the Underground – Greek contemporary poetry

The Press Office of the Greek Embassy in Warsaw promotes the contemporary poetry of Greece and participates to   “Poems on the Underground” events (6-30 September 2010).
“Poems on the Underground” (Wiersze w Metrze) has been inspired by other similar projects  in many cities: Dublin, Paris, New York, Barcelona, Stockholm, Stuttgard and Moscow, organised for the first time in London in 1986.
Wiersze w Metrze promotes contemporary European poetry in public city spaces, through happenings, haiku competition, poetry city game and a performing poetry festival.
Many cultural institutes and embassies participate to the project, which takes place under the auspices of the the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
Greek contemporary poetry will be represented by two acclaimed poets, Kiki Dimoula and Nasos Vagenas.
Kiki Dimoula has recently been awarded the European Literature Prize for 2010. Her poetry has been translated into English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Spanish and many other languages.
Dimoula’s poetry is haunted by the existential dissolution of the post-world era. Her central themes are hopelessness, insecurity, absence and oblivion. Using diverse subjects and twisting grammar in unconventional ways, she accentuates the power of the words through astonishment and surprise, but always manages to retain a sense of hope.
Nasos Vagenas, professor of Theory and Critique of Literature in the Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Athens, in 2005 was awarded with the State Poetry Prize for his poetic collection ‘Stefanos’.
His poetic work includes the books: ‘Field of Mars’, ‘Biography’, ‘Roxani’s Knees’, ‘Wandering of a non-traveller’, ‘The Fall of the Flying’, ‘Barbarous Odes’ , ‘The Fall of the Flying B’, ‘Dark Ballads and Other Poems’, ‘Stefanos’.
His poetry has been translated into English, German, Italian, Dutch, Romanian, Serbian.
Two poems of Kiki Dimoula and Nasos Vagenas have been translated in polish language for “Wiersze w Metrze” by the professors and students of the Department of Greek Studies of the University of Warsaw (Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies “Artes Liberales”).

Russia honours Polish director Andrzej Wajda

Polish film director Andrzej Wajda has been awarded an Order of Friendship by Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, the Kremlin informed Tuesday.
The Order of Friendship is one of the highest Russian distinctions.
Kremlin spokesmen said Wajda was granted the Order for his contributions to Russian-Polish cultural ties.
Wajda, 84, one of the founders of the so-called “Polish film school” in the 1950s and 60s, won world fame with his epic works Man of Marble and Man of Iron, in which he criticized Stalinism. Wajda has received numerous international awards for his films, including a lifework Oscar in 2000.
Earlier this year Wajda’s film Katyn about 1940 mass executions of Poles in Katyn Forest, west Russia, evoked broad reactions in Russia. Wajda said at the time that he had been personally involved in the film as his father had been among  the Katyn victims.
(PAP, 11/8/2010)

