News
First TV Broadcast in Greece (Sunday January 29, 23:00, ERT2)
On Sunday, January 29, AGORΑ – From Democracy to the Market by Yorgos Avgeropoulos, the documentary film that has been named the “ark” of the Greek Crisis, will be broadcast for the first time by the second program of the Greek Public Television ΕRΤ2.
AGORΑ, a Small Planet (Greece) production, in co-production with WDR (Germany) and Al Jazeera Arabic (Qatar), constitutes an impressive mosaic that demonstrates the Greek crisis from 2010 to 2014. It traces its impact on Greek society through four dark years: the rapid impoverishment suffered by Greek citizens, the rise of fascism as well as the emergence of solidarity movements are scrutinized through long-time observation and documentation by Greek documentary filmmaker Yorgos Avgeropoulos.
Within two hours of intense emotion, through powerful, and partly shocking images, the director records the development of the crisis from its early stage, traces its impact on the life of simple people from all social classes, whom he observes over time, while at the same time he seeks answers from his country’s most significant political personalities, from insiders, analysts and key decision makers from the international political scene. AGORΑ is a cinematic antidote to oblivion, a film that urges us to reflect on Europe’s present and future.
The film has been awarded with five prestigious awards, among which the Rockie Award at the Banff World Media Festival (Canada, 2016), the eminent Gold Hugo Award at the 52nd Chicago International Television Awards, and the Otto Brenner Special Prize for Critical Journalism (Germany, 2015). Until today, AGORΑ has been presented in numerous international film festivals and broadcasted by TV networks in Europe, North and Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
AGORΑ will be broadcast by ERT2, during the “Doc on ERT” slot, on Sunday January 29, at 23:00.
Watch AGORA on VOD in five languages (EL, EN, FR, ES, DE)
Important greek distinction at the Banff World Media Festival in Canada
AGORA – From Democracy to the Market by Yorgos Avgeropoulos receives the eminent “Rockie Award” as the best documentary film in the social and investigation category of the 2016 Rockie Awards at the Banff World Media Festival in Canada.
The prestigious Rockie Awards honor audiovisual productions from around the world and are considered one of the most important of its kind. Over 40 countries participated in this year’s competition, in 23 categories across drama, comedy, children’s, documentary, factual, digital and more. The program’s industry jury featured more than 350 professionals and leaders from around the world working in the entertainment and media arenas.
Canadian programs received 6 awards, while productions from Great Britain and USA followed with 4. Audiovisual programs from South Korea won two awards and France, Taiwan, Norway, Germany, Australia and Greece received one award each.
This is the fifth award for AGORA, a Small Planet (Greece) production, in co-production with WDR (Germany) and Al Jazeera Arabic (Qatar). It has also been awarded with the prestigious Gold Hugo award at the 52nd Chicago International Television Awards (USA, 2016), the Otto Brenner Special Prize for Critical Journalism (Germany, 2015), the Best Documentary Film Orpheus Award at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (USA, 2015) and the Best Pitched Project Award at FIPA INDUSTRY at the 27th International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (France, 2014).
The film constitutes an impressive mosaic that elucidates the Greek Crisis since its early stage while tracing its impact on Greek society through 4 dark years: the rapid impoverishment suffered by Greek citizens, the rise of fascism as well as the emergence of solidarity movements. AGORA is a cinematic antidote to oblivion, a film which urges the viewer to reflect on Europe’s present and future.
Until today, AGORΑ has been screened in numerous international film festivals and broadcasted by TV networks in many countries in Europe, North and Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia and by satellite networks worldwide.
Watch AGORA on VOD in five languages (EL, EN, FR, ES, DE)
AGORA wins the prestigious “Gold Hugo” award at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards
AGORA has been awarded with the “Gold Hugo” Award as the best documentary film in the social /political category of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards.
For more than five decades, the Chicago International Film Festival, the longest running competitive film festival in North America, through its annual Chicago International Television Awards has honored outstanding and inspiring television productions from around the world. The Chicago International Television Awards are a celebration of the best in television and along with the Emmy Awards, have been established as one of the most important international competition for foreign productions.
