Penny Lane.
Director Dimos Abdeliodis feels that making films about the place where one is born is a necessity for him. "We have to go back to the places of our first images," he said, in a press conference for his "The Spring Gathering," a film shot in his birthplace, the island of Chios. The director revealed that his film had a lot to do with the increasing distancing taking place between people and nature. Although no one is to blame, according to the director, the centuries-old scale and measure of life in Greece today was off, due to the concentration of the population in urban areas. He found new things on the island when he went back to make the film, drawing on the local language and a culture to tap into the wisdom and awe of older rhythms.

A Day in the Life.
International Competition film "Dream Catcher" came directly from OhioÐbased director Ed RadtkeÕs experiences growing up. Both Radtke and star Maurice Compte talked about dissatisfaction with school and formal systems around them in growing up. RadtkeÕs experiences hitchÐhiking throughout the US fed into the filmÕs stories and aesthetic. The director noted that he even hitched his way to the festival premiere of his first film a few years ago. Noted US indie filmmaker and distributor Julia Reichert, who produced the film, was also in town, as were the two filmÕs young stars.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand.
The director of the Polish film "Original Sin," Ursula Urbaniak noted that she was often surprised when, on trips to foreign festivals, people assumed that the conditions depicted in her film were true of all women in Poland today. While she explained that her film is not a general picture of women in her country, it does catch onto certain trends in recent years, such as the fact that with the collapse of the communist regime, women were faced with greater difficulties than men in finding work.

Watching the Wheels.
The producer of the Yugoslav film "Wheels" had wanted to write the phrase "watch the face of the real Serbia" on his bloodÐsplatted comedy set in an abandoned hotel one nightmarishly rainy night. Associate producer Vladimir Petkovic, who was in Thessaloniki to present the film, noted that this was ultimately not such a good idea, because "people in Serbia did not want to see the real Serbia, when they can see it on the streets of Belgrade." His film offers a more escapist vision, which is full of overÐtheÐtop characters, situations, but a distinctly Balkan soundtrack and sarchasm.

O-bla-di.
Lucia Rikaki looked back at advances in the trend of New Greek Cinema since the success of her film "Trip to Australia" a few years ago. While her "Dancing Soul," included in the festivalÕs Greek program, did not do as well at the box office as her previous work, she attributes it to a health of the industry overall. "ThereÕs no need to look at things like a sports competition," Rikaki noted, pointing out that the abundance of good Greek films out meant that filmgoers just had more options, and split their ticket sales between them. The director is currently working on a documentary about young protestors in Greece, a generation whom she believes feels a drive to go onto the streets, without being positive why.

With a Little Help from My Friends.
Honored director Srdjan Karanovic canÕt complain his life has been boring since he started making films in 1972 with "billions of changes" in the Balkans all this time. However while the director confessed, at yesterdayÕs press conference, that he is never happier than when making films, unfortunately he has had to do other things like raise money for his films all the while. Karanovic noted that he was not always as skilled in dealing with banks, investors "and in some cases the Mafia" as he should have been in order to raise the necessary filmmaking funds. With regards to what life has been like in Serbia over the last ten years, he pointed out that the way he usually signs off on his e-mail is "greetings from hell." While journalists took the conversation towards politics at yesterdayÕs press conference, Karanovic reminded everyone that "artists should be above or beyond" political concerns. Only one of his films "A Film With No Name" is explicitly about politics. His next film stays distinctly away from tough issues and making people think, offering instead, a wellÐneeded image of hope.

Imagine.
Some of GreeceÕs freshest new stars appear in "An Athens Summer Dream," a gritty, quirky comedy about a group of actors preparing for a performance of "Midsummer NightÕs Dream." Athanitis, who is often his own harshest critic, gave himself some strict limitations in shooting his film. He wanted to focus on characters, and not on cinematography. The tradeÐoff of making the film extremely quickly (three days of screenwriting, four weeks of shooting), was a personal, spontaneousÐfeeling film.

All You Need is Love.
Last night, Atom EgoyanÕs new film "FeliciaÕs Journey" made its Thessaloniki premiere. The Canadian director is a Thessaloniki Film Festival favorite; he was one of the most noteworthy visitors to the festival when it went international in 1992. His latest film is about a young girl setting out on a journey to find her lover. Star Elaine Cassidy, who is in Thessaloniki participating in what sounds like one of the most intense, daily jury sessions ever, prased Egoyan for his supportiveness to actors, and coÐstar Bob HoskinsÕ talents. While the talented Blur fan may be young, she feels a lot less naive than the character she portrays in the film. "FeliciaÕs Journey" plays again tomorrow.

Help!
Following in the trend of many of the International Competition filmÕs trend of telling tales about alienated young people, "Pizza King" by Danish director Ole Christian Madsen gives a look at multicultural kids in Denmark trying to make money fast. After JunesÕ father gives him the silent treatment, his siblings ask him to return the key to the family storeÉ he and buddy Bobby dive back into petty crime, this time getting their hands on a drug shipment that is bigger than they can handle. Even the appearance of beautiful Fatima canÕt save Junes from himself. Rap music winds its way around this pretty slick tale of the underworld.

Quote/unquote:
"Even Homer, if he was alive today, would be told that he should keep his work shorter, because people arenÕt interested in reading a fourÐhourÐlong book." Dimos Abdeliodis, whose 175 minute "The Spring Gathering" premiered at this yearÕs festival.

Angelike Contis
First shot, #62, 19/11/1999