PRESS CONFERENCE INTERNATIONAL JURY
The press conference of the International Competition Jury of the 45th Thessaloniki Film Festival took place on Monday, November 22nd at Warehouse C of the Thessaloniki Port. The Director of the Festival, Michel Demopoulos welcomed the members of the International Competition Jury which is comprised of: Miklos Jancso, Arsinee Khanjian, Alexander Payne, Valerio Adami, Yannis Bakoyannopoulos, Donald K. Ranvaud and Kent Jones.
Miklos Jancso, the President of the International Competition Jury, claimed to be delighted attending the Thessaloniki Film Festival and sorry for not being able to speak Greek or even the universal language, English. “We used to think that French would become the universal language but we were wrong”, he said. According to Mr. Jancso, being a film critic is a difficult job. “Young directors are extremely talented which makes our job even more difficult. My dear friend Theo Angelopoulos, whom I respect enormously, invited me to the Festival and I’m sure we’ll have a great time watching good films”, he added.
As far as the course of cinema is concerned, the president of the International Competition Jury stated that is a difficult thing to criticize since he goes to the cinema only as a part of the audience. “There are good films and bad films. However, I don’t particularly like the style of modern cinema. As a jury, we will watch and judge films and make our decisions”, said Mr. Jancso.
Regarding the course of European and American cinema, Kent Jones stated that it is difficult to compare the two because they are different. As he said, there is a trend for making films in the English language. “I’m thankful, though, that films are being made in a different manner, without an emphasis on financial matters or technology”, he said. Alexander Payne claimed that there exist good and bad films. “What I don’t like about American cinema is its dominance. The decline of our so-called national films also saddens me”. Mr. Payne also added that European films revolve around the human being, something absent from American cinema.
Valerio Adami spoke about his generation saying that it after the war it was shaped by cinema. As a matter of fact, cinema used to be considered a place of sin and it was considered suspicious for a woman to go there. “European cinema has always revolved around the image, the figurative and symbolism. On the other hand, American cinema has always relied on technology”, he said.
Film critic, Yannis Bakoyannopoulos claimed that being part of the International Competition Jury provides him with a new perspective on things. “It’s a matter of the position you see things from”, he said and added that there is a difference in seeing things as a film critic or as an executive and as a member of a jury because you have to distinguish the trends and the productions that will stand out in the future. As he said, the films that participated in previous years’ international competitions of the Thessaloniki Film Festival have since received international acclaim.
Donald K. Ranvaud claimed that Greek cinema is becoming well known not only because of the Festival but also thanks to the Greek Film Centre. “The films awarded at the Thessaloniki Film Festival are internationally recognized. I can’t wait to see the films by the newcomers and I hope that they continue to make good films. It’s my first visit to the Festival and I believe that it will be a wonderful experience”, he said.
Arsinee Khanjian spoke about women and their role in cinema, saying that they have been a part of it since the beginning. “Femininity has always been a part of cinema but not widespread. It’s important to investigate how technology has influenced this matter and how we perceive things. Women must stop being afraid to take this journey. The story remains the same even when it is narrated by a male voice”. When asked about the prospect of Turkey’s membership in the EU, Arsinee Khanjian said she feels ambivalence for the matter and wonders why the 85 year-old issue of the Armenian genocide has only recently sprung up in Turkey where nobody has dealt with the country’s ethical issues. “Europe won’t give us a clear answer. Do they want Turkey to become assimilated or stay the way it is? Do they want the country to become an EU member and change the way it sees itself?”, said Mrs. Khanjian.