AGORA, a Small Planet production (Greece), in co-production with WDR (Germany) and Al Jazeera Arabic (Qatar), had its world premiere in late 2014 at the Danish Documentary Festival CPH: DOX in Copenhagen. It has been awarded with the Otto Brenner Special Prize for Critical Journalism (Germany, 2015), the Best Documentary Film Orpheus Award at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (USA, 2015) and the Best Pitched Project Award at FIPA INDUSTRY (France, 2014).
The film portrays the euro crisis from a Greek point of view over a period of more than four years. The director captures the political and social impact of the crisis in his home country, in intense, partly shocking images and speaks both with policy makers and with those directly affected by the crisis.
Until today, AGORA has been screened in numerous international film festivals and broadcasted by TV networks in more than 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Australia and by satellite networks worldwide.
AGORA screenings in Greece, Ireland and Germany
April 23 marks the 6th anniversary of former Prime Minister Yorgos Papandeou’s dramatic announcement, when from Greece’s and Europe’s most remote location, Kastellorizo Island, he officially marked the beginning of the most tragic and difficult period in Greece’s modern history.
On the occasion of this grim anniversary, AGORA, Yorgos Avgeropoulos’ multi-awarded film on Greek crisis (Special Award for Critical Journalism Otto Brenner Germany, Best Documentary Award at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival and Best Pitched Project Award, Fipa Industry France) will be broadcast and screened in theaters, in Greece and Europe.
AGORA AT DUBLIN GREEK FILM FESTIVAL (22/4)
AGORA participates in the 2nd Dublin Greek Film Festival (April 21-24) that takes place in the heart of the Irish capital aiming to promote Greek culture through a variety of films and events and show links between Ireland and Greece. The Festival will showcase the latest films by both internationally established directors and emerging filmmakers, who are currently producing many of the most dynamic, innovative and provocative films in the world. The screening of AGORA is scheduled on on Friday, April 22 at 18:00 at Filmbase.
AGORA RERUNS ON THE GERMAN PUBLIC TELEVISION WDR (27/4)
On Wednesday 27 April at 23:25 the 90-minute version of the AGORA will be broadcast by public German television WDR (detailed information here). WDR, one of the film’s co-producers, premiered AGORA for the first time in February 2015, shedding light on the unknown to the German audience, aspects of the Greek crisis; that are not reported by the mainstream media of the country. The reaction of the viewers in the social media was impressive. Haus des Dokumentarfilms in Stuttgart published on its website a glorifying critical overview of AGORA: “It is perhaps the most important documentary film of the year” according to Thomas Schneider, who focused on the humanitarian aspects of the crisis. On the German website of critical views NachDenkSeiten, Orlando Pascheit commented: “It would be nice if our government would take the time to look at such films in order not to lose touch with reality – in order to remember that the aim of its policy is to prevent such conditions instead of causing them”.
AGORA IN KORINTHOS WITH FREE ENTRANCE (15/4)
On Friday, April 15 at 18:00, AGORA will screen at Apollon Cinemas in Korinthos.
The director Yorgos Avgeropoulos will attend the screening and will have a Q&A with the audience.
The event is organized by Homo Educandus – Αγωγή with free entrance.
AGORA international screenings in January. Collector’s AGORA Box Set currently available for purchase
The international tour of AGORΑ continues in January with festival screenings in three German cities and a screening at Peloponnese International Documentary Film Festival while the Collector’s AGORA DVD/CD BOX SET is available in its limited first edition and the online distribution through Video On Demand continues.
AT HELLAS FILMBOX BERLIN FESTIVAL
AGORΑ participates in Hellas Filmbox Berlin (January 21-24), the first Greek Film Festival in Berlin. A new festival established in 2015 which wishes to highlight the current, highly artistic Greek film scene and present it to a German audience, offering through the eyes of its filmmakers images of the Greek reality that is impossible to access through the mainstream German media. AGORΑ will screen in the Documentary Competition section together with 11 Greek documentary films. The screenings will take place on Saturday, January 23 at 15:30 at Babylon Cinema.
