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October 18-20, 2024, Istanbul Sinematek
The award-winning films from the 8th edition of the Beyond Borders – Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival will be featured during a special three-day event at the Istanbul Sinematek!
Following the highly successful conclusion of its 9th edition, held from August 25 to September 1, 2024, Beyond Borders is once again broadening its horizons, crossing borders, and setting sail for Istanbul. From October 18-20, 2024, the festival will host a unique series of screenings and discussions at the Istanbul Sinematek.
In collaboration with the Istanbul Sinematek, Beyond Borders will, for the first time, showcase the award-winning films of its 8th edition to audiences in Turkey, along with select documentaries from the Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME), the festival's organizing body.
With screenings, thought-provoking discussions, and an exchange of ideas, attendees in Turkey will have the opportunity to enjoy films from around the globe that stood out during the 8th edition of the festival. These films are recognized for their insightful exploration of lesser-known aspects of history, their social sensitivity, originality, and artistic merit.
As stated by Irini Sarioglou, the festival’s artistic director:
"Bringing Beyond Borders to Istanbul has long been a wish of ours, as well as the filmmakers and the festival audience, who are unable to travel to the distant yet enchanting Kastellorizo. It has also been a personal goal for the festival organizers, as we wanted to demonstrate that culture and dialogue can and will always bridge worlds, cultures, and perceptions. We are particularly excited about our partnership with the Istanbul Sinematek, which follows our collaboration with the Hellenic Film Archive (Athens). From this year onward, the award-winning films of the Beyond Borders – Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival will also be screened in October in Istanbul, reaching a broader international audience. We are incredibly proud of the festival’s films, many of which have premiered in Greece, internationally, or even globally, before going on to other festivals or theatrical runs. These are films with courage, humor, documentation, and clear perspectives of the world that deserve to be seen by as many people as possible. We invite you all for three cinematic evenings in Istanbul, infused with the spirit of Kastellorizo!"
Films not to be missed include Scenes with My Father (Best Historical Documentary and FIPRESCI Award) by Dutch-Croatian filmmaker Biserka Šuran, making its Greek premiere and reviving scenes from the former Yugoslavia, Audrey Napanangka (Best Historical Documentary) by Australian director Penelope McDonald, making its international premiere and following the remarkable Audrey and her Warlpiri family as they travel and teach their children, I Woke Up 18 (Odysseus Special Award) by Vera Ionas Papadopoulou, where six unaccompanied minors reflect on life in Greece as they turn 18, Her Tobacco (Best Greek Documentary) by Stathis Galazoulas and Eliza Kavaloraki, which unveils the memories of women tobacco workers, The Hidden Children of Colonization (ThisisEU Award) by Dominique Regueme, making its Greek premiere, which addresses the removal and exile of thousands of mixed-race children during Belgium's colonization of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, Bitter September (Bronze Phoenix micro) by Sofia Farantatou, making its Greek premiere, exploring the handling of the murder of Zak Kostopoulos, or the timely A Tale of Four Minorities (Best Political Documentary and Special Award for Mediterranean Friendship) by Israeli director David Deri, making its world premiere, featuring revealing stories from Muslim, Ultra-Orthodox Jewish, Religious Settler, and Secular Gay Jewish families. Other highlights include Will You Look at Me? (Golden Phoenix micro) by Chinese director Shuli Huang, an intimate conversation between a young filmmaker and his mother, and Scars (Silver Phoenix micro) by Alex Anna, making its Greek premiere, a disarmingly honest portrait of the filmmaker's personal battle with depression and self-harm.
Additionally, three historical documentaries from the Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME) will be screened: Unforgettable Homeland: Asia Minor by Irini Sarioglou, a tender historical reflection on the life and family of Vasiliki Ralli from Moschonisia, Kastellorizo: On the Edge of the Aegean by Angelos Kovotsos and Irini Sarioglou, a tribute to the beautiful and remote island, and Letters never received by Elias Demetriou, which tells the moving story of a Greek-Turkish bond of humanity set against the backdrop of the 1922 war.
Organized by: The Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME) in collaboration with the French organization Ecrans des Mondes.
Supported by: Sismanoglio Megaro and the Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul.
Free admission for the public.
