ATHENS
weekly
Weekly supplement by Insider Publications • www.insider-publications.com • No 102 • Friday, June 03, 2016 ATHENS GARDEN FESTIVAL
Athens’ answer to BBC Proms in the Park, the National Gardens comes alive during the 3-day free Athens Garden Festival, (June 3-5), with 8 thematic concerts of “Soundtracks Music and Songs” on the main and small stages.
shipping STORIES
Inside Posidonia Thousands of shipping executives from around the globe are about to converge on Athens again for Posidonia – that biennial whirlwind of lavish parties by the sea, elite sporting events, power networking and top-level think-tanks. Posidonia 2016 officially sets sail from June 6-10 … but the parties and receptions have already begun. While the high-profile forum is mostly a closedshop, the public can attend the Posidonia 5km running event (June 4) and the vast shipping exhibition at the Metropolitan Expo Centre. With the industry facing some of its most daunting conditions ever, some are predicting a more subdued affair this year; while for others, it’s a chance to let their hair down and put their worries on ice (along with the champagne) for a few short days. Amanda Dardanis spoke to one Posidonia veteran to find out exactly what the big deal is (and where the biggest deals get done!) Confessions of a Posidonian Veteran ‘This will be my 7th Posidonia Week. It’s hard work but I love it. My preparations for Posidonia usually start a couple of weeks before. I get all my best frocks lined up, along with my best heels and handbags! The whole international shipping community descends on Athens – in particular the Athenian Riviera and the hotel prices soar (Posidonia Prices, we call them!). It’s a time for people to re-connect with their clients and to hand out
business cards. You lay the groundwork here, but the real deals are done later on - after you get back from the golf courses and the yacht parties. Posidonia is an absolutely vast “show and tell”. There are exhibits from everyone from shipyards and brokers; to rope makers to oil traders. But the thing that makes Posidonia are the parties. The parties! In the past, the celebrations were extremely extravagant and went on for about 3 weeks. But shipowners have become a bit more sensible and scaled down from their one million euro party budgets. Some of the functions are still very lavish, like the Clarksons event, usually held by the Astir Palace pool for about 600700 people. (At my first Posidonia 14 years ago, they staged the most incredible water laser show, while at their last party, they ran out of booze when 2000 gatecrashers turned up.) Aegean Petroleum are also known for putting on one of the best Posidonia bashes in town, with synchronized swimmers and the likes of Antonio Remos singing. You can spend the night hopping from one party to the next. The shipping tycoon Evangelos Marinakis’ party is another of the really hot tickets to get hold of. He recently had dancing girls and Gloria Gaynor belting out the classics at Balux Prive. And Qatar Airways, in keeping with its marketing campaign of Going Places
RELEASE ATHENS
HYPNOS PROJECT
The Summer of Music ignites this week with the 4-day Release Athens and top international acts, including Beirut, Daughter, Sigur Ros and PJ Harvey (June 1-13) at Plateia Nerou, Falirou, releaseathens.gr. Tickets €39.
In its final weeks, the ground-breaking Hypnos Project, conducted by leading Greek artists, offers interactive activities across Athens to investigate the universal act of sleeping. Onassis Cultural Centre, Syngrou 1-7-109,Tel: 210.900.5800, sgt.gr.
