meta-cinema: premiere 12/2/22 17:30 in Mikrokosmos, Digger by George 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.

The beginning of this, hopefully, the multi-month trip is on 12th February 2022, at 17:30 with Digger. The several awards winner film of Georgis Grigorakis, nominated for 14 prizes at Iris Awards of the Hellenic Film Academy, though typically a fiction product, constitutes a valuable attestation to the violation of Greek Nature, the subversion of social relations, and, what is more, the ignition of primary resistance, in view of the violent advance of the mining industry that the (meta)memoranda dystopia presents us as a royal way of “growth”.

A Q&A session with the director and contributors to the film will follow.

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.

Giorgis Grigorakis is a film director and scriptwriter, with his first Degree in Social Psychology and MA in Film Directing from the National Film & Television School (NFTS) in London, and alumnus of Berlinale and Sarjevo Talent Campus. He has written and directed numerous short films, which have gained international attention and awards, in over a hundred film festivals in which he participated.

DIGGER, his first full-length film, was developed by means of Nipkow, Cannes Cinefondation Residency, and Sundance Institute scholarships.
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 career in internationally recognized festivals around the world (AFI, Busan, Melbourne, Philadelphia, São Paolo, Haifa, Ghent, Goteborg among others). It won the Special Prize of the Committee – Silver Alexander and four more awards in Thessaloniki. It won 10 Iris Awards from the Greek Film Academy (Best Film, Best Director, Screenplay).

mέta team