Greek cinema in turmoil: A deeper look into the Oscar selection chaos
A week of upheaval in Greek cinema
In the past week, the Greek film industry has been engulfed in chaos following the controversial Oscar selection process. With only two out of 23 eligible films remaining in the race for the 97th Academy Awards, the situation has highlighted deeper issues within the Greek film sector. This article delves into the underlying tensions and the broader implications for Greek cinema.
The tip of the iceberg
Producer Maria Drandaki, representing the Audiovisual Producers’ Association of Greece (SAPOE), described the Oscars debacle as merely the “tip of the iceberg.” According to Drandaki, the mishandling of the Oscar selection process is symptomatic of larger, long-standing issues within the Greek audiovisual sector. “This whole mishandling of the situation is getting combined with the tension that was here in the audiovisual sector for months now,” she noted, emphasizing the industry’s frustration with the government’s lack of responsiveness.
The selection process debacle
Earlier this month, the Greek culture ministry appointed a committee of four industry professionals to select the country’s submission for the international Oscar race. The committee included film critic Leda Galanou, actress Kora Karvounis, screenwriter Kallia Papadakis, and director Vassilis Kekatos, who won the Cannes short film Palme d’Or in 2019 for The Distance Between Us and the Sky. However, just two days later, the committee members were abruptly informed that their selection was a mistake, and a new committee was quickly announced.
This sudden change sparked outrage among Greek filmmakers, leading to the withdrawal of more than two dozen films from the Oscar race. The filmmakers penned a scathing open letter to the Ministry of Culture, casting “serious doubts on the credibility and validity of the procedure.”
Resignations and recriminations
The situation escalated as members of the replacement committee began to step down. Asimina Proedrou, director of last year’s Greek Oscar submission Behind the Haystacks, announced her resignation on social media, stating she “refuse[d] to legitimize” the government’s mishandling of the selection process.
Deputy Minister of Culture Iasonas Fotilas attempted to deflect blame onto an unnamed subordinate, claiming they had acted “unlawfully” during the selection procedure. However, a union of culture ministry employees fired back, accusing Fotilas of “looking for scapegoats” and insisting that the responsibility lay with the political leadership.
The broader context
For Drandaki, the scandal underscores ongoing grievances between the industry and the government. Earlier this year, the government announced the creation of a new body, Creative Greece, to oversee all audiovisual production in the country. This organization unites the Greek Film Center and the National Center of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), which manages the country’s 40% cash rebate scheme. However, Creative Greece has yet to announce its board of directors, and funding shortfalls at the Greek Film Center persist.
Drandaki and other filmmakers argue that Deputy Minister Fotilas, who assumed his post in June, is ill-equipped to manage the situation. They demand a broader discussion beyond the Oscars, focusing on the systemic issues plaguing the Greek film industry.
A call for change
Fotilas has proposed forming a new selection committee and changing the law to hand over the Oscar selection process to the Hellenic Film Academy, a move long championed by the film body and its nearly 700 members. “I hope that my commitments will be enough to make them reconsider,” Fotilas said. “Otherwise, I am afraid that we will kill Greek cinema.”
With just over two weeks until the Sept. 13 deadline to name Greece’s Oscar selection, Drandaki insists that the industry “needs more” from the government before filmmakers would consider resubmitting their films. “I find it difficult to return if we are not really, really heard,” she said.
A radical proposal
Last week, the Hellenic Film Academy penned an open letter asking for this year’s selection process to be scrapped and for Greece not to submit a film for the international feature film race at next year’s Academy Awards, scheduled for March 3. Academy president Lefteris Charitos acknowledged that this proposal is “very radical” and not beneficial for the country’s reputation. However, given the events of the past week, he believes it would be “very difficult” to undo the damage before the Academy’s Oct. 2 submission deadline.
A passionate plea
As Greek filmmakers rally together, Yorgos Zois, who won best directing honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his existential sci-fi drama Arcadia, delivered an impassioned speech at the event’s closing ceremony. Zois connected the Oscar fiasco to recent tragedies, including a deadly train crash last year, where government officials dodged accountability while blaming low-level employees.
“I can sometimes understand their ignorance, but their arrogance towards the working people is unacceptable,” Zois said. “The government should be the servants of the people and not the rulers. As long as they are violent, disrespectful, and arrogant to us, we will continue to resist, united on all fronts.”
Moving forward
The Greek film industry stands at a crossroads, grappling with deep-seated issues that extend far beyond the Oscars. As filmmakers and industry representatives push for meaningful change, the government’s response in the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the future of Greek cinema. The hope is that this crisis will serve as a catalyst for long-overdue reforms, ensuring a more transparent and supportive environment for the country’s talented filmmakers.