prospect of being late. Less than an hour later I was outside Attikon reading the terrible signs pointing out to the fact that the first two movies I wanted to see where sold out. Experienced as I was, and still with plenty of time at hand, I walked to Monastiraki, bought a couple of small accessories stuff and then walked back and got myself a burger from Goody’s. I then proceeded and established contact with one of the guys from the festival for possible invitation no-shows. He told me to wait. And so I did; for half an hour I waited seeing all kinds of people getting in and not myself, while another twenty people were thinking the exact same thing. I was declaring myself to be a pervert and in need of a ticket but that did not help. Eventually I spotted my guy and he provided me with a ticket (free) as he did with a few others that knew the tricks. So I hustled my way inside Apollon to watch The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, a personal commentary on certain important and influential scenes and movies (mainly Lynch, Hitchcock and Tarkovsky) from philosopher and psychiatrist Slavoj Zizek. The film is not as funny or wide covering as I had expected, but it is definitely amusing and entertaining, thanks mainly to the 
narrator and the points he makes. Zizek manages to be very sympathetic, thanks to his small stutter, appropriate accent and fast talking as well as the self-conscious pauses he gets when he realizes he is talking shit (and then goes on to finish his sentence). His observations rely solely on directing and how it manages to project onto the sceen certain psychological propositions and conditions. His opinions are open to discussion of course, with the various Froydian and post-Froydian interpretations, but Zizek offers reasonable evidence and still manages to remain hip, although he sometimes seem to drag on (the 3-part feature totals 150 minutes). Thankfully Fiennes’ (sister of the actors) original directing helps a lot while offering plenty humorous moments; the gimmick used is very simple, just placing Zizek in the scenes he is discussing about, similarly dressed and acting at times. Additionaly, all the excerpts all very well adited, directly relating to the points Zizek is making.
A definite must-see for the film fanatics, and almost a perfect treat for all the festival enthusiasts like myself (thanks festival!). Further to that, it provides viewers not new means of interpreting and appreciating the art of cinema, but also concludes this cinema journey with a good (as far as I can tell, philosophy is not my best) philosophical point, that of the juxtaposition of reality and imagination, and how we should embrace the second in order to understand, morph and experience the first. Essential, this eccentric if you like documentary, gives a very good and satisfying answer to the question: ‘Why do you watch so many films?’
Myself, I will not answer right now, and for the moment, I will stick by Zizek’s reply. Slighly tired and with a back pain (who said invitations get good seats? I was at the far back on the left, stretching my waist so that the person on the back could see, but also so that I could get a good angle myself), I was hovering aroung the Attikon-Apollon entrance. A rather more serious and perhaps more important documentary, Delta, by Avgeropoulos of Enxadas (an exceptional and very important documentary group) was being screened. The tickets were sold out days in advance, and so a repeat had already been arranged for the last Sunday of the festival. The documentary itself is about the consequences of the oil drilling has brought in the region of Nigeria, and with Avgeropoulos signature (made a name for himself as a war correspondent for TV, but for the past is years has become a very daring and apocalyptic documentarist, penetrating the causes behind conflicts) and the many successful productions of Exandas, Delta is bound to be good. Although invitation tickets were made available about 2 minutes before it started, I opted not to get any, just to give myself some resting time. Instead I bought a ticket for my mother (the still modern La Battaglia de Algeri tomorrow at Attikon), all my tickets for tomorrow, and a ticket for the repeat of Delta on Sunday. Although I did not get the chance of applauding the creator himself, I at least avoided skillfully the media and Q&A frenzy. However I did notice with appreciation, that Avgeropoulos was patiently standing on the entrance of Apollon greeting and thanking the people for showing up and paying tribute to his work, proving that journalism is about communication and social adhesion. Memorable and in deserve of praise.
Anyways, I found my way to the only café with a TV at the Korai Arcade, and watched part of Panathinaikos’s UEFA game. Apparently my team started playing bad when I arrived, but we still managed to win and qualify for the group stage. Great. No more comments on that, please. When I returned to Apollon, I immediately knew that something was wrong, because the crowd for Wild Tigers I Have Known were still waiting outside despite being it 2 minutes before the time of the screening. Add to that the festival officials arguing over something, and a calm suspicion had settled within us all. Soon enough howe
ver we were allowed in the theatre, and to keep this to a minimum, basically both projectors were messed up, and the film was about to be cancelled, with the officials having reached nervous breakdown status, when some of the techies in typical fashion asked for just 2 minutes and everything would be fine (the whole thing just reminded me of Das Boot!!!). Indeed technical miracles were made and the screeing went as normal…an hour late. Amazingly, and much to its credit, the audience remained calm and cool about the whole thing, amusing themselves, without anyone whining or taking a piss about it. Our good hearts were rewarded.
Wild Tigers I Have Known is a movie about a young boy in junior high discovering his homosexuality and falling in love with a rather cool and slightly older heterosexual. As you can 
imagine, the movie touches a very taboo theme (the director himself was relishing on a whole new wave of European walkouts following similar reactions in the states), but manages to cover it without any pretences or quilt for Logan’s entry in the world of sexuality, indifferent to whatever the direction inot it might be, but recognizing and appropriately treating the differences and peculiarities that might arise because of that direction. So it is only natural, that it is both romantic and embarrassing at times, so dark but also so bright at other moments, and essentially becoming a very beautiful and picturesque movie, heavily influenced by video-art techniques and skillfully employing and drawing a number of parallels and symbolisms that constitute a means of delivering Logan’s experiences, state of mind and feelings. An amazing independent 
approach and understand Logan not in terms of words, but more in terms of sensations and impressions. The result could be said to be awkward at times, but that has its own significance, as Logan himself is portrayed as awkward and very different from the close-minded suburbia where he lives. This elastic and more experimenting way of using the camera and photography can be best seen at the scene when Logan first calls up Rodeo (a character serving as the ultimate fantasy for a teenage gay) as Leah, with the red light bulbs synchronizing to the breaths and hearts beats of the boy, the short scene at the shore, and the very final shot. Another example of the directing metaphors, is the constant use of screens and backs in the shots (like Logan’s hair, or a window, or a wire fence, or the forest leaves, or Logan’s back when he drops the market bags and his mother shouts at him). Finally,
The parallels however extend to the script itself, with the use of the mountain lions that have escaped, and are similarly outcast and withdrawn like Logan, but also the importance of the various sceneries, with the town, his house and the school representing enclosure, both physical and mental, while the forest caves provide a safe haven for Logan’s sexuality and the sea a means of escape.
