Interview
I got the opportunity to have some questions sent to Vassilis Mazomenos, the producer/director/writer/and even the voice of a character in his film “Lines”. My questions mirrored the ideas that are written in this blog; however, after receiving Mazomenos’ answers I found out that my interpretations of his movie were not quite what he had intended. I perhaps dug too deeply at what I was watching, having been trained to find “deeper meanings” in most of my classes. This is just another example of artwork being perceived differently by different audiences, and shows that meanings are always changing and different depending on a variety of factors.
Here is what I sent, and the replies I received:
Hello Mr. Mazomenos, thank you for taking time to read my questions! My name is Arianna, and my blog is about Lines and concepts of honor and masculinity. I focus on three characters in particular: Aris, the farmer, and the President. I noticed these three all took off their clothing during the climax of their scenes, and perceived this as an act of stripping off their social roles. My argument was that these three men were upset with their current living situations and the identity they had taken on by wearing these outfits. One view of the removal of these characters’ clothing is that it is a loss of honor, because they show their vulnerability. I can understand this point of view, but I also saw these men as being noble and honorable by doing this. I saw it as them not wanting to be a part of the system anymore. When creating this film, how did you perceive these characters’ actions?
It is indeed so. These heroes lose their social roles and ultimately their lives. Don't forget that the film is inspired by the suicides at the time of the crisis. These suicides are not only physical but also professional and existential. The policeman cannot handle people being beaten by him. The farmer cannot accept that his family land cannot be cultivated. And the Prime Minister can no longer govern. The system sends to death the most sensitive units.
I very clearly saw the concept of philotimo in these characters. They forfeited their own lives and reputations for the benefit of the common good, and made what I perceived to be statements showing their disagreement to current government policies. Was philotimo at all an idea you had in mind when making this film?
I have not thought that as philotimo, but as an explosion of their unconscious. Their actions are not coming from positive minds, since the police man makes a job against the people, the farmer gets subsidies but fails to comply with his signature and the Prime Minister governs being responsible for the situation. So we are talking about losers. People who are unable to continue to live in this suffocating context.
There are different variations of what it is to be “honorable”, but I would like to know your opinion on what makes a man honorable? Do you think that the characters in Lines exemplified this, even though they were at the end of their ropes?
The honesty of the heroes in the movie is verified only from their tragic end. These heroes have dual behavior. I would say that they feel rather guilty, so they choose their rope not as an act of honor but as a scream.
I visited your website and saw on your Wikipedia page that your family has had a history in politics and that you studied political science while you were in college. How has this background helped influence your ideas for films? Do you think it has given you certain insights into political issues that other filmmakers would not have?
Politics is in my blood from a child. Undoubtedly this came out from my family but also from my studies. The set of knowledge in social and political sciences, over the years, are being used by me as tools of thinking during the creation of a project. Moreover, I believe that the film director should be the model of a Renaissance man, like what Leonardo da Vinci has dreamed.
Thank you so much for making this film, as it was very powerful and meaningful to watch. It helped open my eyes to the trouble Greece is going through, and the seriousness of the crisis and its effect on Greece’s citizens.
Here is what I sent, and the replies I received:
Hello Mr. Mazomenos, thank you for taking time to read my questions! My name is Arianna, and my blog is about Lines and concepts of honor and masculinity. I focus on three characters in particular: Aris, the farmer, and the President. I noticed these three all took off their clothing during the climax of their scenes, and perceived this as an act of stripping off their social roles. My argument was that these three men were upset with their current living situations and the identity they had taken on by wearing these outfits. One view of the removal of these characters’ clothing is that it is a loss of honor, because they show their vulnerability. I can understand this point of view, but I also saw these men as being noble and honorable by doing this. I saw it as them not wanting to be a part of the system anymore. When creating this film, how did you perceive these characters’ actions?
It is indeed so. These heroes lose their social roles and ultimately their lives. Don't forget that the film is inspired by the suicides at the time of the crisis. These suicides are not only physical but also professional and existential. The policeman cannot handle people being beaten by him. The farmer cannot accept that his family land cannot be cultivated. And the Prime Minister can no longer govern. The system sends to death the most sensitive units.
I very clearly saw the concept of philotimo in these characters. They forfeited their own lives and reputations for the benefit of the common good, and made what I perceived to be statements showing their disagreement to current government policies. Was philotimo at all an idea you had in mind when making this film?
I have not thought that as philotimo, but as an explosion of their unconscious. Their actions are not coming from positive minds, since the police man makes a job against the people, the farmer gets subsidies but fails to comply with his signature and the Prime Minister governs being responsible for the situation. So we are talking about losers. People who are unable to continue to live in this suffocating context.
There are different variations of what it is to be “honorable”, but I would like to know your opinion on what makes a man honorable? Do you think that the characters in Lines exemplified this, even though they were at the end of their ropes?
The honesty of the heroes in the movie is verified only from their tragic end. These heroes have dual behavior. I would say that they feel rather guilty, so they choose their rope not as an act of honor but as a scream.
I visited your website and saw on your Wikipedia page that your family has had a history in politics and that you studied political science while you were in college. How has this background helped influence your ideas for films? Do you think it has given you certain insights into political issues that other filmmakers would not have?
Politics is in my blood from a child. Undoubtedly this came out from my family but also from my studies. The set of knowledge in social and political sciences, over the years, are being used by me as tools of thinking during the creation of a project. Moreover, I believe that the film director should be the model of a Renaissance man, like what Leonardo da Vinci has dreamed.
Thank you so much for making this film, as it was very powerful and meaningful to watch. It helped open my eyes to the trouble Greece is going through, and the seriousness of the crisis and its effect on Greece’s citizens.