AT GLOBALE FILM FESTIVAL IN HESSE
AGORΑ participates in Globale Film Festival (January 22 – February 4) which will take place in eight cities of Hesse, Central Germany. The film will screen on Monday, January 25 in Marburg (Capitol Cinema, 18:00) and Giessen (Jokus, 20:30). Screenings will be followed by discussions with academic researcher Fabian Georgi (University of Marburg).
AT PELOPONNESE INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
AGORΑ participates in Peloponnese International Documentary Film Festival (January 20-31). Organized by Kalamata’s Creative Documentary Centre, the festival expands in four cities and presents a panorama of 76 Greek and foreign documentary films produced in the last five years. AGORΑ will screen on Saturday, January 23 at 21:30 at Cine Cinema in Amaliada.
COLLECTOR’S AGORA BOX SET CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
The much-debated, revelatory documentary is released on DVD in English and Greek. The Box Set also includes extra scenes and a special 48-page booklet with detailed information about the film. The soundtrack by Yiannis Paxevanis with the participation of many acclaimed Greek musicians such as Fotis Siotas, Panos Tolios, Michalis Porfyris and others is hereby released for the first time.
The Collector’s AGORA DVD/CD BOX SET is a limited edition available on the Small Planet Web Store and at selected stores throughout Greece.
STORES IN GREECE
- Public Stores throughout Greece (from Monday 25 January 2016)
- Ianos Stores in Athens and Thessaloniki
- Politeia Bookstore (Asklipiou 1-3, Athens, tel. 210 3616373)
- Pleiades Bookstore (Spyrou Merkouri 62, Pagkrati, tel. 210 7249604)
- Lemoni Bookstore (Heraklidon 22, Thissio, tel. 210 3451390)
WATCH AGORA ON VOD
AGORΑ is also available worldwide for online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.
Watch it at http://agora.smallplanet.gr
AGORA Collector’s DVD/CD Box Set to be released on 21 December!
LIMITED EDITION
AVAILABLE NOW FOR PREORDER
FREE DELIVERY WITHIN GREECE
AGORΑ, the awarded documentary film-arc of the Greek Crisis by Yorgos Avgeropoulos is set to be released as a Collector’s DVD/CD Box Set on Monday, December 21.
The Box Set includes:
- The Film on DVD (English, Greek)
- The Soundtrack on CD
- Deleted Scenes
- 48-page Booklet
The Collector’s Box Set is released as a special limited edition, now available for preorder on the Small Planet Web Store.
AN ANTIDOTE TO OBLIVION
The dark years of the crisis that is plaguing Greece are condensed in two hours of intense emotion through the insightful storytelling of filmmaker Yorgos Avgeropoulos.
AGORΑ has been presented in cinemas and on TV in many languages all around the world and mostly in Europe, with official selections at major documentary film festivals and broadcasts by dozens of TV networks.
The film has been awarded the Otto Brenner Special Award for Critical Journalism in Germany, the Best Documentary Film Orpheus Award at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival in the US and the Best Pitched Project Award at FIPA INDUSTRY 2014 in France.
Cinema is valuable when it is national, when it comes from the soul of a country. Recently I was not impressed by a film, but rather by the documentary film AGORA.
Costa-Gavras, Interview at VIMAgazino
A DELUXE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
The much-debated, revelatory documentary is released on DVD in English and Greek. The Box Set also includes deleted scenes and a special 48-page booklet with detailed information about the film. The soundtrack by Yiannis Paxevanis with the participation of many acclaimed Greek musicians such as Fotis Siotas, Panos Tolios, Mihalis Porfyris and others is hereby released for the first time.
SPECIAL OFFER: FREE DELIVERY WITHIN GREECE FOR PREORDERS STARTING ON 14 DECEMBER!
