has put aside for a moment the distant tone that usually marks his films to talk about the situation in Palestine. The filmmaker, known for films such as Canino or The Favorite, assured that he observes the current moment “con horror” and recognized that it is no longer possible to stay out of what is happening in the world.
The statements come coinciding with the inauguration of his first major photography exhibition in Athens, organized at the cultural center of the Onassis Foundation. During an interview granted to , the director believes that it’s quite difficult keep distance from current conflicts.
“Here we are, opening an exhibition and doing an interview, while bombs are falling everywhere, even quite close to us,” he pointed out. “I think of those who live in extreme conditions, like the Palestinians. I can’t imagine where they get the strength to keep going,” he added.
The filmmaker admitted that he has always used irony and detachment as creative tools, both in his films and in his way of observing reality. However, he believes that the international situation has changed that balance.
“Most of the time it’s easier to look away, to look at the world from a distance, than to engage. But lately that has become impossible,” he said. “At this point no one can say, ‘I’m not interested in politics’ or ‘I’m not a political person.’ At this point, you’re either perfectly aware of what’s happening or you’re dead.”
The exhibition, titled No Word For Blue, brings together photographs taken in Greece and during recent productions such as Poor creatures y Kinds of Kindness. They appear degraded urban landscapes, abandoned objects and everyday scenes converted into images, very much in line with the visual universe that has made the Greek director famous in Hollywood.
