Some members of the Hellenic Writers' Group had the privilege to attend this wonderful event, thanks to the invitation by Aris Katopodis, from the LAGFF. It took place at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, CA. We had a chance to watch up to 50 independent films and meet with Greek film makers, actors, and other attendees of the festival. These independent films ranged from documentaries, to full length features, to short stories.
Here are a few movies that we watched:
DOCUMENTARIES:
"Our Own Maria Callas" - This Maria Callas dramatized documentary is a voyage to the mythical world of Maria Callas, the soprano we all know. Her life was one with the roles she interpreted, Medea, Norma, etc. Drama rules supreme. The glory from her art only gives way to the love for life. Rejection, pain, loneliness follow. Towards the end she returns to Greece. This film required the selfless work of hundreds of volunteers, while it was filmed in Neohorion Oihalias, place of origin of Maria Callas, Meligala, Kalamata, Tripoli, Athens, New York City, Verona, Milano, Paris and the island of Scorpio.
"The Patriarch's Room" - The Patriarch of the Greek Church in Jerusalem is imprisoned in his room for over a decade. Demoted to the rank of a simple monk after being accused of selling church lands to Jewish Settlers; he claims his innocence.
"Frozen Ambrosia" - When people think of Greece, few realize that the country has high mountains and a winter season, with skiing and snowboarding. Determined to change this perception, Greek-American filmmaker Constantine Papanicolaou sets out on an adventure to make a ski film that will show the magic of winter in Greece.
"The Artist Vassals Theocharakis" - The great love affair of well-known businessman, Vassilis Theocharakis, with painting and his devotion to it for over half a century, made him unique, because he succeeded in both realms – business and art.
"Last Song to Xenitia" - 103 year old folk poet Grandmother returns to Greece for her last journey to her homeland with her book of folk songs and a message of hope. Folk-poet Vasiliki left her homeland as a bride during the Great Depression in search of a better life in America. The Greeks call this Xenitia, meaning ‘to live as a stranger in a foreign land”. Nurtured and sustained over the years by an ancient oral tradition, she dictates from memory at the age of a hundred more than 340 songs and poems which are published in a book. At the age of 103 she returns to a Greece in crisis once again. She hopes that these songs can live on to inspire a new generation facing the same question whether to stay in their homeland or depart once more for Xenitia.
FICTION SHORT FILMS
"4.1 Miles" - A coast guard captain on a small Greek island is suddenly charged with saving thousands of refugees from drowning at sea.
"Nipenthes" - A commune of elderly people deals with the death of one of its members. Through the walls of an abandoned commune, a thread runs knitting the moments of the silent individuals accompanying the deceased while his death suit is prepared.
"Memories of a Doll" - In the midst of the Greek Genocide in Asia Minor in the early 1920s, a young girl sacrifices her childhood in order to protect her younger siblings.
Full Length Features:
"America Square" - Amerika Square is a Square in Athens. It’s the Casablanca of our times. A triptych revealing the opposing forces of today’s humanitarian challenges. Two friends, Billy, a tattoo artist and Nakos, a “banal” Greek racist, come head to head in Amerika Square in Athens because of the survival journey of Tarek, a Syrian refugee.
"Roza of Smyrna: - Izmir 1922: Young Roza is preparing to get married. Athens today: The passion of a young collector leads him to the coast of Asia Minor. An old photo and a wedding dress is enough to unfold an old and a new love story. The smell of the antique shops, the charm of the trips, the challenge of the mystery create the atmosphere to discover.
"Swing Away" - Following a suspension, professional golfer Zoe travels to her grandparents’ village in Greece to escape harsh publicity. She meets and mentors a 10 year-old girl. Rediscovering her Greek heritage and her love of the game, she inspires the town in an epic showdown against a greedy American developer.
We also had a chance to meet with the film maker, Mr. Tsokas (Maria Callas) and directors and actors of the films, during a Saturday brunch at the Consulate's home, which made it even more poignant.
Members of the Hellenic Writers' Group: Anthony Apostolides II, Patty Apostolides, and Calliope Toufidou, on the red carpet, at the LAGFF.
For more information about the films, click link to the LA Greek Film Festival:
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