Audiences will have the rare opportunity to hear directly from one of Greece’s most distinctive filmmakers, Renos Haralambidis, in a special Q&A at Palace Cinema Como on Thursday, October 23.
This event is part of the 30th Greek Film Festival’s tribute to Haralambidis, whose unconventional storytelling has left a lasting mark on modern Greek cinema.
The program features five of his most acclaimed works:
4 Black Suits (2010) – “The deceased does not want to leave before making one last journey back to where his no-longer-beating heart leads him: an odyssey of a dead Odysseus embracing his Ithaca,” says Haralambidis. “For the four pallbearers, it becomes a journey towards self-awareness and maturity.”
Athens Midnight Radio (2024) – A romantic tale that unfolds through the city’s airwaves, weaving chance encounters and urban loneliness into a story of connection.
Cheap Smokes (2000) – “The most autobiographical of my films,” Haralambidis explains. “It captures the essence of a bohemian generation of Athenians at the end of the 1990s. Once overlooked, it has been rediscovered by a new audience and continues to screen in cinemas 20 years later.”
No Budget Story (1997) – His debut feature, shot in black and white. “It was my ‘cinema or death’ film,” he recalls. “I was 26, filming with friends, family, and neighbours. It remains autobiographical – I still revisit it today.”
The Heart of the Beast (2005) – A genre-defying story blending noir, comedy, and nostalgia. “It is my only film adapted from a book, but I wanted to keep my personal touch without betraying the author,” Haralambidis says.
This special program is part of the Festival’s milestone 30th anniversary edition, running from 14 – 26 October, and offers audiences the chance to rediscover the creativity and vision of a singular Greek filmmaker.
Full program details, film synopses, and ticket information are now available at Melbourne – Greek Film Festival 2025.
