48th Thessaloniki Film Festival: A Report from the Frontlines of Independent Cinema
The 48th Thessaloniki Film Festival was held from November 16 to 25, 2007 (Aban 25 to Azar 4, 1386 in the Iranian calendar), in the coastal city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, and I was invited as a guest.
Among the guests were several prominent figures of American independent cinema, including John Sayles, who was specially honored at this edition.
Several of Sayles’ films were screened in the festival’s “Panorama” section, and he received the prestigious Golden Alexander award. This year’s festival placed special emphasis on creative works and independent films. Screenings included Sayles’ Honeydripper, Pedro Aguilera’s La Influencia, and Snow Angels by David Gordon Green as part of the festival’s special presentations.
Thessaloniki’s annual film festival is split into two major sections: international fiction and a dedicated documentary program. The winners receive Golden and Silver Alexander awards. In previous editions, Iranian cinema had found success—Bitter Dream by Amir-Mohsen Youssefi, for instance, won an award.
During the festival, I met John Sayles—a legendary filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and editor—at a dinner held in his honor. With sixteen remarkable films from 1980 to 2007, Sayles has earned the title “father of independent filmmaking.” Also present was the 61-year-old African-American actor Danny Glover, who has appeared in over ninety films, including Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood, and especially the Lethal Weapon trilogy with Mel Gibson.
John Malkovich was there too, his solemn demeanor, shaved head, and calm tone notable. Living in Paris at the time and having just staged his second production there, he had come to Thessaloniki “to explain what it means to be John Malkovich.” Other guests included Chris Cooper (Oscar nominee for Adaptation) and David Strathairn (multiple award nominee), who played journalist Edward Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck by George Clooney.
Another significant guest was William Klein—American filmmaker, photographer, and graphic designer—who has lived in France for years. He attended the festival with eight films and a selection of photographs he had taken in Thessaloniki over half a century ago.
But it was John Sayles who left the deepest impression. Sayles, who portrayed a ridiculous caricature of George W. Bush in his film Silver City and believes “this gang has dragged the world through filth,” spoke with me in detail at a dinner organized by the Minister of Culture in honor of the guest filmmakers. Sayles, who has seen many Iranian films—including works by Kiarostami, Majid Majidi, Panahi, and Ghobadi—believes that if Iranian films had fair access to publicity and proper international screens, they would certainly attract large audiences.
“When I watch these films,” Sayles said, “I’m reminded of the time I made my first and second films—empty-handed but full of passion. No prior experience, just five weeks of effort. Our locations were close by; everyone wore their own clothes; we had no makeup or auxiliary departments. My first film was made with about $130,000—roughly the same as what your independent filmmakers have now. I had only ever seen a film camera once before, and just for a couple of minutes. I was lucky—my second film, The Brother from Another Planet, got into a dozen festivals just when indie films were gaining traction. We gave our film to two distributors who weren’t even that well known. We recouped our costs and even made some profit. We needed around $800,000 to shoot the second film on 35mm, but after a year and a half of searching, we shot it on 16mm for $300,000.”
Sayles said he deeply sympathizes with Iranian filmmakers. Describing the state of American cinema, he remarked: “In the 1970s, American cinema had complex protagonists, like early Jack Nicholson characters. Then came cartoonish figures like Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Hollywood regressed to a point where I found it hard to work—because I won’t make those kinds of movies under any financial circumstances. Producers insist: ‘Make the bad guy worse, the good guy better. Don’t make things gray, keep everything clear-cut and simple.’ I say, that’s not life. Sadly, most of our filmmakers surrender to these rules because they have no other choice.”
On the U.S.-Iraq war, he said: “It’s truly horrifying—an idiotic alliance formed to swallow a country. I don’t even know how to depict this in cinema. How can one of our uniformed soldiers who’s traveled across the world say, ‘Ah yes, that was a good deed I did there’? What does it take for an audience to engage with such a situation? Especially American audiences who want everything crystal clear—good guy, bad guy, clearly labeled. After Vietnam, we were bombarded with Rambo-type films. The goal was to inject a false sense of euphoria into American society. This trend began with Reagan’s presidency: Forget real history—write a version that makes you feel good.”
He added: “We feel isolated because the volume of independent films is low—films with characters like your friends and neighbors, people you love, who don’t act like those ridiculous, so-called heroic figures you see on screen.”
I told him, “But you’ve made political films yourself, like Silver City, where you portrayed Bush as a moronic, backward figure.”
He laughed and replied: “Honestly, I don’t make films with a political agenda. I didn’t plan Silver City as a political film either, but if the story I want to tell overlaps with a current situation, I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. I can’t overlook such distortions, and I don’t care if some people take offense. Do you think I exaggerated even a tiny bit in that film?” And he burst out laughing.
The Man Who Would Be King
Now that we’ve come this far, let me share some thoughts on Silver City, one of the best films I saw by Sayles. Made in 2004, it tells the story of Dicky, the son of a senator—a handsome but dim-witted and politically thuggish man—embroiled in a tough gubernatorial race in Colorado. His campaign manager believes any trick that secures Dicky’s win is fair game, because politics is about winning, not integrity. One day while fishing, Dicky reels in a dead body. They spin it as a smear campaign against him. They hire a private investigator—once a journalist—to dig up leads. But as the investigator digs deeper, he uncovers layers of corruption and deceit surrounding Dicky and his gang.
Sayles uses this political detective story, with its veiled anger and tight structure, to expose the underbelly of American politics. The film, released during George W. Bush’s presidency, was seen as a direct attack on his administration. Dicky (played by Chris Cooper) was interpreted as a caricature of Bush—a man with an artificial smile, hollow and intellectually limited. Sayles believes American citizens are divided into first- and second-class citizens, and that in U.S. elections, often the least qualified win by making people feel like they’re winning too.
All the President’s Men—Reimagined
From Sayles’ critique of U.S. militarism, we move to a revealing film by Russian director Alexei Balabanov: Cargo 200. At first glance, the film—made in 2007 but set in 1984—seems a dated exposé of the now-defunct Soviet system. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Balabanov’s focus isn’t limited to a specific geography or ideology. The film’s skillful storytelling and emotional resonance matter more than its political commentary.
In the film, the daughter of a Communist Party official goes out with a friend for a late-night drive but their car breaks down. Seeking help, they arrive at an isolated house. The girl disappears. That same night, a savage murder occurs on the city’s outskirts. As detectives investigate, they realize all clues lead to the local police chief.
Cargo 200, also screened at the Venice Film Festival, was Balabanov’s eleventh film. He had previously won Russia’s top film award for The Castle, an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novel.
