mέta-cinema: premiere 12/2/22 17:30pm at mikrokosmos, Digger, a film by G. Grigorakis

Constantly pursuing the dialogue between art and political endeavour, the Centre for Postcapitalist Civilisation (mέta) proceeds with a series of films regularly screened in the multi-space facility of Mikrokosmos, literally bringing in the centre of our attention a genre connected per se to this pursuit: cinema.

With the kind contribution of Greek and foreign creators, who, quite often, work in stifling conditions, mέta proposes to a wider public significant, recent film productions, which visualise but also critically problematise various aspects of the multi-faceted crisis surrounding us, as well as pinpoint emancipatory alternatives. For, quite often, optical language proves to be much more eloquent than numerous written pages, in the depiction of societal reality – at times, riveting.

And the first step of this multi-month wandering, as we aspire, takes place on February 12, 2022 at 17:30 with the film Digger. The award-winning film by George Grigorakis, which received 14 nominations for the Iris Awards of the Hellenic Film Academy, although presents a fictional story, comes up as a valuable testimony to the abuse of the Greek nature, the reversal of social relations but also the activation of primordial resistance against the mining industry’s invasion, which our (post) memorandum dystopia projects as the royal path for “development”.

mέta is a civil-non-profit research and cultural institution, related to the political party MeRA25, the European movement DiEM25, and Progressive International. It was established in 2020, aiming to explore eutopic alternatives to the postcapitalist era in which we are already living, through academic and cultural actions regarding the political, social, economic, ecological, cultural, and civilisational challenges of our times.

Cine Mikrokosmos (member of Europa Cinemas) was born in the fall of 2004, on Syngrou Avenue, opposite ex-Fix Industry, equipped with state – of the – art technology and with a unique architectural approach. Having hosted numerous festivals and tributes, without ever standing off from first-rate promotions, committed to cinephile choices, and particularly hospitable to independent Greek productions, Mikrokosmos has created its own audience and is chosen for its ideal show conditions, its careful selections, and, occasionally, for its autonomous bar, which operates in the foyer at affordable prices and cinematic ambiance.

George Grigorakis is a director and screenwriter with a degree in Social Psychology, a Master of Arts in Film Directing at the National Film School (NFTS) in London, and an alumnus at the Berlinale and Sarajevo Talent Campus. He has written and directed many short films, which have won international attention and awards at over a hundred film festivals.

DIGGER, his first feature film, was developed through Nipkow Scholarships, Cannes Cinefondation Residency and the Sundance Institute.

It premiered at the 70th Berlinale where it won the CICAE Art Cinema Award, was awarded the Best Actor Award in Sarajevo and continued its successful run at internationally recognized festivals around the world (AFI, Busan, Melbourne, Philadelphia, São Paolo, Gifa, Haifa others). He won the Special Commission Award – Silver Alexander and four more awards in Thessaloniki. Winned 10 Iris Awards of the Hellenic Film Academy (Best Film, Direction, Screenplay).