From Monday 14 December until Sunday 20 December, you may preorder the Collector’s AGORA Box Set on the Small Planet Web Store and enjoy free delivery by courier service within Greece. Preordering saves you the shipping cost and assures express delivery within 1-3 working days after the starting day of the release (21 December).
After December 21, 2015 the AGORA Box Set will become available at selected stores throughout Greece.
PURCHASE ABROAD
Orders to any destination worldwide are shipped via Hellenic Post ELTA, Registered Mail. ELTA is the national provider of postal services in Greece. The exact shipping cost is calculated when you make your order and you can verify it before payment. You can track your order here.
If you prefer to receive your order by your own international courier service, you have the option to send us your courier account details for the shipping.
PREORDER NOW
Preorder the Collector’s AGORA DVD/CD BOX SET here
INFO
Distribution: Small Planet, info@smallplanet.gr, tel. +30 210 95 15 295
Orders via our web store from December 30, 2015 to January 3, 2016 will be processed on Monday, January 4, 2016.
Yorgos Avgeropoulos receives the Otto Brenner Special Award for AGORA
This year’s Otto Brenner Special Award for Critical Journalism by the German Otto Brenner Foundation was given to Greek documentary filmmaker Yorgos Avgeropoulos for his film AGORΑ at the awards ceremony that took place in Berlin on November 17. The Otto Brenner Special Award is a rather honorific distinction in Germany, destined to German and foreign journalists for “outstanding and excellent journalistic analyses” that were published in the German media.
Otto Brenner Awards are given on a year basis to honour the spirit and heritage of democrat activist and politician Otto Brenner (1907-1972). Although the Special Award for Critical Journalism was primarily created for essays and editorial articles, this year the jury decided for the first time to give it to a documentary film, AGORΑ, the film-arc of the Greek Crisis, which was broadcasted by Public Television WDR in February and received an overwhelming response by audiences in Germany.
At the packed venue of Pullman Schweizerhof in Berlin, journalist and jurist Heribert Prantl, head of the domestic policy department of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, delivered the Otto Brenner Special Award to Yorgos Avgeropoulos and read the jury’s statement:
“[…] The film chronicles in 90 minutes more than four years of the European crisis from the Greek point of view. It shows the political and social effects of the crisis through captivating, often astonishing images. […]The film is a subtle accusation: it tackles all aspects of the crisis with accuracy, thoroughness and attention to detail. The fatal results of the so-called rescue politics of the EU for the Greek society have rarely been brought so close to us as in this film.
[…]
Greece as a debtor. Watching the film made me think of Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’. […] If it is archaic and immoral that debts are paid with flesh and blood, then what should be said about the burdens, cuts and harsh austerity measures that have been imposed on Greece and other southern EU countries? […]This work is a great editorial, a compelling essay by means of the documentary film language. The film shows the magnitude of the crisis and its dangerous abyss. It does not simply illustrate but rather stimulates intensive discussion. This is the most important thing that documentary film can achieve.”
Other Otto Brenner Awards in 2015 were given to: Ashwin Raman for the reportage “The 13th Year – The Lost War in Afghanistan” (Die Story im Ersten, SWR/ARD, 1st Prize), Silja Kummer for the article series “A Fistful of Dollars” (Heidenheimer Zeitung, 2nd Prize) and Jochen Leufgens, Robert Kempe, Daniel Hechler, and Florian Bauer for the reportage “The selling football – Sepp Blatter and the power of FIFA” (The Story of the First, WDR / SWR, 3rd Prize).
AGORA AT THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRIMED IN MARSEILLE
AGORΑ participates in the International Competition of the 19th International Film Festival of Mediterranean Film & Reportage PriMed (5-12 December 2015) in Marseille, France.
This year’s festival competition features 24 films representing 18 countries, among which 3 films from Greece. AGORΑ has been programmed in the competition category “Mediterranean Challenges”. The film will screen on Thursday 10 December at 17:30 at Villa Méditerrannée.