Together, will also have a fair amount of entertainment - Middle Eastern flavours and Oriental dances at 4pm on June 8 and passionate tango and Argentinian cocktails on June 9, also from 4pm on. Plus a demo of their B787 Dreamliner Business Class Seat! But actually, the best networking is done at the smaller parties. At these more intimate gatherings, you can sit down and eat, next to some of the world’s top shipping tycoons. People do jockey for the best tickets. This week, I’m suddenly very popular! Friends are calling out of the blue. A lot of parties are on lock down. Aegean sent a ‘gold bar’ where you scan in a code that told you how to RSVP. Capital is strictly barcoded, and Clarksons will release a secret code just before the event. There’s definitely been a scaling back of budgets. There’s been some very bad press. Which to me was unjustified. People in shipping work extremely hard. And so they throw a party every two years for all the people who help them. The sporting calendar aspect of Posidonia has also become more of a “thing”. There’s the Golfing and Soccer Tournaments; the Racing Event. The Yachting Cup is extremely competitive. Some of the big owners decide “we will win this year” and hire professionals to crew for them. Most people feel that the situation facing the shipping markets is not going to change anytime soon. We all know what the markets are. There’s no point talking about it. And everyone’s given up on trying to crystal ball gaze. For the past four years, people were saying, “Oh in 2 years, it’s going to improve.” But in reality, nobody knows. It is exhausting sometimes going to 3 parties in the one night and then having to go to the office the next morning. And you do see a lot of the same people everywhere. But it’s really nice to feel part of a community - and great fun to be on the inside of it all.” Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition 2016 officially runs from June 6-10. For more information on Posidonia events such as the Metropolitan Expo Centre and the Posidonia Run, visit www.posidonia-events.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Exhibition
Comedy
Gazi Comedy Fiesta Whether you like your comedy razor sharp or escapist, the Gazi Comedy Summer Fiesta will have you in fits and giggles, from June 12-16, with Englishlanguage stand-ups from Sameena Zehra and Tessa Waters, tickets € 10. Pascaline Bossu Eumolpidae 41, Tel: 210.345.5020, gaSoak up the vital creations of French zicomedy.com visual artist and Athens resident Pascaline Bossu whose work speaks of dual identity. On free display at until June 12 at Herakleidon Museum Annex, A. Pavlou 37, Tel: 211.012.6486
BOOK nook
Vintage Attraction A Novel by Charles Blackstone
As the scent of jasmine and evening primrose herald the arrival of summer and, with that, outdoor dining, I thought a good book to revisit would be Vintage Attraction by Charles Blackstone (Pegasus 22 October 2013). This non-genre defined study on love and relationships unfolds against the pairing of Greek grape varietals and is sure to add to the mood. It’s a love story between the brilliant Hapworth, an adjunct professor, and celebrity sommelier (based on real life master, Alpana Singh), Izzy. When their last-minute marriage creates chaos in their otherwise normal lives, their efforts to relinquish the past fail with the appearance of former lovers, crazy work demands, and rambunctious neighbours. A working holiday to luminous Greece saves the day and off they head to the caldera of Santorini before their marriage kills their romance.
Exhibition
OUTCAST
Tale of the Flying Tandoori Be very afraid. Zehra Sameena is about to take Athens hostage with her razor-sharp, brainy comedy, Tea with Terrorists. The Brighton-based stand-up tells us why fear is redundant – and why it’s so crucial to get the spices right when making Tandoori! Okay, so Tea with Terrorists. You’ve immediately grabbed our attention.
Yes! The trick of having the right title is that it grabs attention, and also describes perfectly and succinctly what the show is about. A little about your background please? You say you once find yourself “arguing with mullahs” and “wandering in war-torn Kabul”? It’s a long way from Brighton!
I have always been a bit of a nomad, and I have managed to visit 35 countries so far. When you travel, and engage with people, stuff happens. I once witnessed 2 men fighting at a roadside restaurant. One of them lost his temper and threw a whole Tandoori chicken at the other man’s head. The other man’s turban fell off, and all hell broke loose. Afterwards, I sat with the 2 men as they nursed their black eyes and bruised knuckles and tried to find out what caused the fight. (The correct amount of spices to be used in a proper Tandoori chicken, apparently!) To be honest, the journey from Tandoori chicken skirmishes to war torn Kabul is not that far! Who has the blackest sense of humour, the British or the Indian?
The best comedy sometimes comes from tragedy. The best dark humour comes from, and appeals to cultures with a long history that has encompassed a myriad of dark deeds and existential terrors. This applies equally to both countries. Are there any subject areas or themes that are “no go” areas for you?
