The proceedings of the 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival were kicked off to the sound of hip hop beats on Friday, March 13 at the packed Olympion Theater. This was followed by the screening of Bryn Evans’ documentary, Hip Hop-eration, an optimistic film about senior-citizen hip-hoppers from New Zealand.
For the opening ceremony, Mother Funkerz, a hip-hop dance troupe from Thessaloniki took to the stage to present a spectacular choreography which was well received by the audience.
The Director of the Thessaloniki International Film festival and Director and founder of the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Dimitri Eipides welcomed the audience and the representatives of the country’s political leadership and institutions to this year’s event, characteristically pointing out that: “The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival offers an alternative way of expressing ideas and informing about issues that interest all of us”. With regards to this year’s program, Mr. Eipides explicated that “168 films will be screened from 45 countries. Additionally, eleven more films will be screened in the Docs for Kids morning programming zone. There will also be two tributes, to the work of the award-winning director Hubert Sauper and to Romanian director Alexandru Solomon, who is with us tonight”.
Mr. Eipides then mentioned that: "As is the case every year, films from the festival’s program will travel to audiences living in cities and towns in every corner of Greece, from Thrace to the Peloponnese and Crete. They will also travel to prisons, youth correctional facilities, and second-chance schools. The Agora (Doc Market) will welcome over 100 buyers, representatives of television channels, producers and distributors from around the world. Fifty journalists and correspondents of foreign media will be joining us, as well as Greek journalists, of course". Regarding currents events, Mr. Eipides observed: "Despite the country’s difficult circumstances, the Documentary Festival continues to evolve. Already, based on data from the European Commission, it is considered the third most important festival of its kind in Europe. With the participation of audiences, which surpassed 45,000 viewers last year, and of foreign directors, who decided to visit Thessaloniki this year without burdening the festival for their travelling expenses, our work continues. I thank you and wish you a good Festival!".
Mr. Eipides then invited the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Yiannis Boutaris, to Olympion’s stage. Mr. Boutaris welcomed the festival’s guests to the city and stressed that: "I have had the opportunity to work with the founder and inspiration behind the Documentary Festival, Dimitri Eipides. It’s a great joy and honor to be standing next to him. We also welcome the new Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Xidakis and wish him strength and good luck. Understandably, we have many expectations of him, since he was a cultural figure before taking over the Ministry, and especially because he has a deep understanding of Greek culture, which has been neglected by political parties in recent years. Also, the Festival has a new board of directors, something which should have happened long ago. We hope it showcases and continues to build on the Festival’s achievements so far". Regarding this year’s Festival, Mr. Boutaris observed: "The Documentary Festival is here once again. Thanks to Mr. Eipides’ indefatigable persistence, the Festival has received international acclaim and the adoration of audiences and the film industry. With its versatile program, its masterclasses, tributes and discussions, it has become a mirror of our times, of today’s political and social realities. It provokes, informs and activates audiences. The Municipality of Thessaloniki supports the Documentary Festival, and acknowledges it as a dynamic organisation that showcases the modern face of the city".
Shortly afterwards, Mr. Eipides invited the Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Xidakis to officially declare the opening of this year’s edition. From the podium, Mr. Xidakis stressed that «This is my first appearance as a government Minister at a large organisation. However, I don’t feel anxious, since there are many friends present, and also acquaintances and people that I have met before in places where culture is created, in cinema, painting and photography. Before coming here, I met the Mayor, Yiannis Boutaris and the Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas. I met with fellow speakers that I can communicate with, that love their homeland and understand what’s going on. All these people, friends and figures, and the city’s administrative bodies, make me feel optimistic and hopeful that in this new historical era that our new government is facing and at this turning point, this historical borderline for the country and its people, we will once again manage to find our confidence, our place, identity, courage, joyfulness and our imagination. All these things will be depicted in the films by Greek and foreign directors which we are hosting here in Thessaloniki this year, in this capital city for film in the greater area”.
Talking about the government’s policies with regards to culture, Mr. Xidakis said that it will be “the self-evident, the revolution of the self-evident” and explained: “We will stand next to creators, next to producers, next to the people that endeavor, in a just and simple manner, without fanfare. Specifically, for the film industry, we will attempt two things: that the 1.5% charge will finally be attributed from TV stations to cinematic production, and to create the circumstances and the framework of support to make Greece an attractive location for foreign cinematic productions. Other than that, it’s all about the films, the creators and the directors. I wish you all happy film-viewing and declare the commencement of the 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival”.
Subsequently Bryn Evans, the director of the opening film Hip Hop-eration greeted the audience and expressed his joy for being in Thessaloniki. Evans said: "Through the films it screens, the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival approaches important issues in relation to human rights and other aspects of society. For me, it is a great challenge to make films like this documentary".
Hip-Hop-eration tells the story of a troupe of 90 year-old hip-hop dancers from New Zealand as they prepare for the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas, and the trip that will change their lives.
