Grappling with love, not politics
Increasingly perceived as bored, indifferent and lazy, Greek schoolchildrens’ reputation could improve dramatically if initiatives such as «Let’s Go to the Cinema,» put forward by the Ministries of Culture and Education, became the rule rather than the exception. The second High-School Film Festival, featuring 121 five-minute short movies produced by schools in Athens, Thessaloniki, Thrace and Crete, began on Saturday and ended last night. As the result of the ministries’ joint efforts, the festival was organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival, while a seven-member panel awarded a series of prizes to the young filmmakers. Singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos, a member of last year’s jury, had fond memories from the event: «What impressed me more than anything else was looking at the pupils as they came into the cinema; they came in groups and they looked as if they were off to a party or an excursion. Actually, the mood was just right and the short films showed the same spirit. It was like we couldn’t see the world clearly, as if we were glimpsing at it for the first time.» Savvopoulos initially hesitated when asked to be a member of the jury, but agreed to travel to Thessaloniki after he had seen the films on video. As for the negative comments, which more often than not accompany any discussion on the young generation, Savvopoulos remained adamant. «I don’t agree with any of this. Schoolchildren are Greece’s hardest working community,» he said. For actor Akis Sakellariou, on the other hand, being a member of the jury this year was a great opportunity. The attraction here was not the chance to judge others, but the opportunity to see films which he wouldn’t have seen otherwise. «It was a lovely surprise,» said the actor. «It was the first time I came across films shot by young people and the first thing I noticed is that what these kids are facing has nothing to do with what we faced when we were 17 or 18 years old. Back then, our greatest preoccupation was politics, and that is not the case today. Yesterday’s politics have given way to issues such as love, friendship, insecurity and drugs.» The differences in approaching various issues, however, are not solely related to the generation gap, but have a lot to do geography as well. «The films shot by Cretan schoolchildren were bathed in light, while in Thrace, a lot of the shots were snowy white, and, as a result, the impression given was far more introverted. Films from Thessaloniki were humorous, while the Athenian productions were by far more cerebral and definitely more extreme,» said Sakellariou. «It was also very interesting to note key differences in the way schoolchildren living in the same city but in different neighborhoods, handled the issues.» Sakellariou’s sole objection had to do with the festival’s competitive nature: «It is rather hard and unfair to have to pick among a series of films shot by the students. Perhaps next year, they should invite schoolchildren to become members of the jury.» «It is a difficult period because balances do not exist – the rules of the more powerful are enforced,» the composer remarked. «We witnessed this in Yugoslavia, then Afghanistan, and now in Palestine. What do we do from here on?»