It’s never about the topic- it’s about how you deal with it. Comedy should “punch up”- meaning the butt of the joke is never the powerless - it is always the one with the power, or the perceived power. If you have to rely on ‘making fun of’, instead of being funny, you have no business being a comedian. We live in such a fearful age… with the geo-political boundaries of Europe poten-
Ai Weiwei See one of China’s most provocative and outspoken art activists Ai Weiwei in his unmissable show, Cycladic Museum of Art, Neofytou Douka 5, Vas. Sofias & Irodotou 1, until October 30. Entry €7. Tel: 210.722.8321, cycladic.gr
TV THIS WEEK
INTERVIEW
Comedy is an incredibly powerful medium of communication. Like poetry, it is an art form that has revolution in its make-up. It’s a way of addressing and confronting things in a light-hearted way; finding different and absurd perspectives; reminding us of how, in the grand scheme of things, we are simply grains of sand on the same beach. When we laugh together, we have something in common- it is a bridge that can bring us closer to one another.
Reviewed by Anna Roins
Blackstone does much to elevate the modern-day perception of stunning Greek viticulture where nothing was virtually known about it in the global marketplace consciousness, until recent years. It is heartening to read about the different vineyards of crisis-stricken Greece, such as; Ktima Pavlidis, Nico Lazaridi, Tsantali, Boutari, Alpha Estate, Katogi, and Sigalas, and the types of wines they have on offer.
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When Paige’s long-ago indiscretion threatens to resurface and destroy the family, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves scrambling - and Paige finds herself reevaluating who her parents really are. Tuesday @ 23.50 Watch FOX on NOVA, OTE TV, HOL, CYTA
So what (or who!) are you most afraid of?
I am most afraid of ignorance. It’s a gateway drug. It leads to fear and anger, and silence in the face of injustice. It leads to an orange man who wears a small dog on his head as a toupee being a legitimate candidate in the race for the White House.
CINEMA THIS WEEK
Can stand-up comics get away with more than they could say a decade ago?
It depends on where they are. If I did some of my political stuff in America, (which heavily criticizes American foreign policy), I would be the new detainee at Guantanamo. If I did some of my anti- religion stuff in Kabul, I would be stoned. Comedians can usually get away with talking about anything- traditionally, the court jester was the one who could tweak the beard of the Emperor and break bread with a beggarcomedians have a wonderful range of demography. Again, it depends on what you are addressing, why, and how.
The Dressmaker Kate Winslet is the glamorous woman who returns to her small town in rural Australia with her sewing machine and haute couture style, and transforms the women there. Also with Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving.
Have you had any experience with Greek audiences before?
None. I can’t wait. I have heard so many things about how engaged Greek audiences are, how much they love comedy, and I have been promised a really fun time. Really looking forward to it!
Colonia (The Colony)
Tea With Terrorists, 14 June at 9:30 pm. Tickets € 10. Gazi Comedy Club, Eumolpidae 41, Tel: 210.345.5020, www.gazicomedy.com
A young woman’s desperate search for her abducted boyfriend that draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody has ever escaped from. With Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Michael Nyqvist.
ART & CULTURE
Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2016 Digested Stella Sevastopoulos takes the hard work out of deciding that to see at this year’s Athens and Epidaurus Festival. After all the drama surrounding the resignation of Belgian artist Jan Fabre as director of the “Athens and Epidaurus Festival”, its new chief Vangelis Theodoropoulos has nevertheless managed to whip up a programme in just over a month. In direct contrast to Fabre’s incendiary proposal of a 2016 fest packed with Belgian names (and few Greek ones), Theodoropoulos’ lineup has a predominantly Greek character (and fewer foreign names). Youthful, alternative and political is how Theordoropoulos sums up his fasttracked oeuvre. Festival fever kicks off with a party on June 14: Pireos 260’s garden will blossom with live Greek music, followed by a dj set, heralding in this year’s summer cultural feast in true Hellenic style . Events are still being added, but already there are some obvious highlights: Herodes Atticus Theatre June 10, 11, 12, 15: A performance of Verdi’s ‘Aida’ by the Greek National Opera, directed by Enrico Castiglione. Cellia Kostea and Anda Louise-Bogza play the lead role. This new production will also travel to Italy’s Taormina Festival. June 18: The Camerata Orchestra, under the direction of Georgos Petros performs Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, with three Greek soloists: Christina Poulitsi, Haris
The Americans 4
tially being re-drawn. How effective is comedy in countering our anxieties?
