3 FELLOWS PARTICIPATE @ “IN SITU REALITIES – Eleusis Documentary Festival”

The 1st In Situ Realities – Eleusis Documentary Festival, a legacy project of 2023 Eleusis, is inaugurated with 12 premieres of documentary films, inspired by Elefsina and the surrounding areas, and with important collaborations from the world of cinema.

The programme is complemented by a series of masterclasses with renowned Greek directors, as well as educational programmes and screenings for children.

Inviting us to turn our gaze to Elefsina and immerse ourselves in what the city always offers generously, the stories of people and the identities of places and landscapes, the 1st In Situ Realities – Eleusis Documentary Festival opens on Friday 15 December with the iconic work Mystery 31 The Eleusinians by Filippos Koutsaftis, produced by 2023 Eleusis, with the parallel opening of another venue, that of cine Eleusis, and marks the beginning of celebrations for the Closing Ceremony of 2023 Eleusis, Mystery 1 CLOSING: OPENING, A ceremony.

For five days until Tuesday 19 December, more than 12 short and feature-length documentaries, produced or co-produced by 2023 Eleusis, will be screened in a nationwide premiere, including the new documentary by Filippos Koutsaftis titled Mystery 31 The Eleusinians (23 years after Agelastos Petra [Mourning Rock]), Mystery 69 Greekies by Menelaos Karamaghiolis, dedicated to abandoned and stray animals of all kinds, and Marianna Economou’s Dark Waters, which explores the city’s relationship with the sea. The programme also includes six documentaries focusing on West Attica under the general title Mystery 23 The Western Towns, created by six young filmmakers after a year spent wandering in the region: Pavlos Kosmidis, Giorgos Kravvaritis, Katerina Markoulaki, Fani Bitou, Panagiotis Papafragkos and Christiana Chiranagnostaki. The main programme of the Festival could not be without the cinematic approach to music. Short musical journeys inspired by Elefsina, from Greek tradition to contemporary electronic sound: Mystery 96 Chóres – The Kafkos (traditional Cretan rizitiko song) by Harry Koushos, Stereo Nova Video Club by Spyros Skandalos, and finally, Mystery 0 Mysteries of Transition – Opening Ceremony.

Among several important collaborations is the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, which presents a series of exquisite films including the recently awarded short film by Syllas Tzoumerkas My Mother is a Saint and the film Mother of Daughters by Elke Lehrenkrauss and Gioula Boudali, both co-produced by 2023 Eleusis. The recently awarded documentaries Under the Sky of Damascus by Talal Derki, Heba Khaled & Ali Wajeeh and The Voice by Dominika Montean-Pańków will also be screened. The Peloponnisos International Documentary Film Festival selects the film Kapr Code by Lucie Králová, while a documentary dedicated to the history of Panelefsiniakos, The Wheat on the Shirt by Yiannis Kanakis, Yiannis Panayiotarakos and Anna Psarra, produced in collaboration with the Public Benefit Enterprise of the Municipality of Elefsina, reveals the long history of the sports club and its impact on the local community.

The heart of the festival is set in the historic and recently restored space of cine Eleusis, 35 years after it ceased to operate. The main screenings and masterclasses with Filippos Koutsaftis, Eva Stefani, Menelaos Karamaghiolis and Syllas Tzoumerkas will take place in the main hall, while in the specially designed lounge area, Small Screens, the audience will be able to watch documentation from the activities of 2023 Eleusis.

Moreover, 2023 Eleusis in collaboration with the Peloponnisos International Documentary Film Festival and the Exile Room will transform the Canteen art hub into a hotbed of cinematic creativity for teenagers and children through workshops and screenings, from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 December.

Finally, Mystery 110 ORFEAS, a special site-specific video installation by Eva Stefani, brings the old Orfeas cinema back to life.

Mystery 31 The Eleusinians by Filippos Koutsaftis is implemented in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0 with funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

Check out the Catalogue of the Festival here.

SNF ARTWORKS Fellows participating in the Festival: Spyros Skandalos, Christiana Chiranagnostaki, Elian Roumie.

IN SITU REALITIES Eleusis Documentary Festival
15.12.2023—19.12.2023