We often hear about strange conspiracy theories the most prominent these days being the Trumpian fantasy of a rigged election that stole his presidency. Is a conspiracy theory madness or is it those that propound them that are mad?
In “Meetings” we meet the over-the-top intense Aggelos (Elias Valasis) on the telephone trying to convince the victims of his telephone calls of his favourite conspiracy theories such as viruses and vaccines used to control populations, an international conspiracy to benefit from flat tires and invasions of reptilians and a few others.
Aggelos radiates intensity but gets so heated up when his theories are not agreed to by the recipients of his telephone calls he suffers hangups telling the next caller how irrational the previous caller was causing him to hang up on them!
Whether he is preparing dinner in the kitchen or sitting on the toilet he is on the phone ranting about the plots of many.
What is the fine line between skepticism and an obsession with conspiracy theories? Whatever it is Aggelos has crossed it. He is the Rasputin of conspiracy theories but unlike Rasputin has no support of anyone making him a madman?
Now is there a grain of truth in anything Aggelos spouts out? Certainly, but not to complicate matters who controls truth?
A brilliant performance by Valasis. Twenty minutes of the soliloquy of a madman. Should you be smiling watching this short? Should you be thinking about who controls “truth”. Is Aggelos correct about conspiracy theories and just a bit misguided about what they are? Whatever the case Valasis deserves an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Short but as the Academy Awards are controlled by American corporate interests a wild conspiracy theory of course, this Greek actor will not be on the podium.
Director is Kyriakos Chatzimichaildis.
For screening times and locations for the 11 Canadian cities the festival is playing in https://gifft.ca .
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