“FROM 1 TO 50: 50TH THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MEETS 1ST GREEK CINEMA WEEK”
A retrospective of the fifty years of TIFF’s life and a honorary tribute to important personalities who have contributed throughout the half-century long institution were the focal points of the honorary event “From 1 to 50: 50th TIFF meets 1st Greek Cinema Week.” The event took place on Tuesday, November 17, at Olympion, in the framework of 50th TIFF’s anniversary. The conferment of awards was followed by screening of “To Potami” (The River) by Nikos Koundouros, a motion picture that had stood out during the 1st Greek Cinema Week in 1960.
“The protagonists and guests of honor tonight are the people who marked TIFF’s creation and development. We are really happy to see many of them here among us,” remarked host Konstantinos Kontovrakis in his welcoming speech.
In a short speech charged with emotion, TIFF’s president George Corraface underlined: “On entering the hall, Nikos Koundouros said that there are ghosts in here. Indeed, I can feel that, too. But they’re friendly ghosts. The galleries still echo with the passion of films from Festivals of the past. We would like to thank from the bottom of our heart all of you who made TIFF move forward year by year.”
TIFF’s director, Despina Mouzaki, pointed out that “There is an important reason why we honor those who shaped this Festival, had the inspiration, nurtured and raised it with loads of hard work, daring ideas and excess of love. These people are the Festival itself. This river flowing for 50 years now, that very spark who started it all and is still alive will be the source for the innovative spirit and the enthusiasm of a fresh start; we shall step even further and make this year’s 50th anniversary the beginning of an equally exciting course.”
The first award of the honorary event was devoted to TIFF’s architech Pavlos Zannas, the only deceased awardee. The honorary plaque was received by his wife, Mina Zanna, in the presence of his son, Alekos, among the audience. “I feel greatly honored and touched in receiving this award. I am sorry that this year’s Festival does not embrace new directors – although I do not know exactly who refuses to embrace who. I hope that this protest brings about the desired effect, so as TIFF shall continue to represent a forum of fruitful presence for cinema and a communication gateway for creators. This year reminds me of the Anti-Festival in the 1970s, where Pavlos had active participation,” were the emotional words of Ms Zanna. She did not fail to mention collaborators and friends of Pavlos Zannas, thus highlighting their active contribution in the creation of TIFF. “The shape of the Festival back then had nothing to do with its present form, which is awesome. Moreover, TIFF has become an institution subject to research by Film students of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as the topic of a Korean’s PhD thessis at Harvard University. All these escape the imagination. TIFF is nowadays established much more than Pavlos has ever envisioned,” concluded Ms Zanna.
An award was presented to “Techni” (Art) Macedonian Artistic Society, a body that succeeded in integrating the 1st Greek Cinema Week within the International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki. The honorary plaque was presented by Ms Mouzaki and Mr Corraface to the president of “Techni” Macedonian Artistic Society and Aristotle University Vice-Chancellor, Athanassia Tsatsakou, who said: “Allow me to devote this award to the memory of Pavlos Zannas. This day, the anniversary of Polytechnic University’s student revolt further reminds us of the anti-dictatorial action of a great intellectual, who was among the first ones to resist the military junta.”
Next, renowned cinematographer Manos Zacharias was presented with an award; a cinema consultant to the Minister of Culture Melina Merkouri in 1986, Zacharias had introduced legislation in favor of TIFF’s full integration under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, which came into force. “I would like to thank the Festival for this great honor,” he said, clarifying that Melina Merkouri had never proposed a transfer to the seat of the Festival in Athens: “It had been only a thought by Melina, and she said that she would have liked to discuss it with Pavlos Zannas, in order to decide based on his reaction. Certainly, upon his intense reaction there was no possibility of TIFF’s ever leaving Thessaloniki!”
An honorary plaque was presented to film critic Giannis Bakogiannopoulos; a consultant on Cinema in the Ministry of Culture and member in TIFF’s Board of Directors, he had introduced the legal framework that has come into force up to now. “I was just a white-collar technocrat, who drafted law bills at some point. I think this award is too much for me, but thank you very much,” was the modest acceptance words by Mr Bakogiannopoulos.
