Guest Picks

Beloved actor, director and musician, Giorgos Papageorgiou, sits on the “Guest Picks“ chair this month. Which are his five favourites? What if he was starring in “Magnetic Fields“ instead of Elena Topalidou? Press play on the video to find out.

The resourceful spirit of the Greek immigrant in Germany magically mixes with soul music in an inventive and, often, hilarious escapist film by Fatih Akin, in the funniest and most optimistic moment of his career. — Zinos is a restaurant owner in Hamburg who can’t seem to catch a break: he’s hurt his back and can’t move, his old clients are abandoning him, and his girlfriend, Nadine, has left him to get a job in Shanghai. Fueled by desperation, he revamps the restaurant to bring in new crowds and does not hesitate to go to China to find Nadine. Except, in order to leave, he has to place the business in the hands of his brother, a choice that may be a recipe for disaster. — Official Selection | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Special Jury Prize | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Young Cinema Award Best Film | Venice Film Festival | 2009 Art Cinema Award | Hamburg Film Festival | 2009

The first part of the Trilogy of Colors is dedicated to freedom, dipped in a blue metaphysical light that bathes the face of Juliette Binoche. Structured as a redeeming and liberating path from mourning and introversion to creation and self-realization. — After the death of her husband and child in a car accident, Julie (Juliette Binoche) struggles trying to overcome the initial shock and decides to claim her freedom and start a new life. — Golden Lion | Venice Film Festival | 1993 Golden Osella | Venice Film Festival | 1993 OCIC Award | Venice Film Festival | 1993

Paolo Sorrentino won the Oscar fair and square for his Felliniesque tribute to the Eternal City, a dionysian cinematic ride concealing grief and emptiness behind its gorgeous imagery, transforming existential pain into a never-ending party. — Rome in the summer. Tourists flock to Janiculum Hill. A charming -despite first signs of aging- man, enjoys the city’s social life. He attends dinners and parties, where his dazzling presence is always welcomed. As a young journalist, he wrote a novel that procured him a literary prize and the reputation of a repressed artist. He throws a roof party at his apartment, which has a view of the Colosseum, where "The Human System" (his novel’s title), is exposed and an empty farce is taking place. — Oscar Best Foreign Language Film | Oscars | 2014

In the spirit of Linklater's Before trilogy and with DIY attitude, the Greek film of the year follows two people on a magically melancholic journey. Awards in Thessaloniki and a triumph at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards for the directorial debut of comic book creator Giorgos Goussis. — Elena is traveling with no destination and unexpectedly boards the ship to Kefalonia. Antonis, who is on the same ship, is heading to the island's cemetery to bury his aunt's ossuary. When his car breaks down, Elena offers to take him to a hotel and then again the next day to the cemetery, where they are told they can't keep the box for bureaucratic reasons. Having enjoyed each other's company, they decide to continue roaming around the island looking for a good place to bury the box. — Golden Alexander | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 FIPRESCI Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 Greek National Television Award | Thessaloniki Film Festival | 2021 Best Film | Hellenic Film Academy Awards | 2022 Best Actress (Elena Topalidou) | Hellenic Film Academy Awards | 2022

A lot of people swear to this day that this is the most beautiful film ever created and 4K restoration catapults this beauty to the moon. A hallmark of Wong Kar Wai's career, with shots, colours, music and slow motion coming together in a celebration of the senses. — Chow, editor-in-chief of a newspaper, moves with his wife to a new house. There he meets Li-zhen, the beautiful woman living next door, wife of a commercial agent, who is usually on business trips. Chow's wife is also often away from home. One day they will realize that their spouses are lovers and will find themselves in the footsteps of an erotic desire that neither of them admits is their own. — Best Actor (Tony Leung) | Cannes Film Festival | 2000 Best Foreign Language Film | César Awards | 2001 Best Actor (Tony Leung) | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001 Best Actress (Maggie Cheung) | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001 Best Film Editing | Hong Kong Film Awards | 2001