The 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (TiDF) returns from March 6-16, presenting 261 films, including 72 world premieres. This year’s edition unfolds in a turbulent global climate, where political shifts and technological advancements raise urgent questions about truth and representation.
A Festival Responding to the Times
Festival director Orestis Andreadakis describes the present moment as one where the foundations of truth and democracy face constant pressure. “Four months have passed since the [Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival], but it seems like we’re already living in a completely different world — unfortunately, not a better one,” he said. He points to recent events as reminders of lessons unlearned and histories repeating themselves.
The festival’s selection reflects that urgency, bringing together works that aim to document and interpret the complexities of the present. “The art of documentary tries to preserve reality. This is the most important thing in our difficult times. To realize what is truth, what is reality,” Andreadakis said.
Opening the festival is About a Hero, a film directed by Piotr Winiewicz that engages with the work of Werner Herzog through artificial intelligence. The closing film, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, explores the life of Marlee Matlin, the first deaf actor to receive an Academy Award.
Artificial Intelligence in the Spotlight
A dedicated section titled AI: An Inevitable Intelligence examines artificial intelligence and its evolving role in filmmaking and society. The selection includes a range of films exploring AI’s influence, along with a visual installation, LAUREN: Anyone Home?, by artist Lauren Lee McCarthy.
Expanding the discussion, the festival’s magazine, First Shot, will incorporate AI-generated content for the first time. A masterclass will provide filmmakers with insights into AI’s role in creative industries, reflecting ongoing debates about its use in artistic expression.
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Greek History Through Documentary Cinema
A retrospective titled Geography of the Gaze: Off-Plan Greece (1950-2000) presents 19 films capturing social, political, and cultural transformations. The program includes rarely seen works such as Kastoria (1969) by Takis Kanellopoulos and Gazaros Serron (1974) by Takis Hatzopoulos.
The festival continues its focus on Greek documentary filmmaking, with 71 domestic films featured. One of the anticipated screenings is Mysterious Deaths in Ancient Greece: Olympias. Thirst for Power, which examines power struggles in ancient Greece.
Films in Competition and Special Tributes
Ten films will compete for the Golden Alexander award. The lineup includes Coexistence, My Ass!, a film about Israeli activist Noam Shuster Eliassi, Free Leonard Peltier, which looks at the case of a Native American activist who has spent nearly 50 years in prison, and Under the Flags, the Sun, a documentary built around newly unearthed footage of Paraguay’s dictatorship.
Honored guests include Nicolas Philibert, whose career retrospective will feature works such as To Be and To Have and On the Adamant, and Lauren Greenfield, who will present films critiquing wealth culture and consumerism. Both will hold masterclasses.
A City Marked by Memory
This year’s festival coincides with mass protests marking the two-year anniversary of the Tempe railway disaster, which claimed 57 lives. Demonstrations are expected in Thessaloniki and across Greece as calls for justice continue.
“This is the most important thing. Because art is one of the most powerful weapons of democracy,” Andreadakis said, emphasizing the role of documentary filmmaking in holding power to account.
The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival runs from March 6-16.
