CULTURE

‘Cities in Film,’ weeklong festival, starts tonight at Trianon cinema

Placing its emphasis on the urban dimensions behind filmmaking as perceived through seven themes- these being: love in the city, adventure, social struggle, crime, loneliness, the metropolis, and Athens in film – «Cities in Film,» a weeklong festival featuring more than 20 films, both Greek and foreign, as well as relevant discussions by noted literary figures, starts tonight (and carries on through January 31) at the capital’s Trianon Filmcenter cinema. The festival’s concept, which combines screenings with discussions on urban themes accompanied by literary insight to ultimately combine critical thought with the power of film, belongs to the writer Soti Triandafyllou. Besides culling the films to be projected, many of them landmark releases such as Luis Bunuel’s «Belle de Jour» (1967) and Michelangelo Antonioni’s «L’Avventura» (1960), the festival’s coordinator has invited the participation of a group of high-profile writers, including the best-selling Greek authors Menis Koumandareas and Christos Homenidis. All in all, the event’s seven themes will be presented over as many days with relevant films and discussions by writers, such as Ersi Sotiropoulou, Mitsos Kasolas, Petros Martinidis, Petros Tatsopoulos and Nikos Panayiotopoulos. Other films to be screened include Louis Malle’s »Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud» (1958), Carol Reed’s «The Third Man» (1949), Wim Wender’s «Alice in Den Staedten» (1974), Peter Greenaway’s «The Belly of an Architect» (1987), Francesco Rosi’s ‘Le Mani sulla Citta» (1963), Mario Monicelli’s «I Compagni» (1963), John Huston’s «Fat City» (1972), Nagisa Oshima’s «Shinjuku Dorobo Nikki» (1968) and Constantinos Yiannaris’s «From the Edge of the City» (1998). Complementing the event the Panhellenic Union of Film Critics and the National Book Center have organized a one-day conference on February 2 at the Stoa tou Vivliou book center, on «The City in Literature and Cinema,» featuring talks by writers, architects, film critics and filmmakers. Trianon Filmcenter, 21 Kodringtonos, tel 010.822.2702. Stoa tou Vivliou, 5 Pezmatzoglou & Stadiou, tel 010.325.3989. «Saint Laurent was one of the greatest poets, with a huge adoration for women. But we are now living in a different era,» he said, adding that he regretted that in this country there has never been any original haute couture, though designers such as Jean Desses, born to Greek parents in Alexandria, were leading players in Parisian couture in the 1950s.

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