As to Blackstone’s favourite? “It’s hard to choose one of the indigenous grape varieties since the varietals - whether white, red, or rosé - are so enjoyable (as are the blends).” Two wines he always goes back to is the Xinomavro, one of the most highly regarded Greek heavy red cultivars (Agiorghitiko being the other), and the Assyrtiko, which is a bonedry wine that has citrus aromas mixed with an earthy, mineral aftertaste due to the volcanic soil of Santorini. Vintage Attraction is a refreshing, honest read with Hapworth’s inner logic and laugh-out-loud perspective. The writing is understated and grounds the story in humility. The luminous Greek wines that are featured make it a delight.
A young man searches for answers as to why he’s been suffering from supernatural possessions his entire life. Monday @ 23.30
Andrianos and Andonis Koroneos. June 21: In celebration of European Music Day, the ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation), Music Ensembles, perform Mozart’s ‘Jeunehomme’ (Concerto for piano and orchestra in E-flat major), with solist Dora Bakopoulou. Entrance is free. June 27: French-Canadian pianist AlainLefevre meets with the young Greek composer Orestis Papaioannou, who was recently awarded Prague’s prestigious ‘Dvorak’ prize. July 5: The Athens State Orchestra, under the baton of famed German maestro Frank Strobel, performs works for cinema composed by Federico Fellini and Nino Rota, enhanced visually with screenings of excerpts from Fellini’s films. July 24, 26, 27, 29: The Greek National Opera performs Bizet’s ‘Carmen’, under the baton of Loukas Karytinos, and stage direction by Steven Langridge. Rinat Shaham and Geraldine Chauvet take on the role of Carmen. August 1: Conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy takes to the podium, conducting the Athens State Orchestra, with works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. His son Dmitri Ashkenazy, acclaimed clarinettist also performs. Peraios 260 June 15-16: ‘Re-volt Athens’ – a performance by the ODC Ensemble about the
crisis in Athens. The performance has already been shown abroad, and is now up for its Greek premiere. June 20-21: Juggling and dance are fused in Allessandro Sciarroni’s unique performance ‘Untitled – I will be there when you die’. June 22-23: Choreographer Jan Martens presents us with ‘The Dog Days Are Over’ - a very jumpy, minimal and political work for eight dancers. June 25-26: Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, will be performed by famed Lituanian director Oskaras Korsunovas who has adapted the classic work to express the plight of modern day man. July 2: Michalis Delta’s electronic music performance entitled ‘Life is Now’. July 7: Screening of Polanski’s ‘Macbeth’. National Theatre of Greece June 17-20: Romeo Castellucci and the Societas Raffaello Sanzio perform Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ like you’ve never seen it, including an endoscopic camera! Epidaurus July 1-2: Aristophanes’ ‘Plutus’, directed by Yiorgos Kimoulis and featuring actors Petros Philippides and Yannis Bezos. July 8-9: Aeschylus’ ‘Oresteia’, directed by Yiannis Houvardas. July 15-16: The Greek National Theatre in collaboration with the National Theatre of Northern Greece and the Cyprus Theatre, present Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’. July 22-23: Aeschylus’ ‘Seven Against Thebes’, will be performed by the National Theatre of Northern Greece and directed by famed Lithuanian director Cezaris Grauzinis. July 29-30: The National Theatre and the Russian Vakhtangov Theatre (directed by acclaimed Rimas Tuminas), present Sophocles’ ‘Oedipus Rex’. For more info on times, tickets etc, visit the Athens and Epidaurus site: www.greekfestival.gr