Berlin Film Festival/Panorama 2005

HOSTAGE

Written & Directed by Constantine Giannaris

Starring

Stathis Papadopoulos

Theodora Tzimou

Giannis Stankoglou

Greece/Turkey - 35mm color - Running time: 105‘

Screenings In Cannes

Thursday 12th, 11.30, Riviera 5

Friday 13th, 13.30, Riviera 5

Sunday 15th, 13.30, Palais H

Sales Contact

IN CANNES

Stand N7, Riviera

Tel : +33 4 92 99 32 46

Fax : +33 4 92 99 32 48

2, Rue Turgot 75 009 Paris / Tel +33 1 49 70 03 70 / Fax +33 1 49 70 03 71

www. celluloid-dreams.com

SYNOPSIS

Based on actual events.

A young Albanian immigrant boards an intercity bus on its daily route to Thessaloniki in northern Greece. He hijacks the bus at gunpoint. In his left hand he holds a grenade. He allows most of the passengers to leave, but he keeps seven of them hostage. He demands a ranson and safe passage back to his country, simply saying that he wants his honour back.
Throughout the 20 hour chase, scattered flashbacks are intwined with the on-going drama and glimpses into the lives of the passengers. The back-story of the hijacker turns out to be just as personal as it is politcal. The hostages too have their secrets—their routines have been catastrophically disrupted and the ensuing fissures are both revealing and consequential.

The hijacking is broadcast live on national television. Surrounded by a convoy of television crews, desperate relatives, by-standers and police cars, the bus crosses into Albania. The final twist is shocking.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Hostage is inspired by an actual event that took place in northern Greece in the spring of 1999. The central themes of the film are, among others, emigration and the nostalgia of going home; manhood as the salient feature of identity; the role of the mass media – not so much as a distorter and shaper of public opinion (that would be more or less trite), but in terms of the complex relationship between the individual/viewer/perpetrator and the mass media which appear to be offering the ultimate justification. Hostage tries to intertwine these various elements in order to shed light on a considerably violent and tragic moment in the recent history of Greece and Albania.

Constantine Giannaris

THE DIRECTOR

CONSTANTINE GIANNARIS

Constantine Giannaris born in 1959. He graduated from the University of Keele (Joint Honours History / Economics). He did not complete his post-graduate studies at the University of Birmingham (Greek-Russian Post-War Relations) and after a period he spent living in London he made his first independent short films.

His movies have showcased in many international film festivals and forums. His first feature film in English (3 Steps to Heaven) showcased in the Directors’ Fortnight/Camera D’or Cannes 1995. His second feature (From the Edge of the City) was shot in Athens. At the moment he lives and works in Athens.

FEATURE FILMS

3 STEPS TO HEAVEN – U.K. / 1995 / 90΄

British Film Institute / Channel Four Television

(with Katrine Cartlidge / Frances Barber / James Fleet)

La Quinzaine des Realisateurs / Cannes Film Festival – 1995

Official Participation Camera d’ Or / Cannes Film Festival – 1995

Best Director Prize / Cattolica Film Festival / Italy – 1995

FROM THE EDGE OF THE CITY/

APO TIN AKRI TIS POLIS– 1998 / 90’

Mythos Film Prod / Rosebud / Hot shot Productions / Greek Film Centre

Best Director Prize / Thessaloniki International Film Festival – 1998

Best Greek Film Prize / Greek Film Critics Award – 1998

Second Prize / Greek State Award for best Feature Film – 1998

Berlin Film Festival / Panorama – 1999

Sydney Film Festival – 1999

Jerusalem Film Festival – 1999

Constantinople Film Festival – 1999

Ankara Film Festival – 1999

Edinburgh Film Festival – 1999

ONE DAY IN AUGUST/ Official Competition Berlin 2002

DEKAPENTAVGOUSTOS- 2001 / 106’

Attika SA Prod / Greek Film Centre / J.N.Leoussis Group / Prooptiki SA

Thessaloniki Film Festival – Critics Award - 2002

Troia Film Festival – Best screenplay award – 2002

Chicago International Film Festival – 20002

Melbourne International Film Festival – 2002

Semana Internacional de Cine – Valladolid – 2002

Seattle International Film Festival – 2002

THE CAST

‘ELION’ (HOSTAGE – HIJACKER) : STATHISPAPADOPOULOS

‘ILIANA’ (PASSENGER WITH ‘GRIGORIS’) :THEODORATZIMOU

‘GRIGORIS’ (PASSENGER-KILLED) :GIANNISSTANKOGLOU

‘TAXIARHOS’ (POLICE OFFICER): MINASHADJISAVAS
‘GIANNIS’ (BUS DRIVER) :ARTOAPARTIAN

‘ANGELIKI’ (PASSENGER) :MARILOU KAPA-VALEONTI

‘KELLY’ (PASSENGER) :K. ANGELOPOULOU

‘ORPHEAS’ (JUNKIE PASSENGER) : ANTONIS NTOURAKIS
‘JACK’ (BLACK PASSENGER) : MANOLIS AFOLIANO

‘MIRA’ (ELION’S MOTHER) :RAYMONDA BULKU

A GREEK-TURKISH CO-PRODUCTION OF:

C. GIANNARIS FILMS

HIGHWAY PRODUCTIONS

SARMAŞIK SANATLAR

IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH:

GREEK FILM CENTER

ALPHA TELEVISION

GRAAL

STRADA PRODUCTIONS

WITH THE SUPPORT OF

AND SEE CINEMA NETWORK

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:

CHRISTOS VOUPOURAS

MAKE-UP:

EVI ZAFIROPOULOU

SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

MARIA KONOMI

SOUND RECORDIST

ANTONIS SAMARAS

COMPOSER

NIKOS PATRELAKIS

EDITOR

IOANNA SPILIOPOULOU

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

PANAGIOTIS THEOFANOPOULOS

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

NIKOS KOUMANTARAKIS – ELENI GEORGAKOPOULOU

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

NIKOS NIKOLETTOS – VLASSIS STATHOULIAS

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS

TAKIS VEREMIS

LILETTE BOTASSI

PRODUCERS

GEORGE LYKIARDOPOULOS

CONSTANTINE GIANNARIS

BARAN SEYHAN - Jale Onanç

SCREENWRITER / DIRECTOR

CONSTANTINE GIANNARIS