SPECIAL EVENT HONORING DIONYSIS FOTOPOULOS
Internationally acclaimed Greek artist Dionysis Fotopoulos was presented with TIFF’s Golden Alexander Award for his exceptional career achievements, at an honorary event held on Sunday, November 15 at the Thessaloniki Cinema Museum. The event coincided with the official opening of the exhibition “Dionysis Fotopoulos: Cinema”, which is held on the occasion of TIFF’s jubilee and includes posters and videos from films that bear the artistic mark of Fotopoulos. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Benaki Museum – under the auspices of the Melina Merkouri and Ioannis S. Latsis Foundations – and will be open at the external grounds of Port Warehouse A’ until November 22.
Present at the honorary event, which brought together more than 200 friends, associates and admirers of the distinguished artist, were the minister of Culture and Tourism Pavlos Geroulanos, the Minister of Defense Evangelos Venizelos, the President of TIFF Georges Corraface, TIFF’s director Despina Mouzaki, the President of the Thessaloniki Cinema Museum Giorgos Mylonas, the director of the Thessaloniki Cinema Museum Vasilis Kehagias, as well as distinguished directors Theo Angelopoulos and Nikos Panagiotopoulos.
Opening the honorary speeches, Mr. Kehagias noted: «When TIFF asked us to cooperate in hosting this exhibition in honor of Dionysis Fotopoulos, we were more than happy to accept, since it was precisely the kind of initiative that features all the characteristics we aspire to give to the new Thessaloniki Museum Cinema: showcasing the limitless potential of Greek cinema, standing by the Greek cinema and, at the same time, making the Museum an equal of similar establishments abroad”.
TIFF’s director Despina Mouzaki talked warmly of Dionysis Fotopoulos: “It is almost impossible to express in words the graceful touch of Dionysis Fotopoulos, who has served his art for half a century, with subtle and at other times sweeping interventions, transforming matter into art. He was the man behind the staging of hundreds of plays in the theater and of dozens of films, and he has been met with the acknowledgement he deserved. Even today, after a career that crosses the borders of his native country, his outlook remains clean and fresh and he never fails to surprise and fascinate us. Through his art, he has communicated with some of the most important personalities of the theater and the cinema and his career has been so rich and important, that he would have made his teacher, Giannis Tsarouhis, and his brother, who recently passed away, distinguished stage designer Vasilis Fotopoulos, more than proud. We are also proud that an artist of Dionysis Fotopoulos’ caliber is present at TIFF’s jubilee”.
TIFF’s president Georges Corraface had also words of high praise for the artist, stressing: “A fascinating figure and artist, Dionysis Fotopoulos has been in Thessaloniki’s International Festival many times in the past, has participated in the competitive sections of TIFF and received many awards – he is a part of the past, the present and the morrow. Tonight, however, we wish to honor him not only for his remarkable career achievements, but mostly because his work makes us proud and leads us to discover the magic of the simplest of things. The Golden Alexander, TIFF’s premium award, is merely a token of appreciation for all that he has offered us throughout the years. Dionysis, we thank you and we are eager to see what you have in store for us in the future”. Mr. Corraface then called Messrs Angelopoulos and Panagiotopoulos to present the award to Dionysis Fotopoulos.
In his Golden Alexander acceptance speech, Dionysis Fotopoulos said: “I feel that this award belongs first and foremost to my brother, who initiated me in the cinema when I was still a child, and also to cinema’s technicians, to which I have dedicated the book ’Dionysis Fotopoulos: Cinema’ published this year, which features pictures and other material from the movies. These people, invisible and unknown to most, are the ones who create the dreams, the nightmares and all the feelings that captivate movie audiences”.
