Four outstanding new films from Greece will receive their American premieres at the American Museum of the Moving Image in the Friday film series Greek Cinema Showcase, from Feb. 6 through March 19.
The series opens Feb. 6 with “Golden Apples of the Hesperides,” a hit at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. After showing at Moving Image, the films will be presented in a national tour, including Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Showcasing the diverse range of contemporary Greek cinema, the series includes the Felliniesque comedy “Golden Apples,” which earned director Sofia Papachristou the Best New Director award at the prestigious Thessaloniki Film Festival; the intense drama “Still Looking for Morphine,” hailed by the Hellenic Association of Film Critics for its “bold and aggressive style;” “Matchbox,” a daring family drama; and the artful documentary “Passages Through Paradise,” awarded Best Documentary at the Moscow Golden Knight Film Festival.
“This exciting series reveals the diversity and strength of contemporary Greek cinema,” said Curator of Film Peter Dowd, “exploring and mixing genres, experimenting boldly with film style, while remaining politically committed.”
Greek Cinema Showcase was organized by Dowd and Georgia Siampalioti, guest curator and tour coordinator. The series is presented with the cooperation of the Greek Film Centre, Athens.
Prior to the screening at 7:30 p.m., visitors are invited to explore the museum galleries.
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 6
7:30 p.m.
Golden Apples of the Hesperides (Ta Chrissa Mila ton Esperidon)
Greece, 1997, 85 mins. Directed by Sofia Papachristou. With Akis Melachris. With inspiration from Fellini’s Amarcord, this enchanting film introduces a meek junk collector into a world of fantasy.
Friday, Feb. 20
7:30 p.m.
Still Looking for Morphine (Pes Sti Morphini Akoma tin Psahno)
Greece, 2001, 119 mins. Directed by Yannis Fagras. A prize-winner at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Yannis Fagras’s bold first film chronicles the turbulent summer of a troubled teenage girl.
Friday, March 5
7:30 p.m.
Matchbox
Greece, 2003, 80 mins. Directed by Yiannis Economidis. This explosive, breathless film unfolds a domestic drama with remarkable intensity, earning its director significant critical praise.
Friday, March 19
7:30 p.m.
Passages Through Paradise (Per Asmata Apo Ton Paradisso)
Greece, 2003, 73 mins. Directed by Yannis Lambrou. Prize-winner for Best Documentary at the Moscow “Golden Knight” Film Festival, this gorgeously photographed film artfully reveals the world of monastic life on Mt. Athos.
