Theatre:

October is the month when most of the over hundred theatres in Athens open for the new season.

Quite a few interesting plays are waiting for the Greek audience this winter.

"THE TURN OF THE SCREW"
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James at the "Amore" , directed by Thomas Moschopoulos.

"CLEANSED"  by Sarah Kane. Directed by Nikos Mastorakis. A fable of forbidden love for the end of the 20th century from the author of "Blasted"

Five years ago Sarah Kane upset the squeamish with "Blasted", a futuristic piece set in a war-torn Leeds where gouging out eyes and devouring dead babies were the moral norms. She was not likely to convert her foes with "Cleansed", which is less coherent and, despite its nice sanitary title, almost ugly. Think of the sadistic tortures of Kafka's "Penal Colony" and the bureaucratic cruelties of Pinter's "Hothouse"; stir in the surreal violence of Bond's "Early Morning"; and you'll have the rough idea... if Mastorakis' production were more understated we might find it easier to buy Kane's conclusion, which is that a certain tenderness survives in the human jungle. But that would be to distort her vision, which is unforgiving to the point of implacability. She was not the gloating opportunist that some reviewers of "Blasted" thought; she had, I feel, no less integrity than Pinter or Bond; but, God knows, I would hate to live in her head.

"HAMLET" by Boris Pasternak
Pasternak spent most of 1940 on his translation of Hamlet and published it the following year. His statements about the tragedy shed light not only on his translation but also an essential theme in Doctor Zhivago. Hamlet, he finds, evinces great self-sacrifice in giving up his brilliant prospects for a higher aim. He even describes the hero in words evoking Christ: “From the moment of the ghost’s appearance, Hamlet gives up his will in order to ‘do the will of him that sent him.’ Hamlet is not a dram of weakness, but of duty and denial.’” Hamlet has been allotted the role of “judge of his own time and servant of the future.” The play is for Pasternak “a drama of high calling, of preordained heroic deed, of entrusted destiny.”

One of the most interesting plays this winter with Ala Deminova in the role of "Hamlet" at the "Attis Theatre" under the direction of Thodoros Terzopulos.

“GOD IS A J.D..” by Falk Richter at the second scene of the “Amore”. Videowalls, live cameras, monitors and microphones. A somewhat different approach to theatre. A boy and a girl ( Heronymos Katelanos and Natalia Dragoumi ) connect their apartment live to the internet. Anything can happen then.

“EVROS APENANTI” ( The opposite site of Evros river) by Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Repas at the new theatre of “Tassos Papandreeos”, directed by Nikos Mastorakis.

Greek reality on stage: the refugees and unlisted workers from the Albanian site. Maybe the most successful (necessarily  not the best) play this winter.

“KALLDEWEY FARCE” by Botho Strauss at the “Antitheatro”, directed by Maria Xenoudaki with Elli Papa , the well known movie star in the role of Kathrin.

A difficult play and maybe the last one in the history of the “Antitheatro”.

Cinema:

The usual American films we see all over the world – commercial cinema!

Two exceptions in October:

“THE BACK DOOR” by Jorgos Tseberopoulos ( finally a Greek film in Greek cinemas) and the film I’m waiting for

“SADE” by Benoit Jaquot with Daniel Auteuil and Jeanne Balibar.

© 2000 Andrea Kapsaski ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DETEKTOR (Detector) premiered in Norway on August 25, 2000

director: Paal Jackman

manuscript: Erlend Loe

Actors:
Mads Ousdal
Harald Eia
Ingjerd Egeberg
Kristoffer Joner
Hildegunn Riis

Daniel is just beginning his career as a psychiatrist and coming home to live with his over-protective mother. He and his best friend belong to the Norwegian (metal) Detector Club and one day he uncovers a necklace inscribed with the name Janne. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl. Predictable? Formulaic? Maybe—but fun: a violent flautist, a Swede who pays his shrink to take him fishing, and a radio personality who plies his interviewee with an all night drunk just to hear him sing a “joik”. Ironic without being cynical, DETEKTOR is one of the best Norwegian films I’ve seen lately.

There has been a huge amount of hype around the release of this film. More advertising than I’ve ever seen for a Norwegian production. Although the director Paal Jackman has a solid reputation, writers in Norway have the kind of celebrity status usually reserved in other countries for actors, and Erlend Loe is one of the hippest writers around. Sixteen year-old girls come to his readings to have their books signed. So it isn’t surprising that the film was doing well even before its release, riding on Loe’s back. But DETEKTOR does deserve a measure of praise.

Obviously pulling from DOGMA, the film has little Hollywood flash (although the opening sequences can make one slightly seasick and bring to mind episodes of NYPD Blue). For example, there is a scene where the newly smitten Janne stands up in the car, wind blowing through her hair- we’ve seen this before. But here there’s no music, no make-up, no Coca Cola perfect presentation. Instead we see a self-conscious use of cliché that somehow manages to stay this side of cynical. Paal Jackman’s direction is tight and clean. There are surprises and enough turns in both the direction and the script to keep the pace at a comfortable jog.

A light, summer comedy for those of us who can’t stand the thought of Nutty Professor II. . .

© 2000 Ren Powell ALL RIGHTS RESERVED