Location: Istanbul Sinematek, Osmanağa, Hasırcı Sk. No:16, 34714 Kadıköy/İstanbul, Turkey.
For more information, please visit www.beyondborders.gr or contact the festival at info@beyondborders.gr.
Screening Schedule:
Friday, October 18
19:45: Welcome
20:00: Audrey Napanangka by Penelope McDonald, 84'
Saturday, October 19
14:00: Scenes with My Father by Biserka Šuran, 47'
14:50: Her Tobacco by Stathis Galazoulas & Eliza Kavaloraki, 39'
18:30: Will You Look at Me? by Shuli Huang, 20'
18:50: Bitter September by Sofia Farantatou, 26'
19:15: Scars by Alex Anna, 10'
19:25: I Woke Up 18 by Vera Ionas Papadopoulou, 13'
Sunday, October 20
13:30: Letters Never received by Elias Demetriou, 40'
14:10: Kastellorizo: On the Edge of the Aegean by Angelos Kovotsos & Irini Sarioglou, 55'
15:00: Unforgettable Homeland: Asia Minor by Irini Sarioglou, 35'
16:30: The Hidden Children of Colonization by Dominique Regueme, 58'
18:30: A Tale of Four Minorities by David Deri, 95'
Scenes with My Father, by Biserka Šuran, Netherlands, 2022, 47’, Greek Premiere
Šuran takes her father on a journey back into memory, where he relives scenes from their homeland, the former Yugoslavia. The memories are reflected in filmic sets, where they discuss nationality, identity, love, dreams, and regrets. Love letters, archival, and previously unreleased footage from family members offer the audience a glimpse into the trials and tribulations the family endured when they were forced to leave their homeland. This symbolic road trip acts as a therapeutic process, healing past wounds, as the director and daughter creates space to relate to her father’s experience and inevitable choices. The result is an inspiring conversation that many viewers would want to have with a parent.
Best Historical Documentary Award, sponsored by ERT, for its creative innovation in the genres of history and autobiography.
FIPRESCI Award for successfully combining a personal story with the tragedy of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.
Audrey Napanangka, by Penelope McDonald, Australia, 2022, 84’, International Premiere
The story of a Warlpiri woman, Audrey, and her journey with her Sicilian partner, Santo, as they strive to stay together with the children they are raising, despite the many challenges they face. Audrey passes on her cultural knowledge, language, and law to those she cares for, while also ensuring they are educated for the complexities of today's world. Footage from the daily lives of this determined couple, filmed over more than 10 years in Mbantua (Alice Springs) and the Warlpiri homelands, provides unique insights into a family in contemporary Australia.
Best Social Documentary Award, sponsored by ERT, for its deep sensitivity and respect towards the protagonist and for its editing, which transcends borders.
A Tale of Four Minorities, by David Deri, Israel, 2023, 95’, World Premiere
Four families, parents and their children, from four minorities in Israel face an identity crisis that was exacerbated during the pandemic: Muslims, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Religious Settler Jews, and Secular Gay Jews. A journey that reveals extremism and disintegration, but also creates surprising alliances and an engaging dialogue.
Best Political Documentary Award, sponsored by ERT, for offering not only an insightful look into the difficulties of one of the most chronic conflict zones and sources of disappointment, but also for being a grand metaphor for humanity in general.
Special Mediterranean Friendship Award, sponsored by EKOME, for the bold and penetrating perspective through which it captures the cultural peculiarities and differences of Israeli society, reflecting the broader Mediterranean reality, and expressing the urgent need for mutual acceptance and coexistence.
The Hidden Children of Colonization, by Dominique Regueme, France – Belgium, 2022, 58’, Greek Premiere
During the Belgian colonization of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, many thousands of multiracial children were victims of targeted separation: violently removed from their families, placed in special boarding schools, and then exiled to Belgium on the eve of independence. This film tells the story of many of those children. Sixty years after these events, these witnesses now look back at their past, searching for their roots and even trying to heal the wounds of their childhood.
#ThisisEU European Values Award, sponsored by the European Commission’s Representation in Greece, for focusing on the tragic consequences of Belgian colonial policy in pre-revolutionary Congo, where the targeted separation of thousands of mixed-race children destroyed families and lives.