Film critics Dimitris Charitos and Frixos Iliadis were awarded next; the two critics have constantly attended TIFF from the beginning. First, Dimitris Charitos taking the floor thanked all his late colleagues Aglaia Mitropoulou, Irini Kalkani, Giorgos Makris and Antonis Moschovakis, underlying that “if they had lived to be my age, they would have been in this room with us tonight.” Frixos Iliadis stole the warmest and most spontaneous round of applause of the ceremony with his self-sarcastic comment upon receiving his award: “I can remember an intellectual awarded for his 50 years of contribution replying: ‘Give me back my 50 years and gladly take back all the fame!”
Further on came the award to Mimis Plessas, music composer of the feature film Backstage Murder (“Englima Sta Paraskinia”), which participated in the 1st Greek Cinema Week in 1960. “It has been fifty years, however it all seems like the very first day. My true vindication would be if some of you remained in this cinema after the screening of The River and watched Errikos Andreou’s film “Mirea Schesi” (Fatal Relationship) for which I have composed the music scores,” said the composer in his acceptance speech.
The event continued with awards to Dimitris Stavrakas and Kostas Ferris, who had worked as assistant directors to Nikos Koundouros in the motion picture The River (To Potami). “I would like to thank TIFF for its generosity. I only hope ... I don’t have the same luck as the hero in the film Medal of Honor, who was asked to return his medal in the end!” added humorously speaking director Dimitris Stavrakas, alluding to Romanian film by Calin Peter Netzer, showcased in TIFF’s International Competition section. Next, director Kostas Ferris reminisced details from his meeting with Nikos Koundouros: “I had recently come to Greece, penniless, and Kostas Kazakos took me to Nikos Koundouros to work as third assistant director after Petros Lykas and Dimitris Stavrakas. Within a few weeks both of them fell in love and left, so there I was in my first film working as first assistant director to Nikos Koundouros! It has been the most touching experience of my life! However, my greatest award has been given by Nikos Koundouros himself in the form of his still lasting friendship which is getting stronger over time,” noted Mr Ferris. In a humorous tone he added: “I would like to believe that TIFF inaugurates the assistant director’s award by awarding me tonight. What is more, I would like to make another proposition to the people of TIFF: In 1953, at the age of 18 I made a cameo appearance in Michalis Kakogiannis’s film Sunday Awakening (Kyriakatiko Xypnima) uttering a single word: “There.” I hope next year there is another honorary event about Sunday Awakening, so as to receive the very first Extras Award!”
The highlight of the honorary event was the conferment of an award to director of the feature film The River, Nikos Koundouros. “On the 1st Greek Cinema Week, not even six films were competing, thus leaving the screening programme short. So, The River was screened twice, which today sounds outrageous, surreal, charming... Thank you all for being here tonight and offering your applause to me. When I craved for the applause, it was denied to me. I had very little of it. Now, when I don’t need it, here it comes!” said the renowned cinematographer, who refused to step onstage, hence “forcing” Ms Mouzaki and Mr Corraface to step down to the first row and present him with the honorary plaque. He commented with a dose of self-sarcasm: “This gathering somehow resembles a dirge. Most people are gone and those present are ready to leave. I really love and feel grateful towards everyone I have worked with through all those years in this crazy business called filmmaking. Towards actors, who are the most ...suspicious “species” in the cinema industry, towards technicians –the most beloved “species”- along with assistants, the most tender “species.” I wish all the best to them, and to myself!”
Nikos Koundouros also made a reference to Takis Kanellopoulos, director of the short film Macedonian Wedding (‘Makedonikos Gamos’), showcased during the 1st Greek Cinema Week in 1960. “To me, Takis’s shadow lingers around here. We lost him too soon, he was one of the last romantics on earth,” he remarked. On the occassion of The River’s screening after the awards, Nikos Koundouros talked about his experiences with the film’s shooting, his relationship with the scriptwriters, particularly Antonis Samarakis, as well as the disagreement with the American production company, resulting in shooting two different versions of the film; none of them have been screened for about 45 years.
In the honorary event “From 1 to 50: 50th TIFF meets 1st Greek Cinema Week” TIFF conferred awards to many other people who have made their special contribution to the cinema institution, and could not be present in Olympion to receive their awards. Director Dinos Katsouridis, scenographer Marilena Aravantinou and actresses George Sarri and Maro Kontou from the feature film Backstage Murder. Director Michalis Kakogiannis, costume designer Dennie Vachlioti, actress Tasso Kavvadia and actor Giorgos Fountas from the film Stella, who had screened on the 1st Greek Cinema Week under a tribute to Greek film of 1955-1960. Finally, recepients of awards were Iakovos Kampanellis, who co-scripted The River with Nikos Koundouros, and Rosita Sokou.
