Directors, Mike Ott (Littlerock), Ari Mpafalouka (Apnea), Stella Arkendi (I, Giannoulis Chalepas), Seren Yuce (Majority) and Belma Bas (Zephyr) participated in the fourth meeting of the “Just Talking” forum for discussion and communication that took place on Wednesday, December 8th at the Electra Palace hotel. The directorial style they adopt, as wells as the autobiographical aspects of their films were the main issues that dominated the conversation.
American director, Mike Ott, participates in the International Competition of the 51st Festival with his film Littlerock, a road movie having two brothers from Japan as its central characters. During their journey across the USA, at some point they have no choice but to stay in Littlerock, a small town in the Californian desert. As he talked about his directorial approach, the young director explained that the fact that he had grown up in the American countryside exerted an influence on his style as a filmmaker. “I grew up in an environment where different sorts of people could be found, even within my own family. Moreover, even though I knew that many people were of a low level of education and often behaved in a racist way, sometimes I preferred it because in these cases you get a clear picture, you know who you‘re dealing with. The central character of the film goes down this road of awareness, as her first impression of the USA as an ideal country gradually fades away in her mind. Just like when you are madly in love with a girl and you see nothing wrong in her, but as time goes by you come to realize that she has flaws, too.” He went on to make a sarcastic comment: “If you ask whether my film has autobiographical aspects, my answer is that every film embodies a great deal of the director’s personality. Do you think it is a coincidence that James Cameron has directed only pompous movies, such as the Titanic?”
As he referred to his film Apnea –which also participates in the International Competition of the Festival- Ari Mpalafouka chose not to describe it, but to explain the motives that urged him to make it. “I think that in a way, we ruin a film when we talk about it, as the cinematic language is so powerful that it cannot be replaced with words. I just wanted to make a film about a person who works hard to accomplish a goal that is not of his own choice. A swimmer who has reached a high level of competition has started practicing at an early age, therefore it is a choice made exclusively by the parents. The path the character follows in the movie is of a poetic nature and depicts a dead-end, common to anyone who hasn’t settled on what he wants to do in his life and ends up feeling trapped in a reality that is not fulfilling. I could have been a champion swimmer as well, but the film is not about me. I would say though, that in the end –as a spectator– you discover things that have at least an indirect reference to you, even though you had no such intention.”, stressed the artist.
Stella Arkendi’s film I, Giannoulis Chalepas, also screed at the Festival, focuses on the life and work of the great sculptor. The director talked about her contact with the renowned sculptor and the passion that it stirred up inside her. “It is a film that resembles to a Byzantine chant, but at he same time, it is the portrait of a great artist. In reality, the film is a “free fall” down the soul and the spirit of this man. Chalepas is my guardian angel, the one who glued all the broken pieces together and made me feel complete as artist.”
On his part, the Turkish director Seren Yuce, whose film Majority is screened at the “Balkan Survey” section, referred to the way a child grows up to become a man. Through the love story between a Turk and a girl from Kurdistan, his film raises issues of politics and morality, as well as questions that focus on the process of emancipation and maturing of a young man. “Nationalism and fascism are common middle class values that feed children’s minds with opinions that are in favor of social discretions, without them being able to understand it. That is case with the film’s character that almost ends up reaching a state of paranoia. I cannot say if the film includes autobiographical aspects, but I will be able to answer this question after my next film. One thing is for sure though: “You have to be honest with yourself when you make a movie”, pointed out the director.
The Turkish director Belma Bas in her film Zephyr, focuses on the relationship of an 11-year-ol girl with her mother, who is always away. “I think that deep down, we all tell the same story, the journey towards death. I just tried to raise other questions as well, questions that revolve around childhood innocence, the relationship between children and parents etc. The most difficult part for me was being in charge of the film’s set, finding the strength to co-exist with so many people, as I would say that I develop a kind of “phobia” whenever I am around a lot of people. Moreover, I tend to take a slow approach in things. My motives though, were not autobiographical, on the contrary. I guess I make movies to escape myself.”
