Mr. Dimitris and Mrs. Dimitroula + Lesvia
Line up: Tzeli Hadjidimitriou | 2019, 2024 | Greece | 106’ | EN subtitles
Open: 20:30 - 22:30
Tickets: € 5 / or Cineville
Lesvia chronicles 40+ years of lesbian identity and the conflict between the locals of a small village on the Greek island of Lesvos and lesbians who arrived searching for love, freedom and community. The film is preceded by the short Mr. Dimitris and Mrs. Dimitroula, by the same director.
Mr. Dimitris and Mrs. Dimitroula
Tzeli Hadjidimitriou | 2019 | Greece | 28’ | EN subtitles
Dimitris lives her life in Skala Skamnias, the conservative Greek fishing village where she was born. She nursed her dying parents and now lives alone, able, at last to enjoy her femininity by dancing in the street to old pop records, watched by her cat.
Misunderstood by family but celebrated by journalists covering the refugee crisis, her resilience is captured by the camera. She recalls time spent away from Lesvos and conscription into the Greek army. Gently observed and interviewed by a Lesbian film maker similarly aware of what it means to grow up different in a tiny traditional community, their shared humanity and mutual respect shine through this touching biographical film.
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Lesvia
Tzeli Hadjidimitriou | 2024 | Greece | 78’ | EN subtitles
Since the 1970s, lesbians from around the world have been drawn to the island of Lesvos, birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. When they find paradise in a local village and carve out their own lesbian community, tensions simmer with the local residents. With both groups claiming ownership of lesbian identity, filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou—a native and lesbian herself—is caught in the middle and chronicles 40+ years of love, community, conflict, and what it means to feel accepted.