L (Learning)

On Tuesday 17 December at 19:00 and on Wednesday 18 December at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film L (Greece, colour, 2011, 87 min) by Babis Makridis. The film is in the original EL version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 13 years.

Synopsis

L begins with an ode to being a bear and ends with an ode to the sea. What happens in between constitutes one of the more original, willfully bizarre films of the year.

A man lives in his car. He's 40 and separated from his wife and kids, who live in a different car. They meet in parking lots. A professional driver, the man delivers honey to a narcoleptic man and often dreams of his friend, who was killed when a hunter mistook him for a bear. Frequently late delivering honey, the man is fired, and his driving skills are questioned. Thrust into existential uncertainty, he abandons "car life" and joins a rogue motorbike gang.

Fish n' Chips (2011)

On Tuesday 12 November at 19:00 and on Wednesday 13 November at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film Fish n' Chips (Greece, 2011, colour, 102 min) by Elias Demetriou. The film is in the original version with Εnglish subtitles. 

Synopsis

A contemporary drama, Fish n' Chips opens with Greek-cypriot Andy living in London and working in a traditional fish and chips shop, as the title divulges. The deterioration of his mum's health induces his return to Cyprus, where he decides to continue the job he's an expert at, but things don't work out quite as he has planned. While living temporarily with his married brother, and having to face painful incidents his mum's Alzheimer brings upon, Andy has to clearly face the vital question "where do I belong, in the end?" and redefine his identity issues. 

The film which won Best Directing Prize at the London Greek Film Festival is featuring a multicultural cast. It stars Marios Ioannou, Marlene Kaminsky, Anne Marie O' Sullivan, Diomedes Koufteros etc.

Kisses to the Children | Φιλιά εις τα παιδιά and/και Los Bilbilikos, a Song from Thessaloniki - Ένα Τραγούδι από τη Θεσσαλονίκη

On Tuesday 15 October at 19:00 and on Wednesday 16 October at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia two documentaries on the Jewish Community of Greece, suitable for children over 12: Kisses to the Children by Vassilis Loules (original title Φιλιά εις τα Παιδιά, Greece, 2012, colour and black & white, 115 min, Greek original version with English subtitles) and Los Bilbilikos, A Song from Thessaloniki (original title Los Bilbilikos, Ένα Τραγούδι από τη Θεσσαλονίκη, 2011, colour, 21 min, Greek original version, without subtitles) in the presence of the scriptwriter Ms Papastefanou, who will take questions from the audience after the screening. The film is a co-production of Stela Papastefanou, Maria Papadopoulou, Thessaloniki Film Festival and ET3.

Kisses to the Children

Five Greek-Jewish children who were saved by Christian families during the German Occupation, five “hidden children” who lived in total silence, tell their stories. Stories of terror, anguish and confusion but also stories of salvation and carefree childhood in the arms of strangers. Secret Gardens of Eden, nests of love away from the horror of the Holocaust. Five children were forced to mature abruptly. Rosina, Iossif, Eftyhia, Shelly and Marios grew old, carrying the memory of thousands of children, those who were never given the time to grow up.

Encardia, the Dancing Stone - Encardia, η Πέτρα που Χορεύει

On Tuesday 24 September at 19:30 and on Wednesday 25 September at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the musical documentary Encardia, the Dancing Stone (Greece, 2012, colour, 82 min) by Angelos Kovotsos. The film is in the Greek original version (partly in Italian) with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for all ages.

Film Summary

The film follows the Greek band Encardia which composes and presents music and songs inspired by the rich musical tradition of Southern Italy.

The Griko people are an ethnic Greek community found principally in regions of Calabria and Apulia. They are believed to be remnants of Greek communities that arrived to southern Italy (the old Magna Graecia region) in numerous waves of migrations from the 8th century BC through to the Byzantine Greek migrations of the 15th century caused by the Ottoman conquest. 

The Griko community has been able to preserve its original Greek identity, heritage, language and distinct culture, although exposure to mass media has progressively eroded its culture and language.

Encardia has travelled to Southern Italy in search of local folk culture. They have met with local musicians, poets and researchers, who try to preserve this powerful Mediterranean tradition with their songs and poetry. In addition to the music, they are interested in Tarantella pizzica, a local variation of the well-known Italian dance, which has acquired magical, religious and therapeutic dimensions.

The Guide - Ο Ξεναγός

On Tuesday 18 June at 19:30 and on Wednesday 19 June at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the comedy The Guide (Greece, 2010, colour, 94 min) by Zacharias Mavroeidis. The film is in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for young people over 16 years.

Film Summary

Nine frustrated young architects in an equally frustrated city. A comedy about sexuality, Athens and Greeks. Iasonas arrives in Athens starting his new ambitious career as “architects’ guide”. His group consists of international students of architecture, finishing their Erasmus in Thessaloniki. 

Soon Iasonas faces the contradicting wishes of the students who prefer a day-long coffee or a visit to a graveyard than a guide to the Acropolis. Meanwhile, he meets back with his once (more than just a) best friend Mirsini. Trapped between a friend who progressively sees him less and less as a friend and a group that sees him less and less as a guide, Iasonas will have to give an answer to all his personal questions regarding his sexuality and his career.

Ghost of a Chance - Αιώνιος Φοιτητής

On Tuesday 14 May at 19:30 and on Wednesday 15 May at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film Ghost of a Chance (Greece, 2001, colour, beta, 100 min) by Vangelis Seitanidis. The film is in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 16 years old.

