57th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
November 3-13, 2016
“EDGE OF NIGHT”
AN EVENT DEDICATED TO NIKOS PANAYOTOPOULOS
November 3-13, 2016
“EDGE OF NIGHT”
AN EVENT DEDICATED TO NIKOS PANAYOTOPOULOS
In an emotionally charged atmosphere, the 57th TIFF honored in an unconventional way one of the most unconventional auteurs of the Greek cinema: Nikos Panayotopoulos (1941-2016). A special screening of his film Edge of Night took place on the evening of Tuesday, November 8, 2016, in a special venue loaded with memories of a cinema past: the nightclub Barbarella Live, once the historic movie theatre “Ifigeneia”. The screening was followed by Greek composer Stamatis Kraounakis’ live performance, with music from the film and more.
Taking the floor first, the director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Orestis Andreadakis said he was moved by the fact that the Festival chose to honor this way the beloved Greek director: “At the time when we were thinking of what we could do for Nikos Panayotopoulos, the Parthenώn Film Festival and Parallaxi suggested we could do something different, not just a conventional tribute. So we brought the film here. I have the feeling that Nikos, as a man abstaining from prizes and conventional honors, would like something like this”. Mr. Andreadakis referred, inter alia, to the director’s own words about the film, taken from the book “Apo to kalathi ton achriston” (Athens, Patakis, 2010), underlining what Nikos Panayotopoulos had noted about his film Edge of Night: “...This is my only film that doesn’t make me feel intimidated to go into the theatre after the screening. Viewers are in a state of euphoria, and I must admit that not only this doesn’t feel uncomfortable, but I feel incredibly flattered, despite what I already know about “audience”, “public opinion”, “common sense” and “common morality”...”.
The protagonist of Edge of Night, Athina Maximou, who attended the event, noted characteristically: “I’m deeply moved by what is happening here, and at the same time I feel incredibly awkward. Nikos, through the film’s shots and sequences, narrates a story of which I don’t keep the message so much, but rather my own memories from the time we were shooting the film; how he acted like a child when it snowed in Kastoria, because he would be able to shoot in the snow, and also the way he was bearing with Nikos Kouris and me, who were too young to understand the cost of cinema those days. For me, Nikos is a cinema father and friend, such as is his wife, Marianna Spanoudaki, who is here this evening”.
After the screening, Stamatis Kraounakis performed, among others, the film’s music and songs, which had won the Best Music Award at the 41st TIFF in 2000. The composer was clearly moved: “This is a prize and a work which I always remember with a lot of love”, stressed Mr. Kraounakis. He also talked about his collaboration with the late director, as well as the deeper meaning of the film itself, saying: “I have to tell you that, watching this film after all these years, I feel Nikos chose to leave because he had nothing else to say about this country. And watching again the film, I get the sense that sixteen years ago, Nikos had already predicted the new generation’s desperation, what young people are experiencing today in such a dramatic way”.
The film Edge of night was awarded in the 41st TIFF with the Best Leading Actress Award for Athina Maximou and the Best Supporting Actress Award for Zoi Nalbandi.
The event took place in collaboration with Parthenώn Film Festival and Parallaxi, courtesy of JAMESON.
All sections of the 57th TIFF as well as the Agora/Industry are financed by the European Union - European Regional Development Fund under the ROP of Central Macedonia 2014-2020.
