Galery

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Of course, in a film festival the most important ones are the films – those in and out of the competition. Though, they are not the only things one can see there. Not in Thessaloniki. Photography exhibition “Werner Herzog – Signs of Life” showed the work of the director in its most natural environment. Hard physical labor, which is the basis of good films. “If you want to make a good film, live in real life. Work as a janitor of a brothel. As medical personnel in a madhouse. Live on the streets…walk. The world open only for those who walk,” advises the German director, who in 2010 will be chairman of the jury on the Berlin Film Festival. The exhibition includes photographs and video documents of some of Herzog’s biggest film and reveals details of his director self.

A nice surprise is the retrospective exhibition of Philip Tziaras in the Photography Museum at the old port, which was formed in 4 parts – faces, movements, family and landscape. The artists, who for many years worked with Lucas Samaras, charmed everybody with how he treated the naked body, which is always present in all four parts of the exhibition. His nudity attracts, charms, shocks, surprises, amuses, outrages, ravishes, disgusts, but in any case does not leave the viewer indifferent. Some of his images, especially in the Family and Landscape parts are so memorable that they attract again and again until they permanently remain in the mind of the viewer.

And so, after 10 festival days what is the answer of “Why Cinema Now?”

Jim Gianopulos: “I do not understand this question. I don’t know why they chose it as a logo of the anniversary festival.”

Werner Herzog: “Because cinema is telling stories and telling stories and a typical human kind trait.”

Depisna Mouzaki, Thessaloniki Film Festival director: “Why Cinema Now? Because Cinema is Forever!”