Spectacular Closing Ceremony for the 7th International Documentary Festival Castellorizo 2022 “Beyond Borders”

7th Castellorizo International Documentary Festival 2022 “Beyond Borders”

“Where documentary meets History and Culture”

(21- 28 August 2022)

With a spectacular Closing Ceremony on Sunday 28 August 2022, the 7η edition of the Castellorizo International Documentary Festival “Beyond Borders”, which for yet another year was held under the auspices of the H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Η 7η The 20th edition of the Festival has been the most brilliant and successful in the history of the institution so far: 3 screening stages, 10 awards, 3 juries and 26 world and national premieres were, among others, only a few of the pioneers of the 7th “Beyond Borders”.

The Closing Ceremony started with the screening of the film A Death for Peace. Mahatma Gandhi and the Impossible Quest, of Arcattle Mandagaran a film dedicated to the unknown aspects of the political background of the opponents of the great humanist and symbol of freedom, Mahatma Gandhi, raising questions about the concept of democracy on a universal and global scale. A democracy beyond all borders.

Then the ceremony of the 10 awards of the Festival took place, which were handed over with great emotion by the Jury of the Official Competition Section. The prize for the best Socio-Political Documentary was awarded to Helke Misselewitz’s “The Poet’s Wife”, a film of sudden beauty and “unfiltered” humanity, a hymn to the female artistic pioneering spirit. The Best Greek Documentary Award, courtesy of the Hellenic Film Centre, went to “The Other Half” by Giorgos Moutafis, a film that, by penetrating inaccessible places, recorded stories that transcend human limits and revealed how “The Other Half” lives. The award was presented by Anna Kasimatis, representative of the E.K.K. who honoured the Festival with her presence. The award for the best Historical Documentary was won by the film “Reconstruction of the Occupation” directed by Jan Sikl, which was shown in a nationwide premiere. Friendly echoes of celebrations and everyday moments are described shortly before the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact countries.

 

The award for Best Short Film of the Official Competition Section went to the film May 1
st
2021″ by Luis Cuenca Castro, which had its world premiere at “Beyond Borders”. The film tells the story of a day in the life of a working-class Chinese family, its repetitive routine, but also the optimism for the future that is yet to come. The special “Odysseus” prize for creators of the expatriate Hellenism was awarded to Vicky Marlofeka ‘s “Spirit Native”, which deals with the relationship between man and nature within a psychogeographical framework. The “Odysseus” prize awarded by the General Secretariat for Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finally, the prize Mediterranean Friendship was awarded to the film “Chronis Botsoglou. I was there and they kissed me with a plate of lentils…”, of Freddy Vianelli a film – a tribute to one of the most important painters of modern domestic history. This award, which is given every year with the sponsorship of the National Centre for Audiovisual Media, was presented by George Charonitis, as representative of EKOME.

This year, for the first time, the second competition stage of the Festival was inaugurated, which aims to promote and improve short documentary filmmaking in Greece and to promote new and/or emerging filmmakers of the international artistic community, the micro stage. In particular, the following were given the Gold, Silver and Bronze “Phoenix” exclusively sponsored by the German national channel Phoenix. The Golden “Phoenix” for “Beyond Borders” was awarded to the film February 1
st
“, a visual journey in search of Freedom and Democracy through a purely female lens by Mo Mo and Leila Macaire, focused on Myanmar. Silver “Phoenix” was awarded to the animated documentary iRony, by Radheya Jegatheva, which raised as a main pillar of reflection the issue of dependence on new technological media in a rapidly changing post-modernity. Finally, the Bronze “Phoenix” was awarded to Emilia Bouriti’s film Railway Memories, an audiovisual study on the concept of movement as an individual and collective memory. The short films “Tanais”, by the film group of the high school of Nea Kydonia Chania, and Boxer by Aria Saridi, were awarded an Honorable Mention .

In conclusion, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), which this year inaugurated the corresponding award for “Beyond Borders”, awarded its prize to Tamara Stepanyan‘s Village of Women, a film that comparatively looks at the changes in the cycle of time and the changes in the cycle of human lives.

During the Closing Ceremony, important people from politics, but also from international cultural and charitable institutions addressed the Festival: among others, the following gave their greetings the representative of the Prime Minister and Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Professor Yannis Chrysoulakis who for one more year congratulated the organization and praised the high cultural glamour it emanates. As part of the visit of official South African diplomats, they honoured the Closing Ceremony of the Ambassador of South Africa to Greece, Mrs. Beryl Rose Sisulu, as well as the Director General of the Foundation Nelson Mandela, Mr. Sello Hatang. In addition, the Ambassador of Canada to Greece, Mr. Mark Allen, in his greeting, said he was impressed by his first visit to the “Beyond Borders” Festival and mentioned the vital need for close cultural cooperation between Canada and Greece, on the occasion of the Castellorizo International Documentary Festival. Finally, the Artistic Director of the Festival, Irene Sarioglou and the Director of International Development, Michel Noll, with great pleasure and obvious emotion, thanked all the organizers and volunteers of the Festival for their contribution, as well as all the 200 guests of the 7from edition of “Beyond Borders” who continue not only to support the event, but also to encourage it so that the Festival becomes one of the most important cinematic meeting places in Greece, at the edge of the Aegean Sea and where Documentary meets History and Culture.

As a culmination of this unique evening, the very special performer and friend of the Festival, Vassilis Yisdakis, accompanied by the unique musical ensemble “Argonauts” paid tribute to one of the greatest cultural chapters this country has ever produced, the late Mikis Theodorakis. With melodies and timbres from the magical world of the great Greek composer, Vassilis Yisdakis took the attendees on a journey to other times, thus closing in the best possible way this great and international celebration of innovative cinema and culture that goes by the name of the International Documentary Festival of Castellorizo “Beyond Borders”. The evening was coordinated and presented by the renowned journalist Evanna Veardou.

The Festival is under the auspices of A.E. of thePresidentof theRepublic Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The organization belongs to the The Hellenic Foundation for Historical Studies (IDISME), in collaboration with Ecrans des Mondes (Paris), the Region of South Aegean and has the support and/or sponsorship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, of Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Ministry of the Interior, the of the Hellenic Parliament, of the Municipality of Megisti, the Embassy of Australia in Athens, the Australian Embassy in Athens, the Embassy of the United States of America in Athens, the Embassy of Spain in Athens, of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the Czech Centre of Athens, the National Centre Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), the Hellenic Film Centre and the Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT).