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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Giorgio De Chirico Art Centre in Volos

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The Giorgio de Chirico Art Centre is located in the centre of the city of Volos, Greece’s third-largest port city, where the famous Italian painter was born in 1888.

The Art Centre, located on a pedestrian road next to the Municipal Conservatory, is housed in a new glass building that has been named after the Surrealist painter who was the founder of the “scuola metafisica” (metaphysical school) art movement.
The ground floor, mezzanine and second floors of the Art Centre, which was inaugurated in September 1990, house the Volos Municipal Art Collection.
The latter includes more than 400 paintings, sculptures, hagiographies, ceramics, mosaics and artistic photographs, as well as periodical exhibitions, and a small library.
The other two floors house the Alexander Damtsas Museum, a permanent exhibition of the Volos-born art aficionado’s collection comprising some 500 paintings and gravures by mostly Greek artists representing all the important art styles from the late 19th century to date.
Athens News Agency: The Giorgio de Chirico Art Centre, a cradle of culture in the heart of Volos

OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens

Papoulias Inaugurates OSCE Meeting

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias inaugurated yesterday the 17th Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), taking place in Athens (1-2/12).
Papoulias welcomed delegates from the OSCE’ s 56 member states and described the international meeting as “an important political event and an opportunity to strengthen peaceful cooperation and promote the common goals of the member states, in order to reach tangible and substantive conclusions.”

Papandreou’ s Address

The Corfu Process needs to be taken a step further in order to meet the challenges to European security in the 21st century, OSCE chairman-in-office, Greece’s Prime minister and Foreign minister George Papandreou stressed, addressing the first plenary session of the organisation’s 17th ministerial council.
“We have to agree on important decisions in the next two days to strengthen co-operative security across the OSCE area, to shape the work of our organization, and to create a strong foundation for Kazakhstan to build upon as it assumes the OSCE Chairmanship on January 1,” Papandreou said.
He also expressed his hope that a constructive spirit will prevail during the two-day deliberations of the meeting.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Speech of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greece Papandreou, to the 1st Plenary session of the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council
See also Project Syndicate: Renewing Europe’s Security Dialogue by George Papandreou

Sideline Meetings

On the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial council, Papandreou met with the foreign ministers of Finland, Alexander Stubb and Kazakhstan, Kanat Saudabayev, who together form the current OSCE “troika.”
Alternate foreign minister Dimitris Droutsas had a meeting with FYROM’s FM Antonio Milososki while the premier is scheduled to meet today with the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey, Sergei Lavrov and Ahmet Davutoglou respectively.
At the end of the first day of meetings, the Greek OSCE chairmanship hosted a formal reception for the visiting diplomatic delegations at the Acropolis Museum.

Greece in Poland

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) An event dedicated to Greece took place on the premises of the Polish Cultural Centre ‘Alexander Kaminski’ in Warsaw (November 20).
The director of the Cultural Center stressed out the significance of such events aiming at strengthening ties among European countries, through history and culture.
Addressing the event, the Greek Ambassador in Warsaw referred to the contribution of Greek civilisation in the evolution of the European culture. He further suggested that tourism can act as vehicle in cultural exchanges and invited Poles to visit Greece and meet the culture from up close.
The event involved happenings with Greek folklore music and dancing as well as the screening of a documentary film by Wieslaw Dabrowski titled “Hellenic Poles,” about Polish people living in Greece.
Embassy of Greece: www.greece.pl

Shcolars on Ancient Macedonia

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   More than 200 of the most prestigious academics, including widely read authors on ancient Greece and Alexander like Paul Cartledge, Steven H. Rutledge and Robin Lane Fox, have sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama asking him to intervene to “clean up the historical debris” left by the previous U.S. administration’s policy on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).  As it is noted in the letter, the recognition of the “Republic of Macedonia” in 2004, not only abrogated geographic and historic fact but has also unleashed a dangerous epidemic of historical revisionism.  According to those signing the letter – which has been posted on the website Macedonia Evidence – Skopje’s claims to a Macedonian descent of its Slavic population and its “misappropriation” of Alexander the Great as the country’s national hero are a “subversion of history”.  Stephen G. Miller, Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley  begun the initiative of collecting signatures and the undersigns include historians and Classicists teaching at the most renowned universities in the world,  like Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Stanford, Vassar, College de France etc.  Politics and Current Affairs: Scholars dismiss Skopje claims as ‘silliness’ in letter to Obama

Alexander is The Greatest Greek of All Time

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   In a lengthy debate broadcast live on Skai Television on May 18, the series ended with the voting of Alexander the Great as the Greatest Greek of all time.  After mass public participation – 700,000 votes were counted – many intellectuals and political figures were also involved, something that was emphasised in the final debate.  During the live show, 250 guests were present as “supporters” of the 10 finalists who were depicted in 10 Skai documentaries.  This project was based on the BBC’s own “Great Britons” series.  Kathimerini daily: The Greatest Greek of all time & Search is on for Greatest Greeks, past or present; Foundation of the Hellenic World: Hellenic History; Greek News Agenda: Voting for Greatest Greeks 

Significant Hellenistic Statue Found in Alexandria

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   “A very importantHellenistic statue, very rare in terms of craftsmanship and beauty, and one that depicts a great figure of Hellenic history,” was unearthed on May 4 in Alexandria announced the director of the Hellenic Research Institute of Alexandrian Civilisation.  The 80cm-tall statue was found in very good condition and retains numerous characteristics reminiscent of statues depicting Alexander the Great, however, further investigation is needed to define the identity of the figure it depicts.  The specific statue is regarded as the most important discovery made in Alexandria in recent times, and will soon be on display at the city’s archaeological museum. 

