Greek Cinema - Hellenic University Club of Southern California

To Onomamou Ene Anna (My name is
Anna), directed by Ersis Danou is a psychological
drama of a young girl who has bad
memories about her past. Her thoughts are
always the same and she must make a decision
how to finally face reality.
In 1991 Meteora, E Katakomves Tou
Ouranou (Meteora, the Catacombs of Heaven);
short documentary, directed by Vasilis
Maros. It is a historical review of the unique
monasteries of Meteora and their unusual
natural beauty. Good direction is very apparent
in the execution of the film.
The same year Politehnio (Polytechnic
School), a short documentary with a political
theme directed by Theodoros Maragkos. The
film refers to the student rebellion against the
dictatorship on November 1973, accusing the
authorities of mishandling the situation and
using violence against rioting students.
In 1992 a noteworthy feature documentary
was Alvania Vimata Stin Eleftheria
(Albania Steps into Freedom), directed by
Maria Mavrikou. It is travelogue in a country
that appears extremely backwards. The scars
of the Communist dictator Enver Hotza’s regime
of 45 years are clearly evident. It does
not take but a few minutes to see the hunger,
the depravation, the back wards living standards,
and the difficulties traveling in the
country. In more developed south you see the
influences of the Greek civilization in ruins
of ancient temples and theaters. In more
backwards north, the living conditions are
much more primitive. Very moving is the
filming of the first free Christmas and interviews
with and many local people.
In 1992 also several good short award winning
movies were produced. One with the most
awards, both domestic and international, was
Runaway (short movie), directed by Spiros N.
Taraviras. One of the awards it received was in
Germany where it was selected from among
100 short movies as one of the 10 best. Its subject
is young fugitive attempting to reach Flor-
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ida to participate in a motorcycle competition.
On the way he gets a job to raise the needed
funds and develops a genuine friendship with
his boss.
One more short movie To Petagma Tou
Pelargou (The Flight of the Stork) directed
by Vasilis Nakos. It participated in the Waterloo,
France, and Film Festival and received
the Grand Prix. It is about a kiosk man
who spends his lifetime tending storks and
preserving their nesting grounds.
In 1992 in the City of Drama Film Festival
for short movies and short documentaries two
short documentaries shared the Best Documentary
Award and the Distinction Award by the
Ministry of Culture. The first is Pirgos-Takis
Sinopoulos directed by Achilleas Kiriakidis,
and the second is Aiman, directed by Yannis
Lambrou.
One more short movie directed by Spiros
Taraviras was Deppelspiel (Duet/ Duo), and
received the First Award for Movie With a
Theme.
Also, Stadiaki Veltiosi Tou Kerou
(Gradual Improvement of The Weather), a
short documentary, was directed by Yannis
Ekonomidis and received the “Best Short
Movie With a Theme.”
In 1993 the director Nikos Anagnostopoulos
presented his feature documentary
Sta Prosopa Tis Anatolis Kimate O
Chronos (Time Sleeps in Persons of the Orient).
This documentary was filmed in Turkmenistan,
southeast of the Caspian Sea and
north of the Iran-Afghanistan border which is
the confluence of several civilizations, including
traditions brought there by Alexander
the Great. The film tries to recognize traces
of the past in the surviving songs from the
past. This is also where the Zoroastrian religion
developed and flourished. Certain tribes
of this area believe they are the most ancient
people in the world and are convinced that
they are the descendants of Alexander the