INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM: THE GREEK ENTRIES

Three films represent Greece in this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam. The two are Greek productions, while the third is an international co-production (Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany and Greece).

The first is Chevalier of Athina Rachel Tsangari. A film that deals with the journey six friends on a yacht have, and the odd game they play on it, in order to prove who is “the best overally.” Competition, alliances, likes, dislikes and many symbolisms characterize this new, outstanding work of the Greek director. In the film stars an interesting cast with Yorgos Kentros, Panos Koronis, Sakis Rouvas, Vangelis Mourikis, Makis Papadimitriou, Yorgos Pyrpassopoulos, Yiannis Drakopoulos.

A really intense film that won the Best Film Award at the London Film Festival and also the Audience Awards for the Best Greek Film at Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

Chevalier has another screening, this Wednesday, February 3rd, at 19:30 at Oude Luxor.

Also, Suntan by Argyris Papadimitropoulos makes its world premiere at this festival. In the film, we see a doctor, Kostis (Efthymis Papadimitriou), who has been transferred to Antiparos. He lives a very lonely life, until summer comes, and a group of young people burst in his health centre. Kostis will begin a special relationship with the group: the first stage will be the awkwardness, and when things are going to become more intimate, some wrong manipulations happen, and after them, the fall.

A beautiful film that builds tension in the right way, and puts us easily into Kostis’s place, in a nice mental manner.

Suntan will be screened at Schouwburg Grote Zaal on Tuesday, February 2, at 16:00, and Wednesday, February 3rd at 20:00, at de Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal. The remaining screenings are sold out.

In addition, the film Oscuro Animal by Felipe Guerrero, has Greece as a co-producing country, and shows the effort of three women in Colombia to escape their everyday lives and the paramilitary group guarding their territory. The film has almost no dialogue, and is characterized by wonderful shots and photography, and a magnificent sound.

Oscuro Animal will be screened on February 1st  at LantarenVenster 1 at 13:45, on February 5th at Pathe 4 at 09:30, and on February 6th at 22:00, also at Pathe 4.

Last, another international co-production (Ecuador, Mexico and Greece), the film Alba by Ana Cristina Barragán, shows us the life of the 11-year-old Alba, at the time when her mother gets heavily ill, and Alba is forced to stay with her father (with whom she had no previous communication). It is a beautiful and “tough” story about coming-of-age and the changes in everyday life.

Films screenings have been scheduled for the 1st of February at 18:45 in Pathé 2, the 3rd of February at 15:45 in Pathé 1, the 4th of February at 18:30 in Cinerama 1, and the 6th of February at 11:30 in Cinerama 6.

The films are eligible for the audience awards, while Oscuro Animal participates in the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition as well.

More information here.
(At the time of this writing, there were still tickets for the movies.)