DocsBarcelona 2014/ 3
Wednesday night, full house in the Aribau Club cinema, where Israeli Shirly Berkovitz (photo) showed her amazing ”The Good Son” and told the audience how the film took off: A young man contacts her with some video tapes that he had made, kind of video diaries, very personal, telling her what he intends to do to realise his dream. Catalogue text: What goes through the mind of a young man who decides to fulfill his dream whatever the cost may be? Where lies the border between self-fulfillment and staying loyal to your family?
In respect for those who have not seen the film, no more words about the journey the two take together in a film that touches on ethical questions, on the relationship between filmmaker and character to be filmed, on dramaturgy – it’s all there and the film received strong applause at the opening of the seventh edition of DocsBarcelona.
The morning after the pitching forum of DocsBarcelona came up. I attended half of presentations and noticed that Greek Marco Gastine as producer and Apostolos Karakasis are working on a fine project called “Next Stop: Utopia” about a group of workers who take over their factory – logline: When a Greek factory goes bankrupt, the workers occupy it and attempt to run it on their own. Self-management proves no easy task; soon they discover that they first need to change themselves…
Karakasis made in 2009 “National Garden” that by filmkommentaren was nominated as one of the ten best films of that year. A quote from the review of a film from the garden in Athens: …a mosaic structure as a warm hug to people, to us all, with our joys and worries, dreams and sorrows…fine seasonal observations from the garden, a mini-society, a mirror of what is outside. Karakasis has done all himself, directing, camera and editing. It is an impressive and very mature work that will travel the world and stay as an important film for Greece of today…