WATCH AGORA ON VOD
While the film’s international tour continues, AGORΑ is also available worldwide through online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.
Watch it at agora.smallplanet.gr
AGORA International Screenings in November
The international tour of AGORΑ continues with screenings in the UK, Germany, Poland and Guatemala during November. Online distribution through Vimeo On Demand continues while the collector’s AGORA DVD Box Set including the original soundtrack is coming soon!
AT THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MEMORIA VERDAD JUSTICIA IN GUATEMALA
AGORΑ travels to Latin America to participate in the 7th International Film Festival Memoria Verdad Justicia in Guatemala. The film will screen on Thursday, November 5 at 18:30 at Cine Lux in Guatemala City.
AT LEICESTER DOCFILM FESTIVAL
Leicester Docfilm Festival in association with the Media & Democracy Research Group, University of Leicester organizes a screening of AGORΑ in the context of the Documentary Media Month hosted at the Documentary Media Centre in Leicester. The screening of AGORΑ is scheduled on Friday, November 20 at 18:00 and will be followed by a Q&A session via Skype with film director Yorgos Avgeropoulos.
AT MUNICH GREEK FILM WEEK
AGORΑ will screen at the 29th Munich Greek Film Week (November 12-22). This year’s event will showcase 13 recent Greek fiction and documentary feature films as well a selection of short films. AGORΑ will screen on Sunday November 22 at 17:00 at the Gasteig Cultural Centre in Munich.
AT HUMANDOC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN WARSAW
AGORΑ has been selected to participate in the International Competition of HumanDoc International Film Festival (November 20-22) in Warsaw. This year’s festival will present 17 films recently produced in 31 countries all over the world. AGORΑ will screen on Sunday, November 22 at 12:00 at Kinoteka.
WATCH AGORA ON VOD
While the film’s international tour continues, AGORΑ is also available worldwide through online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.
Watch it at agora.smallplanet.gr
The Otto Brenner Special Award to the greek documentary film AGORA by Yorgos Avgeropoulos!
“A citizen’s first duty is not peace and submission to authority, but criticism and permanent democratic vigilance.”
Otto Brenner, 1968
This year’s Otto Brenner Special Award for Critical Journalism by the German Otto Brenner Foundation goes to Greek documentary filmmaker Yorgos Avgeropoulos for his film AGORΑ. The Otto Brenner Special Award is a rather honorific distinction given to German and foreign journalists for “outstanding and excellent journalistic analyzes in the category Opinion, Interpretation, Comment” that were published in the German media.
AGORΑ, which was broadcasted in Germany by Public Television WDR and screened at the International Documentary Film Festival of Munich DOK.FEST as well as in other German cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, Münster and Ulm, attempts a thorough retrospection of the Greek crisis since its early stage while tracing its impact on Greek society through 4 dark years: the rapid impoverishment suffered by Greek citizens, the rise of fascism as well as the emergence of solidarity movements are scrutinized through long-time observation and documentation by Greek documentary filmmaker Yorgos Avgeropoulos. At the same time the film seeks answers to crucial questions regarding an international systemic crisis in progress and a European governance conducting economic experiments to the detriment of human lives.
Otto Brenner Awards are given on a year basis to honour the spirit and heritage of democrat activist and politician Otto Brenner (1907-1972). Although the Special Award for Critical Journalism was primarily created for essays and editorial articles, this year the jury decided for the first time to give it to a documentary film, AGORΑ.
The jury awarded the Special Otto Brenner Prize to AGORΑ based on the following statement:
“The film about the crisis in Greece, about poverty and national debt is a subtle prosecution: it consolidates the facets of the crisis with accuracy, precision and fastidious passion. The fatal consequences of the so called EU rescue policy for the Greek society have rarely been displayed as insistently as in this film. This work is a great editorial article, an enthralling essay with the special instruments of the documentary film. The film shows the dimensions of the crisis and its dangerous abysm. It does not just portray, it also motivates intensive discussions. This is the best that a documentary film can achieve.”
