Greek Filmmakers Boycott Oscar Shortlist Over ‘Political Interference’
Source: Balkan Insight
Photo: RDNE Stock project/Unsplash
Filmmakers have pulled almost every film from Greece’s foreign film Oscar nominations after accusing the government of political interference.
The popular Greek actor and director Renos Haralambidis is among the 20 creators who decided to withdraw films, including Night Announcer, which he directed.
“I am disturbed by even the slightest possibility of influence, whether political or any other,” Haralambidis told BIRN. “That’s why I believe that the committee that will choose which film will be nominated for the Oscars should be independent of the state, because I believe the less the state [intervenes] in art, the better. This is why I am withdrawing my film.”
In all, 20 out of 23 movies have been withdrawn from the Greek nomination process for the film that will represent Greece at the Oscar awards in the International Feature Film category, with creators accusing the Ministry of Culture of non-transparent actions.
The films were withdrawn in protest at the Ministry’s abrupt decision to depose and replace members of the committee tasked with choosing which films from Greece become Oscar candidates.
In a joint statement published on Wednesday, the creators stated that the Ministry’s interventions “create serious doubts about the reliability and validity of the process. Therefore, we refuse to cooperate in opaque actions, which discredit Greek cinema and its professionals, and we are forced to withdraw our films from the above process,” they added.
At the beginning of August, the Ministry of Culture set up a seven-member committee and sent an invitation to the director Vasilis Kekatos, film critic Leda Galanou and actress Kora Karvouni, as well as to screenwriter Kallia Papadaki, who all accepted it.
A few days later, on August 13, Kekatos and four other members of the committee received an email from the head of the Department of Cinematography and Audiovisual Media of the Ministry informing them that “by mistake, you were informed of your participation in the Committee that will give an opinion regarding the Greek candidacy for the 97th edition of the Oscar Awards, a participation which, unfortunately, was not finalised.”
The Ministry then announced on Diavgeia [the Transparency Program Initiative, where all government institutions are obliged to upload their acts and decisions on the Internet] that it had set up a new committee. Among the new members is the film critic Dimitris Danikas who was expelled from the Hellenic Film Academy in 2022 due to his article where he blamed victims of revenge porn.
Earlier this week Kekatos said on Facebook: “Obviously, our selection and multi-day communication cannot have happened ‘by accident’ and for this reason, questions are raised as to what the real motives are for removing us and replacing us.”
In a press release published on Monday, the Hellenic Film Academy asked for explanations regarding the replacement of the committee members and if there was pressure from any person related to the nominated films. It also asked to take responsibility for selecting movies for the Oscars.
“We ask the Greek State once again to entrust the Academy with the responsibility of selecting the Greek candidacy for the Oscar International Film award in correspondence with other Academies, such as the UK and the Spain,” the academy wrote.
Film critic and journalist Elias Fragoulis told BIRN: “I think the time has come for the Hellenic Film Academy to show determination. The Iris Award [given annually by the Academy to the best Greek films] should also be the country’s official submission for the foreign language Oscar category,” said Fragoulis.
The Ministry was also criticised by the Associations and Unions of the Greek cinematographic/audio-visual field, the Union of Directors and Producers of Greek Cinema, the Audiovisual Producers’ Association of Greece, the Greek Documentary Association and Union of Audiovisual Works Producers.
Replying to the Greek filmmaker Associations and Unions, Deputy Minister of Culture Iason Fotilas, said: “The Ministry of Culture remains the guardian of the process in order to ensure not only the objectivity but also the authority of the committee. “Before August 13, the appointment of a committee had not taken place, following the provisions of the law.” Regarding the initial decision, Fotilas stressed that the Ministry’s disciplinary bodies are investigating the case.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
