The tremendous "Zone of Interest" in an unforgettable Athens International Film Festival screening at the Bageion Hotel
On Monday 11th of December, a special event took place at the Bageion Hotel: the nationwide premiere of Jonathan Glazer's highly acclaimed film "The Zone of Interest", a thrilling drama about the Holocaust, based on the same-titled book by Martin Amis, and one of the most critically acclaimed creations of 2023.
Spentzos Film and the Athens International Film Festival welcomed guests from the film community: journalists, directors and actors as well as a large number of viewers, in this special space, which was curated by Loukia Hatzelou, in two consecutive screenings that were held in order "for the audience to have an unforgettable experience by watching such a unique film while at the same time the atmosphere and environment of an iconic building, haunted by the memories and ghosts of history, connect with a great film for which the preservation and protection of historical memory is a primary and urgent issue", as stated by the Artistic Director of the Athens International Film Festival, Loukas Katsikas.
The event was attended by the actors Maria Nafpliotou, Dimitra Matsouka, Christina Hila Fameli, Dimitra Sigala, Michele Valley, Maria Papalabrou, Manos Vakousis, Efi Kantza, the directors Evangelia Kranioti, Elina Psykou, Zacharias Mavroidis, Marco Gastin, Sofia Exarchou, Yiorgos Zois, Yiorgos Gousis, Elias Giannakakis and Tzortzis Grigorakis as well as Markos Holevas (President of the Board of Directors of the Greek Film Centre), Katerina Koskina (Historian - museologist - Cultural Advisor to the Municipality of Athens), Zyranna Zateli (writer), Yiannis Nenes (radio producer), Louisa Arkoumanea (theatre critic) and Natalia Argyraki (journalist – presenter).
After a ten-year absence from cinema, the elusive and innovative creator of "Sexy Beast" and "Under the Skin" has made a triumphant return this year with one of the most acclaimed films of recent years which is considered a frontrunner for the list of the top five nominations for Best Director and Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Oscars and which has so far been voted as one of the best films of the year by respected publications and websites such as: Sight and Sound, Time, Rolling Stone, New York Times, Variety, Guardian, Indiewire, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and Economist.
THE VENUE
The Bageion Hotel, this architectural landmark of Athens, was built at the end of the 19th century on the basis of Ernst Ziller's architectural plans and is one of the oldest and historically charged places in the centre of our city.
An imposing hotel that hosted some of the most important names of the Greek intellectuals of the 1920s (among which Kostas Varnalis, Napoleon Lapathiotis, Tellos Agras, Yiannis Ritsos, Yiannis Tsarouchis etc. ) but also imposed by the Germans during the occupation period, the preserved neoclassical building was a fitting setting to accommodate Jonathan Glazer's groundbreaking masterpiece.
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Glazer
SCREENPLAY: Jonathan Glazer (based on the book by Martin Amis)
STARRING: Christian Friedel («The White Ribbon»), Sandra Hüller («Anatomy of a Fall»)
The film will be released in cinemas on December 14th by Spentzos Film.
Photo Credits: Ioannis Stefanidis
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The 29th Athens International Film Festival is part of the ROP of Attica 2021-2027 and isco-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Τhe 29th Athens International Film Festival is held under the auspice of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