“Λεωφορείον ο Πόθος” σε σκηνοθεσία Κριστόφ Βαρλικόφσκι στην Αθήνα

Τον Κριστόφ Βαρλικόφσκι τον γνωρίσαμε το 2008 όταν πήρε στη Θεσσαλονίκη το βραβείο «Νέες Θεατρικές Πραγματικότητες» (στη 2η διοργάνωση των Ευρωπαϊκών Βραβείων Θεάτρου) και παρουσίασε το «Καθαροί πια» της Σάρα Κέιν.
Ακολούθησε λίγους μήνες μετά η, ενταγμένη στο Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών, παράστασή του με το «Krum» του Χ. Λεβίν. Ξέραμε όμως ήδη ότι η Ευρώπη κατατάσσει τον Πολωνό σκηνοθέτη στις ισχυρές, ελπιδοφόρες και πρωτοποριακές δυνάμεις του θέατρου της.
Οσο τον περιμένουμε ξανά φέτος τον Ιούλιο (2-5) στην «Πειραιώς 260», με την πολυσυζητημένη εκδοχή του για το «Λεωφορείον ο Πόθος» του Τ. Ουίλιαμς, με Μπλανς την Ιζαμπέλ Ιπέρ, επιβεβαιώνουμε μέσω του γαλλικού Τύπου και τη «δίδυμη» ιδιότητα ενός διακεκριμένου σκηνοθέτη του λυρικού θέατρου.
Στο Theatre de la Monnaie των Βρυξελλών παρουσιάζεται μέχρι τις 30 του μηνός ο «Μάκβεθ» του Βέρντι, σε δική του σκηνοθεσία, με τον Αμερικανό βαρύτονο Σκοτ Χέντριξ να αναμετράται για πρώτη φορά με τον ρόλο του σεξπιρικού ήρωα, Λαίδη Μάκβεθ τη Γεωργιανή σοπράνο Ιάνο Ταμάρ σε εναλλάξ διανομή με την Αμερικανοολλανδέζα Λίζα Ούμπεν και αρχιμουσικό τον Πολ Ντανιέλ. Και στην παρισινή Οπερα μόλις ολοκλήρωσε τον κύκλο της η, επίσης δικής του σκηνοθεσίας, όπερα του Βάγκνερ «Πάρσιφαλ».
Είναι τα πιο πρόσφατα λυρικά εγχειρήματα του 48χρονου σκηνοθέτη που καταμετρά πολλές συνεργασίες με την Οπερα της Βαρσοβίας («Ντον Κάρλος» του Βέρντι, «Ο Αδαής κι ο τρελός» του Πολωνού συνθέτη Πάουελ Μικιέτιν, «Βασιλιάς Ιμπί» του Πεντερέτσκι, «Βόιτσεκ» του Μπεργκ), με την Οπερα των Παρισίων («Ιφιγένεια εν Ταύροις» του Γκλουκ, «Υπόθεση Μακρόπουλος» του Γιάνατσεκ και «Πάρσιφαλ» του Βάγκνερ), με τη Staatsoper του Μονάχου («Ευγένιος Ονιέγκιν» του Τσαϊκόφσκι) και με το Τεάτρο Ρεάλ της Μαδρίτης («Υπόθεση Μακρόπουλος»). Αλλά και στο Monnaie έχει προηγηθεί η εμβληματική του σκηνοθεσία για τη «Μήδεια» του Κερουμπίνι το 2008, όταν ήδη οι προτάσεις του για τα έργα του Γκλουκ και του Τσαϊκόφσκι στο Παρίσι και το Μόναχο είχαν συμβάλει ώστε στη φήμη του σπουδαίου θεατρικού σκηνοθέτη να προστεθεί κι αυτή ενός από τους πιο καίριους κι ενδιαφέροντες σκηνοθέτες του λυρικού θεάτρου.
Η ρηξικέλευθη γραφή του Βαρλικόφσκι είναι ευδιάκριτη κι εδώ. Το ίδιο και οι αναγνωρίσιμες «εμμονές» του, όπως τουλάχιστον φαίνεται κι από το δημοσίευμα της «Monde» για τον «Μάκβεθ». «Στις Βρυξέλλες, ο Βαρλικόφσκι», διαβεβαιώνει η εφημερίδα, «συνεχίζει να καλλιεργεί με χαρά ό,τι του καταλογίζουν: αφθονία εικόνων κινηματογραφημένων με αμεσότητα και κινηματογραφικών αναφορών που προβάλλονται σε βιντεο-οθόνες στο βάθος της σκηνής. Τραβεστί. Ημίγυμνοι ηθοποιοί. Αντισυμβατικά για την εποχή που διαδραματίζεται η ιστορία κοστούμια με στοιχεία αρτ ντεκό. Λαβαμπό, ένα φετίχ του Πολωνού…». Σ’ ένα λαβαμπό, που παραπέμπει σε ένα είδος βωμού, πλένει τα αιματοβαμμένα χέρια του ο Μάκβεθ.
Κι άλλες καινοτομίες επιφυλάσσει η ματιά του Πολωνού. Το δάσος στο οποίο ο Μάκβεθ συναντά τις μάγισσες γίνεται ένα ψυχρό νοσοκομείο με τοίχους καλυμμένους από τεράστιες οθόνες. Αναλόγως συμβολικές είναι η έναρξη και η λήξη της παράστασης. Προτού ακόμα να σηκωθεί η αυλαία κάποιος ακούγεται να διαβάζει την πραγματική επιστολή που είχε στείλει στη γυναίκα του ένας στρατιώτης στο Βιετνάμ. Η ίδια επιστολή ξανακούγεται στη διάρκεια της όπερας, όσο τα έγχορδα παίζουν σαν ξεκούρδιστα, λίγο προτού η Λαίδη Μάκβεθ πει την πρώτη της λέξη.
Αντίστοιχα η τελευταία πράξη, χαρακτηριστική «του Βαρλικόφσκι, ποιητή της τέχνης των ωραίων διαφυγών», κατά τη «Μοντ», εκτελείται από δύο ωραίους νέους ημίγυμνους άνδρες που χορεύουν σφιχταγκαλιασμένοι μέχρι να πνιγούν από ασφυξία κάτω από ένα πλαστικό κάλυμμα.
Η «Monde» δεν κρύβει ούτε την αμηχανία ούτε το ενδιαφέρον της για τη «σπείρα της έξοχης τρέλας» του Βαρλικόφσκι. Μακάρι λοιπόν να δούμε κι εμαείς προσεχώς στο Φεστιβάλ κι αυτή τη σκηνοθετική του πλευρά.
(Ελευθεροτυπία, 16/6/2010)

