Όταν ο Βάγκνερ συνάντησε τις ντομάτες | When tomatoes met Wagner (2019) by Marianna Economou

On Tuesday 19 November 2019 at 19:00 and on Wednesday 20 November 2019 at 21:00 the documentary When tomatoes met Wagner (Greece, 2019, 72 min, colour) by Marianna Economou will be screened in cinema Utopia, in the Greek original version with English subtitles. The film is suitable for children older than 12. The documentary was submitted by Greece for the Best International Feature Film Award at the 2020 Academy Awards.

Synopsis

The film is a story about an ordinary rural community, where things start to happen in an extraordinary way. After centuries of introversion, the tomato stirs up life in the village and its thirty three elderly inhabitants respond to a new reality. On top of this, Alexandros plays Wagner in the tomato fields to help them grow, uses stories to market the products and convinces people from all over the world to visit Elias. With humour and poetry, When Tomatoes Met Wagner speaks to us about the power of human relationships and the importance of reinventing oneself during difficult times.

Elias, a small farming village in central Greece, is dying out. But two cousins team up with the village grannies to cultivate the tomato seeds they have kept for hundreds of years. With a little help from Wagner’s music –which they use to help their tomatoes grow– the team succeeds to export little jars with organic tomato recipes across the world. The film follows the protagonists of this unlikely quest, as they struggle to survive and make their dream come true. Humorous and bittersweet, this is a story about the importance of reinventing oneself in times of crisis and the power of human relationships.

Trailer

https://vimeo.com/315176567

A few words about the director

Marianna Economou studied anthropology, photojournalism and film production in London. Since 2000, she directs and produces documentary series and independent films of Greek production and co-productions with European broadcasters such as the BBC, ARTE and YLE. She has received awards for The School, My Place in the Dance, Please Listen to Me, Bells, Threads And Miracles, Twelve Neighbours, Food for Love and The Longest Run which was nominated for the European Film Awards 2016. The Longest Run also won the VER.DI award at Dok Leipzig.

More information

https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/370505/#cm
http://www.anemon.gr/films/film-detail/when-tomatoes-met-wagner
https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2019/02_programm_2019/02_Filmdatenblatt_2019_201911130.html#tab=filmStills
https://www.visionsdureel.ch/2019/film/when-tomatoes-met-wagner
https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/movie-tdf/movie/12108
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2020-oscars-greece-selects-tomatoes-met-wagner-international-feature-film-category-1240970

Click 'Read More' for Greek version.

Ο μεγάλος περίπατος της Άλκης | Alki's long walk (2017) by Margarita Manda

On Tuesday 15 October 2019 at 19:00 and on Wednesday 16 October 2019 at 21:00 the documentary Alki's long walk (Greece, 2017, 88 min, colour) by Margarita Manda will be screened in cinema Utopia, in the presence of the film director, in the Greek original version with English subtitles. The film is suitable for children older than 12. Unfortunately, Mrs Zei will not be able to join us, due to health issues.

Synopsis

A cinematic journey in the tumultuous life and prolific works of Greek novelist, Alki Zei. Α life that accumulates Greece’s entire 20th century history and writings that have received international success and continue to be honoured, touching generations and generations of readers. Based predominantly on the verbal testimonies of Alki Zei herself, but also those of her sister, Heleni Kokkou and her dear friends and fellow-travellers, film director Manos Zacharias and poet Titos Patrikios.

Trailer

https://vimeo.com/205566380

A few words about the director

Born in Athens. She studied Political Science, French Literature and film direction. She has worked as 1st assistant director with Theo Angelopoulos and many other Greek directors. She has written and directed various short and feature films, both fiction and documentaries, as well as videos for stage shows and corporate videos. She has been the editor and co-writer in the published screenplays of Theo Angelopoulos films “Ulysses’ Gaze” (publ. Kastaniotis, 1995) and “Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow” (publ. Electra, 2004). Her novel “Still Memory” was published by “Metechmio” in October 2002. Her personal diaries from the shooting of Theo Angelopoulos’ “Ulysses’ Gaze” became her second published work also by “Metechmio” in February 2013. 

As a film director, Margarita’s films have won various awards and have been selected in various festivals around the world. The Hollywood Reporter wrote for her film “Forever”: “superb performances and artful filmmaking make this minimalistic exercise quietly affecting” which comprises her vision as a filmmaker.

 

Selective filmography

• “Alki’s long walk”, feature length documentary, 2017
• “Forever”, feature length fiction, 2014
• “Gold Dust”, feature length fiction film, 2009
• “New Odessa – the village of the lake”, medium length documentary, 2004
• “Guardians of Time”, feature length documentary, 2002

Click 'Read More' for Greek version.