Wild Tigers I Have Known, manages to be charming and even sensual, and many times surprising and gay, producing innocent childhood scenes despite the overall theme, thanks mainly to the character of Joey, the geek friend of Logan, who makes up lists of how to be cool and tries to explain to Logan that if he dresses like a woman and likes boys then he is gay, or when the two boys take a picture of themselves holding baseball bats, Logan’s lips over-covered in lipstick. Another outstanding scene, is the amazing visual result when
Overall the movie is definitely challenging even for the open-minded, very gay (Rodeo is not exactly the alpha male if you catch my drift), but bizzarly beautiful and nice, reminding a lot of My Girl. It is also artistic and slightly experimental if you want, but not in a bad way, but rather in a simple but yet impressive manner. Definitely one of standing out and unforgettable movies of the festival.
The final movie of this quirky festival night was Viy (The Evil Spirit), a Soviet movie which was intended to be shown at Apollon, but was eventually screened at Attikon just five minutes after Wild Tigers I Have Known was finished. Considering the events of the night, I grabbed myself an open and a closed
To describe the film in a few more than one word, it is a bolshevist, soviet simply symbolic b-movie with its own share of good and bad taste. The story is about a seminarist (a studying to be priest, Khoma, nicknamed the philosopher) in the pre-revolution days, who after almost killing what turns out to be a witch, is called by a rich farm owner to say last rites for his dead daughter, who guess what?, is not dead and is in fact the witch herself! If you are amazed that there could be a fantasy b-movie from a soviet studio (considering censorship and all that), let me tell you that the movie manages to be terribly political and allegorical as it brutally attacks what can be considered to be the wound of pre-soviet russia: ignorance, religion, witchcraft, folklore, the Kozacs! For example, in the beginning when the witch uses the philosopher as a 
horse and rides him and they both fly up high, the message is that, religion endorses such false beliefs in order for the church to be always elevated in such a high position, the authority of the church and popular misconceived legends going hand by hand. Another such example, is the fact that the witch is in fact the daughter of a rich Kozac farm owner, referring to corruption of property and the spiritual oppression of the masses through propaganda and misinformation and lack of education. Even Khoma severs his own symbolism, training to be a priest, but completely lacking any character or spirit for it (although the film has some similarities with The Exorcist, the two spiritual protagonists of the respective films have nothing in common), since he is a compulsive drinker, a fornicator, and a bad study. Anyways, the movie goes on about the three nights Khoma has to stay awake and pray for the daughter, which he does, always drawing a holy circle around him to protect him, until the third night where all the evil vampires and other such creatures show up to assist the witch (the only part of the movie where it really becomes funny in fact!) with a guest star, Viy, a funny looking blobby creature that needs other to lift his eyelids! At the end, we only assume that Khoma is dead, but if not definitely defeated (not that he ever had the stomach to win the witch…).
Was it worth? Well thanks to the 2 Coronas, definitely, and after all how often do you get to see a soviet b-movie from the sixties (thanks festival!)? Otherwise I would not put very high up in my fantasy or b-movie list; there are others much better. Nonetheless, was enjoyable, and different of course, which is way I watch movies a lot. Always after catching with something new.
That’s it for tonight, it is already six in the morning and I am very sleeeeeeeepy…..
Didn’t like:
- Funny enough, nothing!
Liked:
- The various strange things happening (sold outs, getting tickets at the last minute, projector issues, change of theatres, the football match) tonight, making this night one of those special festival nights, where the drab routine of watching 3 movies in a row was interrupted.
- The way the Apollon crowd behaved themselves during the mishaps and the delay with Wild Tigers I Have Known; cool attitude creating a lax and even humorous feeling, a sign of appreciation if you want to the tormented and torn to pieces organizers. Don’t let stupid projectors get you down guys! Keep up the good work!
- Watching an after midnight b-movie at a half crowded Attikon (which never plays after midnight) in a good seat with a couple beers. Beautiful, really.
- The song playing right now at Rockfm (K. Vita).
- That Delta’s repeat will not be interfering with the rest of the schedule.
Blackberry award for the night:
Well it is obvious isn’t it? Soviet propaganda (Viy) will not be tolerated!!!
Best movie of the night:
Wild Tigers I Have Known is the best for tonight without almost any competition, but I can think plenty of movies that could be screened tonight, and not making the grade like this one has.
Still suspended…Wild Tigers I Have Known is really growing with me thanks to its feel-good attitude, splitting the award threeways at the moment…
Schedule pamphlet status at the time of writing:
Amazing like
P.S. 1: Photo updates are slow and many times non-existent due to sucky internet connection, even worse browsers (Firefox and Opera) and sometimes baffling blogger…
P.S. 2: Panagioti thanks for the good words.
P.S. 3: Έλα ρε Πανάθα, τρέλανε τους όλους, κούτσου-κούτσου ball ρε φίλε!!!
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