Cinema Paradise: Industries of Coexistence: Book Presentation & Signing

Hyper Hypo invites you to the presentation of the book Cinema Paradise: Industries of Coexistence (published by 2023 Εleusis – European Capital of Culture), edited by Marina Fokidis. Join us in welcoming Michail Marmarinos (general artistic director 2023 Εleusis – European Capital of Culture), Menelaos Karamaghiolis (filmmaker), Kika Kiriakakou (artistic director PCAI), Thodoris Prodromidis (visual artist), Panos Charalambous (visual artist), Stathis Mitropoulos (designer of the publication), Marina Fokidis (curator, writer and editor of the book) for an engaging conversation, followed by a book signing.

The book is rooted in a captivating project of the same title that ran during 2023 Εleusis – European Capital of Culture, which showcased 24 films by 22 artists from 12 countries in the mesmerizing ambiance of an open-air cinema beside the sea in Elefsina; just a stone’s throw from Athens. The films flickered against the backdrop of an industrial zone and the reality that surrounds it, a few meters away from the ruins of one of ancient Greece’s most important places of worship: where the Eleusinian Mysteries, the initiation into the cycle of life and death, were performed.
“On such a night, exactly one year ago, the lights were dimmed, the chatter slowly quieted, the cicadas stopped in sympathy, and the screenings began. Most of the films were not about entertaining narratives of escape, as is the norm in open air cinemas, but about tangible realities and different ways of resisting them.
The project sought to turn the lens outward, capturing the essence of its surroundings and igniting reflections on both timeless and contemporary pathways of reconnection amidst our “local constraints”.
Now, one year later, we invite you to engage in a meaningful discussion (this time with the lights turned on) about communing with the sensory world and the persistence of ideas. This book serves as both a personal diary and an informal guide, hopefully inspiring further exploration and experimentation in unexpected places and times.” M.F.

*THE DISCUSION WILL BE HELD IN GREEK*