Will You Look at Me?, by Shuli Huang, China, 2022, 20’
When a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long-overdue conversation with his mother plunges both of them into a quest for acceptance and love. A powerful story of personal conflict that ultimately evolves into a broader portrayal of the complex family relationships of LGBTQ+ individuals in contemporary China.
Golden Palm μicro, for the personal story of an extremely painful mother-son relationship, told in a nearly radical poetic way, using Super 8 film.
Scars, by Alex Anna, Canada, 2020, 10’, Greek Premiere
An intimate portrait of the filmmaker’s personal struggle with depression and self-harm. Combining documentary with comic art, this film raises awareness and emphasizes the importance of discussion around these topics.
Silver Palm μicro, for the combination of poetic diary and tender cinematography in portraying a mental health disorder, which draws the audience into a seemingly beautiful, yet ultimately very painful, story. The tension between visible pain and beauty creates a captivating blend of emotions that stays with us like the scars on the body.
I Woke Up 18, by Véra Ioanna Papadopoulou, Greece, 2022, 13’
Six children. Six unaccompanied children. One word makes the difference. Six people talk about life in a new country, Greece, a life that changes abruptly and becomes much harder at 18. The dreams, disappointments, fears, and hopes of six young individuals.
Odysseus Award, sponsored by the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for its sensitive and respectful approach to the human aspect of the issue of unaccompanied minors, a byproduct of contemporary migration and refugee flows. These children, who come of age in the meantime, are called to face the harsh reality and all that it entails.
Her Tobacco, by Stathis Galazoulas & Eliza Kavalaraki, Greece, 2023, 39’
Women tobacco workers, themselves second-generation refugees, recount their labor memories from the tobacco warehouses of Agrinio. At the same time, tobacco worker Parthena Despinidou visits the emblematic Papastratos tobacco warehouse, trying to recreate the space that was once one of the most important centers of tobacco production in the 20th century.
Best Greek Documentary Award, sponsored by the Greek Film Centre, for highlighting the issue of women’s labor and themes such as exploitation, solidarity, and resistance, both in the past and present.
Bitter September, by Sophia Farantatou, Switzerland, 2022, 26’, Greek Premiere
Following the murder of Greek-American LGBTQ+ activist Zak Kostopoulos, his childhood friend, Sophia Farantatou, returns to Greece and finds herself trapped in a dead end. The video of the murder, filmed by a passerby, plays on a loop on all the country’s TV channels. Between the media’s narrative and her own archive of her friend, Sophia has no choice but to isolate herself and reflect on the meaning of memory. Only time can give her the space to grieve and process the absence of her friend.
Bronze Palm μicro, for contributing, through a personal lens, to fostering greater tolerance in contemporary, diverse societies.
Unforgettable Homeland Asia Minor, by Irini Sarioglou, 2023, 35’
This documentary narrates the tragic story of Vasiliki Ralli’s family. In September 1922, they were forced to leave their homeland, Moschonisi in Asia Minor, and after enduring the sorrow of loss and the grief of the Catastrophe, they poured their energy into building a new life on the opposite shore. Vasiliki Ralli, at every opportunity, large or small, declares her origins: “So what if I was born in Thermi of Lesvos? I am also a child of Asia Minor. I am the seed that was conceived in the blessed soil of that Promised Land, watered with the sweat and blood of Greeks, and sown with the sacred bones of thousands of martyrs, which were laid in that holy Earth as a legacy of its Greekness.” Her testimony begins in Moschonisi and Ayvalik and embraces all of Hellenism. Particularly today, more than ever, the value of such testimonies is priceless, as they nourish our souls with faith and a fighting spirit.
At the Edge of the Aegean, by Angelos Kovotsos and Irini Sarioglou, Greece, 2015
A historical documentary—an overview of the tumultuous history of the small island community of remote Kastellorizo, ancient Megisti, capturing the key historical events from the mid-19th century to the present. This tribute honors the island’s history, as it seeks to showcase the significant cultural, historical, and economic legacy of the people of Kastellorizo.
"Letters Never received", by Elias Demetriou, Greece, 2006
A historical documentary based on the book "The Chronicle of Ten Days" by Agapi Molyviati-Venezi, recounting the efforts of a Turkish officer to save her brother, the writer Elias Venezis, from the death squads in 1922.
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