Dimos Avdeliodis, the director of the film, The spring gathering, which is part of the Greek section of the Thessaloniki Film Festival, spoke about the importance of one's birthplace.

As the director said, "The birthplace is where the initial "recordings" take place. It is the origin. The place where we desire to return to. It is an idealistic place, since we can't reverse time". As he explained, his movie could have been filmed in any other place, in a completely different setting, and still convey the same messages. It was essential for him, though, that it was filmed in his birthplace.

In reference to man's divergence from nature, Mr. Avdeliodis stated that there has been a significant change in the civilization and culture of Greeks, who have deserted nature, don't observe and listen to it, can't comprehend the changes and the passing of time, and finally suffer a loss of their senses. "Nature enlightens the mind. It makes man keen, modest and polite", said Mr. Avdeliodis, and added that only in the event of an earthquake, do we comprehend the meaning of the laws of life and death that surround us.

The director made references to his film by noting the importance he placed on popular culture and language. As a matter of fact, the screenplay was written during the shooting, in the local dialect of the island of Chios.

When asked if he would film a movie in an urban setting, he replied that depictions can only be earnest if they have been experienced. They are autobiographical. Even tragedies, that were based on myths and legends, were derived from experiences. He also added that art needs to be given space and time for it to ripen, and "anything done synchronistically is done to provoke".

As for the long length of his film, the director said that any reduction would destroy the rhythm of the film and the procedure of its assimilating of the senses. He added that for him, the film was finished only after the audience had seen it, and that he would persist on the length of the film without giving in to the needs of distribution. "Distribution does not interest me", he said, "it's time to show some respect to our work".


Novelist Frieda Bioubi appeared "delighted" with the adaptation of her novel, "Wrathful Relations", during the press conference for the film Original Sin, by Dimitris Makris.

As Ms. Bioubi said, novelists are usually unhappy with the results of adaptations of their novels used in films, because books are more descriptive and indulge readers in creating their own images. She, though, was happy to find that the director had respected her "brainchild" and condensed it without eliminating anything. Ms. Bioubi revealed, though, that her book was based on an actual story, an event that took place 20 years ago.

Referring to the story behind the film, which describes a girl who is raped by her father, and her mother's concealment of the incident, Dimitris Makris said that these situations, as well their concealment by families or governments, exist since the beginning of mankind. He finally added that he didn't intend to copy the book, but to express his beliefs on the subject.