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>>> 20-11-2005
GRIRORI KARANINTAKI, ELENI ALEKSANDRAKI, LAGIA GIOYRGOY On Sunday November 20th a press conference was given in the context of 46th Thessaloniki International Film Festival by Grigoris Karantinakis (“Chariton’s choir”), Eleni Alexandraki (“The woman who missed home”), and Layia Yourgou (“Liubi”). Grigoris Karantinakis said that as his film’s title suggests, music is one of the most important elements of the film. “The film was made with one aim: To make a fairytale that we wanted to be part of. As it seemed from the first screening of the movie in the Festival, the fairytale touched the audience as well, since they participated and reacted as they should every time”, he said. Regarding Corfu, where the film takes place, and the temperament of the people in Corfu, he said, ”I believe that passion is part of being Greek. It existed, it exists, and it will exist. Chariton, the main character of the film, along with his passion, also has a Slav temperament, since that is where he comes from. As for the reason we chose to shoot the film in Corfu, it is because the people there and, in general, the people from the islands in that region have a passion for music. Every place has its own specific characteristics, and this is what characterizes Eptanisa (a group of seven islands in the Ionian Sea), the love and passion for music.” Speaking about the making of her film, The woman who missed home, on the island of Nisisros, Eleni Aleksandraki noted: “Our experience from shooting the film was amazing. Actually, after the actors, the next major contributor to the film is Nisiros and its people, who participated creatively. There weren’t just actors, but producers of the film as well, since they helped with everything we needed”. In a question about the language that the film used she said: ”I believe that when someone works with Papadiamantis in a film, he or she must think about the issue of the language, considering it is older. The dialects of the island had to bind musically with Papadiamantis’ prose. Therefore instead of using the dialect of Skiathos, I used the dialect of Nisiros. Therefore we have a live language and excellent music that fits with that of Papadiamantis. Regarding the film’s title, Eleni Alexandraki said: “What we all miss is the warmth, the return home , the flame, the womb”. In a question regarding why she chose a famous actor like Alexis Georgoulis for the leading role in her film “Liubi”, Layia Yourgou said: “I think that Alexis Georgoulis perfectly fits the role of the popular lover. It is the second time I am working with him. In the film he plays the bad hero, with no inner support. He can’t support what he is feeling”. Speaking about the Greek family, the director said: “The Greek family has changed. It doesn’t conform to some principles that it did before. Most of the time money is of the greatest significance. However, I believe that family ties were always strong and nothing can shake them”. |
