In total contrast with the rainy weather in Attica, the first event of Be there! was held in Ianos, last Saturday, inaugurating, thus, a new collaboration.

Old friends of the Festival reinforced with new additions responded to the organizers’ invitation and flowed into the 1st floor of the atmospheric historic bookstore at Stadiou str., willing not only to watch but also listen contributing in this way to the dual character of the event.

Shortly after 12:00, the event began with the screening of the first short, “Stop human trafficking”, from a total of 9 films. The animator and director of the film, Maria Douni, was happy to be there to briefly comment on it and gladly shed light to more aspects of the film.

Eight more wonderful shorts followed in the theme of political violence.

The second part of the event included a discussion with two distinguished guests: Mr. Dimitris Ginosatis, adjunct professor of Philosophy and Media Aesthetics (ASFA), translator and columnist, and Mr. Panagiotis Rappas, stage designer, animation director, graphic designer and life-time member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the United States. Their insight contributed immensely in better understanding the preceding films and also offered the audience the opportunity to identify the connections between violence and its acute documentation through the art of animation.

More specifically, Mr. Dimitris Ginosatis constructed his speech on violence based on the concept of the political by Carl Schmitt which introduces the fundamental distinction between enemy, hostis, and friend as a disagreeable but inescapable element of all forms of politics.

On the other hand, Panagiotis Rappas introduced the question whether, ultimately, the depiction of violence in art in extremely realistic terms maintains a particularly violent life, especially in modern Greece.

Summarizing, Vassilis Kroustallis, artistic director of Be there! Corfu Animation Festival, mentioned that violence, as a social fact, tests the limits of art and the citizens themselves as well as those of public dialogue as a means to solving differences.

Among others, Mr. Ion Vassiliadis, Culture Officer of the Embassy of Israel, and Mrs. Anastasia Dimitra, founding member and member of the board of directors of ASIFA Greece, the international animation organization attended the event.

Be there!’s next scheduled event at Ianos will be on December 23, 2013 on Christmas Animation. There will be another press release with further information.