Greek director Argyris Papadimitropoulos (45) twice participated in the Main Competition Programme of FEST - in 2017 with the film ‘Suntan’ (Best Screenplay award) and in 2021 with the film ‘Monday’. This year, he is the one who will decide on the Belgrade Victor awards, as a member of the Main Jury. In a conversation for the official website of the Festival, he shared his impressions of the Main Programme, revealed what criteria he will be guided by and why he simply adores Belgrade.
Will it be difficult for you to (re) evaluate your colleagues as a member of the Main Jury of the 50th FEST? Is it possible to be completely impartial, especially if you are watching a film by a filmmaker about whom you have already formed a certain opinion?
- I do not see the work of the jury as an arbitration (who am I to judge anyone) but as a group of creative people who lead creative conversations about the creative work of their colleagues. It doesn't matter if I am familiar with the previous works of a certain filmmaker or not. Each film has its own universe that I discover the moment I enter a dark (film) hall.
What criteria will you be guided by when choosing the best film?
- I do not have a specific criterion. I have been a member of the jury before and I know that the film that grows on me is not the one that tries to be perfect in all aspects; it is usually the one that I feel the filmmaker would have gone ‘crazy’ if he had not made it and if he had not expressed himself through that very film.
What is your first impression after the Main Programme was announced?
- I was very impressed when I looked at the list, and now that I have started watching films, I am even more amazed. There are many filmmakers I already know but also some I am just getting to know. The selection consists of a great combination of different styles, genres, stories and narratives that will evoke a unique experience in the audience each time.
You competed and won the award at FEST yourself. How do you remember that experience?
- It is always a pleasure to come to Belgrade. It is a wonderful city with ‘crazy’ energy to which I would keep coming back. I love it. Receiving the award was a nice surprise and I celebrated it properly, in the Belgrade way.
