I am in Thessaloniki, Greece covering the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. I was in the midst of an online watch of a featured film at the festival and a swaying started. I initially thought it was my chair wobbling a bit but after a millisecond I knew it was an earthquake tremor. It wasContinue reading “RKS Mindfulness: My Earthquake Experience Today”
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Philosopher: I Have Something to Say”
Greek cinema is multi faceted, but with a strong satirical tradition frequently directed against the traditional pillars of Greek society; the church, politicians, the military and the bureaucracy. In “The Philosopher” the satirical sword cuts a swath through intellectuals, philosophy, religion, television, academia, book publishers and film production. It is a movie about movie production.Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Philosopher: I Have Something to Say””
RKS 2024 Film: The Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival: “Song For No One”
Gene (Giullian Yao Gioiello) hosts an independent radio show in Brooklyn. Who knows who is listening but for certain there are two Asian women pedalling a stationary bike in the forest listening to him sing a song about grieving and about how he is not ready to grieve. We watch Gene on the telephone applyingContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival: “Song For No One””
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Utopolis”: An Extreme Case of Migrant Bashing
Under international law Greece and all other countries having “asylum seekers” land on their shores must offer basic assistance until asylum proceedings have been completed. The cost simply can’t be deported away as deportation is not a legal option. The numbers are so staggering that Italy has outsourced migrant housing and administration to Albania! AreContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Utopolis”: An Extreme Case of Migrant Bashing”
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The River”: A Sloppy Effort!
“The River” is a co Italian, Greek and Kosovian production showcasing the endless talent of Makis Papadimitriou fittingly playing the character of Makis. Makis is a contractor for a German firm Sky Autobahn building a segment of a showcase highway in Greece. For safety reasons Makis posts bird figures on soundproof panels lining the highway.Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The River”: A Sloppy Effort!”
RKS Travel: Checked Baggage Fees and Passenger Snickers
When the worst of COVID was over I took an Air Canada flight from Toronto’s Pearson Airport to Athens. While waiting at the gate an Air Canada passenger agent made an announcement that due to so much unchecked luggage on this sold out flight please volunteer to have your bags checked in. A roar ofContinue reading “RKS Travel: Checked Baggage Fees and Passenger Snickers”
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Greice”: A Study of a Pathological Liar?
“Greice” is a joint Portuguese Brazilian production wandering in a disjointed fashion bouncing off the walls as if the film had downed too many strong Brazilian coffees. Factually it is described accurately in the film festival guide. Move beyond the factual description and that is where the trouble brews. If “Greice” was an attempt toContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Greice”: A Study of a Pathological Liar?”
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Honeymoon”: Staggering Oppressiveness
I will depart from my usual format by fast forwarding saying my reaction to the film was upsetting and caused me to pace back and forth after the film attempting to process it. It was slow moving and quite like watching paint dry but when it dried, I was caught beneath it like a bugContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Honeymoon”: Staggering Oppressiveness”
RKS 2024 Wine: The Black Sheep from Nico Lazaridi and “The Attack of the Giant Moussaka”
The Black Sheep is a blend of non-indigenous grapes to Greece, namely Syrah and Merlot. The grapes are from vineyards grown on the foothills of Mount Pangeon in Kavala. Aroma: Think of black fruit particularly blackberry, black currant, cassis and black cherry enveloped in a gentle smoke. Palate: At room temperature expect a dullard asContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: The Black Sheep from Nico Lazaridi and “The Attack of the Giant Moussaka””
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Swimming Home”
“Swimming Home” is a feature length film being a United Kingdom, Greece, Netherlands and Brazil production. It’s opening music is ominous and haunting particularly reminding one of the swarms of buzzing flies over a severed pig’s head in “Lord of the Flies”. What is rotting in the film are spirits of human beings. It isContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Swimming Home””
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