FILM SUMMARY

In the casino there is only one queen, the small ball that spins on the roulette table. None of the players pays the slightest attention to the female dealers. 

But Takis, a "perennial" med student doesn't go to the casino for the millions but for a day's wages. Vera works in a gym but trains and gets a second job as a dealer. Her aim is to protect her mother since regulations forbid relatives of employees from entering the casino.

Let her Dad knock himself out. There's no way he'll play roulette again! At some point Takis and Vera become lovers. They rig a game at the roulette table, leave the money with her Mom and hide out in a friend's house where their romantic dream soon succumbs to the wretched conditions in which they live. When her father dies of a heart attack in his Jeep, Vera suddenly finds herself with money. At the funeral, the manager of the casino threatens to send her to prison. A compromise is reached: Vera returns most of the money and fingers Takis who goes to jail. But something worse happens to her: she starts gambling to make enough money to open her own gym. The story spins out until they both realize that they truly love each other.

Katerina Gogou, Reinstating the Dark Side - Κατερίνα Γώγου, για την αποκατάσταση του Μαύρου

On Tuesday 23 April at 19:30 and on Wednesday 24 April at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film Katerina Gogou, Reinstating the Dark Side (Greece, 2012, colour and B&W, 67 min) by Antonis Boskoitis. The film is in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 16 years old.

The director Antonis Boskoitis will be present both days to discuss with the audience. After Tuesday's screening a drink will be offered.

Film Summary

Katerina Gοgou lived her life like a flickering candle, wrote her radical poems and shared in other people's pain before she took a rock 'n roll dive into death at the beginning of the 90s. 

Gogou is remembered by people whose paths crossed her own, including actors, poets, political activists, directors, singers and songwriters. Her film portrait in black and white is complemented by previously unreleased audiovisual material and dramatised sequences, featuring actress Loukia Michalopoulou. Katerina Gοgou - Reinstating The Dark Side is the last part of a non-fiction trilogy, which started out in 2002 with a portrait of Fleury Dadonaki and continued in 2008 with the history of Greek rock. A series of marginal personalities who lived and died in the city of Athens provides the connective tissue among these three documentaries, shedding light on an idiosyncratic urban landscape that's forever gone.

The King - Ο Βασιλιάς

On Tuesday 19 March at 19:30 and on Wednesday 20 March at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film The King (Greece, 2002, colour, 130 min) by Nikos Grammatikos. The film is in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 16 years old.

Film Summary

Nikos Grammatikos' drama The King is about a bad man trying to turn his life around. Vangelis gets out of prison, has a brief reunion with his girlfriend Maria, and declares to his former partners that he is done with crime. He sets out for a small village to live in his grandfather's house. Once he arrives, the town is suspicious of the stranger. Eventually police officer Petros befriends the man. As his fortunes start to improve, Maria and his old cronies arrive and bring about Vangelis' naturally self-destructive tendencies. The King was screened at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and won all the major prizes (Best Feature Film, Best Actor, Best Scenography and Sound). 

 Nikos Grammatikos Filmography

La Veille (2005)
Le Roi (2002)
Nightflowers (1998)
Truants (1996)
A Time to Kill (1993)
U-Turn (1991)
The Night with Silena (1986)

Apology of an Economic Hit Man - Εξομολόγηση ενός Οικονομικού Δολοφόνου

On Tuesday 19 February at 19:30 and on Wednesday 20 February at 21:30 we will screen in cinema Utopia the film Apology of an Economic Hit Man (Greece, 2008, colour, 90 min) by Stelios Kouloglou. The film is

in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 16 years old.

Film Summary

John Perkins was a prominent member of the top-secret team of “economic hit men”, who used fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, military coups and murder to create the global American empire after World War II. After a long internal struggle between his guilt and the fear of telling the truth, Perkins meets the daughter of an assassinated president and speaks out in front of an angry Latin-American audience.

Based on rare propagandistic material, film-noir style reconstructed sequences and exclusive filmed confessions of best selling author John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, The Secret History of the American Empire) this fascinating documentary sheds light on the unknown mechanisms used by the rulers of the modern world, the roots of Islamic terrorism, and the reason why most of the world’s population lives in poverty. The definitive answer to President Bush's question "why do they hate us?"

Apnea - Άπνoια

On Tuesday 22 January at 19:30 and on Wednesday 23 January at 21:30 in cinema Utopia we will screen the film APNEA (Greece, 2010, colour, 90 min) by Aris Bafaloukas. The film is in the Greek original version with Εnglish subtitles. Suitable for children over 16 years old.

Film Summary

Dimitris, a 23 year-old swimmer, dives into the water of a dark pool after achieving success in the European Championships. He has fulfilled the dream of a lifetime, but feels emptier than ever. As his body floats in the water, memories from the past come flooding into his mind, reminding him about his relationship with Elsa, an environmental activist who was mysteriously disappeared.

Cast: Sotiris Pastras, Yioulika Skafida, Giorgos Karamichos, Andrianna Babali, Vangelis Rokkos, Akylas Karazissis, Lydia Fotopoulou, Nikos Nikolaou, Giorgos Symeonidis, Iro Moukiou, Antonis Karistinos, Αlexandros Balamotis, Nataly Pavlof, Dora Samsona