A “Mini” Greek-British History

The British Press (Independent, May 7 & Daily Telegraph, May 12) reports on the life of the Greek-British car designer of the legendary Mini model.  Sir Alexander Issigonis, (1906-1988) is now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in May 8 1959.  Issigonis was born into the Greek community of Smyrna (now İzmir) in the Ottoman Empire. Because Alec and his family were British subjects, they managed to escape the Turkish re-possession of Smyrna in 1922.  Alec studied engineering in London. In 1955, Issigonis was recruited by British Motor Corporation. A year later, following the Suez Crisis, Issigonis was asked to bring to production a small car as quickly as possible.  By early 1957, prototypes were running, and in August 1959 the car was launched as the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Mini Seven or just Austin Mini. In later years, the car would become known simply as the Mini.

Archaeological Park in Athens

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Culture Minister Antonis Samaras recently announced  the creation of a unique archaeological park – approximately 3.4 hectares – in downtown Athens. The park will unify the famed Lyceum established by the philosopher Aristotle with the Byzantine and Christian Museum. According to Culture Minister, a translucent protective roof is to be erected over the antiquities of the Lyceum’s area. Work on the project, which will cost €4.5 million, is to begin soon and to be completed by 2011 and it will be funded by the partly state-owned company OPAP. Aristotle opened the Lyceum- also known as “the Peripatetic School” – in 335 BC upon his return to Athens following a period during which he taught Alexander the Great. Foundation of the Hellenic World: Aristotle & Education; (Photo:Plato and Aristotle in Raphael’s masterpiece “The School of Athens”)

Onassis Prize in Finance

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The recipient of the Onassis Prize in Finance is Professor Eugene Fama from Chicago University’s Graduate School of Business. Professor Fama was honoured for his lifetime contribution to finance academia. In his speech delivered for the occasion at a ceremony held at the Guildhall in the City of London on April 27, Fama referred to the global economic crisis stressing that it has not yet ended and that it is advisable for markets to be left free to adjust, away from government interventionism. The Onassis Prize, sponsored by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, is awarded biennially and recognises a lifetime contribution by a leading academic in each of the areas of shipping, trade and finance.  The winner receives prize money of $250,000. Addressing the ceremony which attracted some 700 distinguished guests from across the world, President of the Board of Directors, Anthony S. Papadimitriou stated his enthusiasm for the international recognition for a valuable institution such as the Onassis International Prizes.

Hellenistic Studies at Library of Alexandria

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    The ancient world’s beacon of knowledge, the Library of Alexandria in Egypt – Bibliotheca Alexandrina – has acquired a Centre of Hellenistic Studies which was inaugurated on November 28, and will soon offer a new programme including post-graduate and doctoral courses in Hellenistic studies. The Centre, part of a joint initiative of the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and the Vardinoyannis Foundation – will open in the next academic year, with funding by each of these foundations and the Alexandria University, under the auspices of Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak, all part of the Alexandria Library partnership. Deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis inaugurated the Centre, and UN Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis attended the event.  Athens News Agency: Hellenistic Studies in Alexandria; Greek News Agenda: Hellenistic Studies @ Biblioteca Alexandrina 

The Awards at 49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  The 49^th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) opened on November 14 and concluded on November 23. Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani’s feature-length black and white film “Over There” won the Golden Alexander award as the best foreign film. A critics’ committee special award and the Silver Alexander went to the Romanian- Italian co-production “Hooked,” directed by Adrian Sitaru. The best director award was given to Argentina’s Celina Murga for her film “A Week Alone,” while the prize for best scenario was awarded to Australian Matthew Newton for his “Three Blind Mice.” The Best actress award was given jointly to Ioana Flora and Maria Dinulesku from Romania and Best Actor award was also jointly bestowed to Sid Lucero and Emilio Garcia.  Thessaloniki Int’l Film Festival: 49TIFF Awards (23/11/2008)

Athens to Host Global Forum on Migration, 2009

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Next year, Athens will host the 3^rd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), and the Alexander Onassis Public Benefit Foundation will undertake the organisation of the event – which will take place in November 2009. The GFMD is a voluntary, cross-border initiative launched by the UN secretary general’s office and aims to display the potential and challenges of international migration. The two-day forum is expected to be attended by 200 participants and representatives of non-governmental organisations from around the globe.  Hellenic Migration Policy Institute: www.imepo.gr