Tag: cinema

Berlinale is around the corner, I attended a warm up event, Hellas Filmbox Berlin is an annual Greek Film Festival held to showcase New Greek Cinema. On the program is a series of up and close conversations with filmmakers titled “Box Talks”. I attended the first with German Auteur Volker Schlondoff had an influence on me would be an understatement. His 1979 film “Tin Drum” left a mark on me. I watched it on the den floor late night on cable televison. It blew me away! A whole new world of cinema opened. The characters and the narrative shocked an impressionable young teenager use to old Hollywood films.

What made a doctor’s son leave the comforts of a middle class life for Paris? Mr. Schlondoff was incredibly affable doing the conference. Telling the audience his stories on how he became a filmmaker working under Louis Malle in the French New Wave Movement and later in the New German Cinema were inspiring along with his memories of conversations with Nicolas Ray, Joseph Von Sternberg, and Billy Wilder. It was an inspiring talk for filmmakers and film lovers.

Greek Filmmaker Yannis Sakaridis shared the stage speaking about the present experience and challenges of producing feature films in Greece in current economic and social climate.

Hellas Filmbox Berlin runs through January 28^th . For more information go to:http://www.hellasfilmbox.de/en/