The Athens Epidaurus Festival made its presence felt at the 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival by presenting the films “Battle” and “Electra 7,” which it co-produced.

The two films caused a sensation and sparked lively discussions after their screening. At the same time, the two historic cultural organizations of the country signed a Memorandum of Cooperation expressing their intention to jointly plan actions that will highlight the dynamic encounter of the arts.

The film “Battle,” written and directed by Ilias Giannakakis, was screened on Sunday, November 2, and Tuesday, November 4, winning over audiences and earning praise from viewers. The film focuses on gender identity and the right to parenthood in the modern Greek family.

The film “Electra 7,” written by Panagiotis Christopoulos, was screened to a packed theater on Wednesday, November 5, in the presence of its creators. Seven directors created an interesting cinematic relay race by directing the seven “chapters” of the film, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival and inspired by Sophocles’ “Electra.” The premiere took place in the summer at the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus with equal success.

“Electra 7” was created through a collaboration between the Athens and Epidaurus Festival and the Greek Film Academy, with the generous sponsorship of the Public Power Corporation. The screening was followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, with lively participation from the audience and representatives of the media and both festivals.

Both the President of the Greek Film Academy, Mr. Lefteris Charitos, and the General Director of Corporate Relations and Communications of the PPC Group, Ms. Sofia Dimtsa, spoke about this collective endeavor.

On the morning of the same day, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the two organizations. The memorandum was signed on behalf of the Thessaloniki Film Festival by by General Director Elise Jalladeau and Artistic Director Orestis Andreadakis, and on behalf of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, by General Director Ioannis Kaplanis and Artistic Director Michalis Marmarinos.

Mr. Andreadakis expressed his delight at the signing of the memorandum and pointed out that the two organizations are linked by a common language and that this partnership “will not only concern performances or screenings, but will be a broader collaboration involving the development of co-productions and the promotion of Greek cinema and theater.”

For his part, Mr. Marmarinos said he was delighted that his first act as Artistic Director of such an important festival was to sign this agreement, which “reflects a spirit of cooperation between major cultural institutions, from which only good can come.” .

Ms. Zalando also referred to the critical issue of sustainability. “With the memorandum as a starting point,” she said, “we will face the challenges that await us in the future together and we will cooperate on many issues.”

In the same spirit, Mr. Kaplanis emphasized that “there are other actions that are based on culture, but sometimes we do not pay as much attention to them, such as environmental sustainability, green policies, and accessibility, and we can also collaborate on these.”

Concluding this constructive trip to Thessaloniki, the representatives of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival returned with the certainty that this common “culture of cooperation” can offer significant benefits to the Greek cultural ecosystem.