Mystras Palace
Duration: 05’00’’
The Despot’s Palace of Mystra stands as an emblematic monument, the only one of its kind in Greece, bearing the imprint of the declining course of the Byzantine Empire. Within its stone walls once moved emperors, despots, courtiers, scholars, artists, and servants — all members of a vibrant society for more than a century. The short film, created as part of the project Enhancement – Exhibition Tour at the Despot’s Palace in the Archaeological Site of Mystra, invites the viewer to journey through this world. Through a single, continuous shot, the camera moves across the palace’s spaces, successively following the figures of the past: the cook, the maid, the noblewoman. The narrative culminates as the queen enters the throne hall, only to be revealed as a modern visitor, who for a brief moment steps into another century. The film employs the demanding technique of the one-shot to bridge past and present and to give new life to the monument.
2022
Fiction
Working Group
Written & Directed by Ifigenia Dimitriou
Actress: Flora Kalomiri
Director of Photography: Asimina-Lydia Dionysopoulou
Cameraman: Spyros Vrettakos
Drone Operator: Spyros Tzinieris
Art Direction: Ifigenia Dimitriou, Eleni Papageorgopoulou, Angeliki Mexia
Costume Design & Production: Nun Agni & Nun Elizabeth, Pantanassa Monastery Brotherhood of Mystra
Costume Curator: Vasiliki Syrma
Props: Copies of Findings from the Archaeological Site of Mystra
Production Managers: Ifigenia Dimitriou, Angeliki Mexia
1st Assistant Director: Eleni Papageorgopoulou
2nd Assistant Director: Diamantis Arabatzis
Focus Puller: Arsinoi Pilou
Gaffer: Gerasimos Soulis
1st Production Assistants: Emilios Bendermacher-Gerousis, Diamantis Arabatzis, Constantina Douvi
2nd Production Assistants: Nikolaos Giannes, Grigoris Tsoulakos, Stamatis Koutsovitis, Nikonas Theofanopoulos
Hairstyle: Vasso Nikolakakou
Makeup Artist: Maria Gomatou
Makeup Artist Assistant: George Katsaris
Still Photographer: Efthalia Rigou
Editing & Sound Design: Ifigenia Dimitriou
Color Correction: Spyros Vrettakos, Georgia Arvaniti
Visual Effects: Alexis Paraschos
Sound Mixing: Dimitris Vachaviolos, Panagiotis Dermatas
Extras: Alexandra Aivalioti, Ourania Kalomiri, Magdalini Stefanatou, Vasiliki Syrma, Vasiliki Kolyvira, Dimitris Giaouris, Andreas Manis, Sotiris Kontogiannis, Zeta Pantazi, Dimitris Sagiannis, Panagiotis Velmachos, Evi Valassi, Chrysoula Kakaletri, Efthymia Plagaki
Production: Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Official Selections | Awards
Best Film in Architectural Heritage at the Culture Cinema C2F2, Mumbai, India
Best Teaser Award at the Sydney Australian Film Festival, Australia
Best Micro Short Film at the International Cultural Artifact Film Festival, India
Best Super Short Film Award at the Eight & HalFilm Awards, Rome
Honorable Mention for Best Short Film at the Wide Screen Fest, Toronto, Canada
Honorable Mention for Best Short Film at the Paris Film Awards
Finalist at the Short Cut Fest, Serbia
Finalist at the Venice Architecture Film Festival, Venice, Italy
Finalist at the Venice Short Film Awards, Los Angeles
Official Selection at the 9th Museum in Short
Official Selection at the 10th Berlin International Art Film Festival
Official Selection at the One Take Film Festival, Zagreb, Croatia
Official Selection at the Chania Film Festival, Crete, Greece
Official Selection at the Festival della Comunicazione e del Cinema Archeologico, Sicily, Italy
Official Selection at the Afragola International Film Festival of Architecture & Design – Al di là della visione, Naples, Italy
Official Selection at the Inner City Short Film Festival, Los Angeles