International Conference “Literature and Immigration” in Warsaw (25/3/2010)

An international conference “Literature and Immigration” took place in Warsaw on the 25^th March, under the auspices of the European Commission and EUNIC (EU National Institutes of Culture).
The conference was organized by Goethe Institut, Austrian Cultural Forum, Danish Institute, Romanian Cultural Institute, the Swedish Embassy and the Press Office of the Greek Embassy, all of them members of EUNIC, as well as by the Representation in Poland of the European Commission and the Centre of Modern Art Zamek Ujazdowski, where the conference took place.
Scholars involved in academic research related with the topics of literature and immigration were invited to share their views with writers that have chosen to write in a foreign language.
  

The writer Kallifatides

 Greece was represented by the Albanian writer and journalist, Gazmend Kapllani, who lives and works in Greece and the writer Theodor Kallifatides, who has lived the last 45 years in Sweden, publishing more than 40 books.
Both writers were invited by the Press Office, with the support of the Greek Book Centre. 

Kapllani spoke about “The strange language of dreams”: ”I think that writing in a language that is not your mother tongue is a privilege and a trap at the same time. It’s a trap because every time that you are not satisfied with what you are writing, you’re tempted to blame your failure on the “foreign” language. In a way, it becomes your scapegoat. 

The writer and journalist Kapllani

On the other hand, it’s a privilege, because the relationship between yourself and that language is a relationship of a never ending curiosity. You never take it for granted. This happens for the sole reason that it was never given to you, you had to “conquer” it. You are in a constant search for yourself and this language. The foreign language will never fully be yours in the same way your mother tongue is. I believe that the relationship one has with one’s mother tongue always contains an element of routine and heaviness. The relationship with the “foreign” language never becomes routine. It gives you a sense of lightness and freedom, a desire to play and conquer. The relationship with your mother tongue seems similar to the maternal affection. The relationship with a foreign language that you acquired resembles a love affair. At least, this is what I can say about my relationship with the Greek language. I feel that I am no longer a stranger to the Greek language. But I am not a native either. Therefore, I do not live inside the Greek language either as a stranger, or as a native. Maybe I live within it as a strange one”. 
Kallifatides, who has published novels, poetry collections, travel essays and plays, has received numerous awards for his works which usually revolve around his experience of Greece and of being Greek in foreign domains and almost all his works have been translated and published in more than twenty languages.
During the conference, he stressed that for him the Greek language is the language of connotations and feelings, and the Swedish language is an intellectual language. He mentioned the problems of writing in your own language and the privileges of writing in a foreign language. He considers himself an immigrant and a writer and not an immigrant writer.

Academy of Greek Filmmakers

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Costa Gavras, Michael Cacoyannis, Nikos Koundouros and Dinos Katsouridis are honorary members of the newly established Academy of Greek Filmmakers (December 2009).
The Academy – which includes members of the different professions related to filmmaking – will primarily assume the responsibility of bestowing awards for Greek productions.
The Greek version follows the example of other countries (U.S.A., Germany, Spain, etc.) where the Academy has established itself as an independent body with successful work in promoting local productions. Besides awards, the 108 founding members of the Academy of Greek Filmmakers will contribute to the international promotion of Greek cinema and filmmakers’ training.
Visit Greek Film Centre’ Digital Archive of Greek Cinema; Greek Film Centre: www.gfc.gr