Other Otto Brenner Awards in 2015 were given to: Ashwin Raman for the reportage “The 13th Year – The Lost War in Afghanistan” (Die Story im Ersten, SWR/ARD, 1st Prize), Silja Kummer for the article series “A Fistful of Dollars” (Heidenheimer Zeitung, 2nd Prize) and Jochen Leufgens, Robert Kempe, Daniel Hechler, and Florian Bauer for the reportage “The selling football – Sepp Blatter and the power of FIFA” (The Story of the First, WDR / SWR, 3rd Prize).
The Otto Brenner Awards will be delivered to the winners at the awards ceremony that will take place on November 17 in Berlin.
UPCOMING SCREENINGS AROUND THE WORLD
Festivals and other screenings in France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Guatemala are scheduled in November and December. More news coming soon!
WATCH AGORA ON VOD
While international festivals, broadcasts and other screenings continue, AGORΑ is also available worldwide through online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.
Watch it at agora.smallplanet.gr
AGORA autumn screenings around the world
Autumn is here and AGORΑ screenings are coming in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Canada and the US!
Online distribution through Vimeo On Demand continues whereas the collector’s AGORA DVD Box Set including the original soundtrack by Yiannis Paxevanis on CD is set to be released very soon…
FIRST NATIONAL BROADCAST IN CANADA
AGORΑ will have its first national broadcast in Canada by the public network ICI RADIO-CANADA. The Canadian TV will broadcast the 95-minute French version of the film on September 21 and September 22 at 20:00.
SCREENING IN BRISBANE
AGORΑ will screen in Brisbane, capital of Queensland, Australia on Sunday, September 20 at 15:45 as part of the Brisbane Greek & Cypriot Film Festival organized by the Greek Film Society Brisbane at New Farm Cinemas.
SCREENING IN LEIPZIG
AGORΑ will screen in Leipzig, Germany on Saturday, September 26 at 22:00 as part of Mythos Freiheit (The Myth of Freedom), a series of events organized by Cinémathèque Leipzig focusing on the political and cultural dimensions of freedom in democratic societies in the context of globalized market economy.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AT UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION FILM FESTIVAL
In October AGORΑ travels to California to participate in the International Documentary Competition of the United Nations Association Film Festival (15-25 October). AGORΑ is the only Greek production selected for this year’s festival, which will present 60 films from 52 countries. It will screen on Tuesday, October 20 at 19:00 at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AT BRUSSELS FESTIVAL OF LIBERTIES
AGORΑ will have its Belgian festival premiere at the International Documentary Competition of the Festival des Libertés on Saturday, October 24 at 20:45 at the Théâtre National in Brussels. The screening will be followed by a discussion with director Yorgos Avgeropoulos and International Federation for Human Rights member Elena Crispi.
SCREENINGS AT GREEK FILM FESTIVAL OF AUSTRALIA
AGORΑ participates in the 22nd Greek Film Festival of Australia (October 14 – November 29) which showcases the most recent Greek films in 5 cities. AGORΑ will screen on Sunday, October 18 in Sydney (Palace Norton Street, 13:45) and on Saturday, October 31 in Melbourne (Palace Cinema Como, 14:00). The full festival program will be announced soon.
SCREENING AT DOCUMENT INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
AGORΑ will have its Scottish premiere at Document – International Human Rights Film Festival on Saturday, October 17 (Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts, 12.30).
AT THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN DOCUMENTARY MARKET MEDIMED
AGORΑ participates at the 16th edition of MEDIMED, the Euro-Mediterranean Documentary Market which will take place in Sitges, Spain on October 9-11, 2015.
Festivals and other screenings in France, Germany, Guatemala and Poland are scheduled in November and December. More news coming soon!
WATCH AGORA ON VOD
While international festivals, broadcasts and other screenings continue, AGORΑ is also available worldwide through online streaming at Vimeo On Demand in five languages: Greek, English, French, German and Spanish.
Watch it at agora.smallplanet.gr
