GET TO KNOW SUPERCLUSTER: Conversation with Annabelle Aronis, EP of Avion Films

Join us as we dive into the inspired story of AVION FILMS Athens .

Executive Producer Annabelle Aronis tells us about the company's journey into original content, the unique stories they are currently bringing to life, and the mystical influences behind contemporary Greek cinema.

Avion means “airplane” in French. Is there symbolism there?

The joy of reaching out to new adventures, discoveries, new horizons… The journey rather than the destination.

How did the company start?

Avion Films has been around since 2006 and I joined in 2007. At the time it was a very young production company, focused on the local market. I brought in my know-how on production services. It was still the beginning of production services in Greece, so we became pioneers by really specialising in this field. Since then, we’ve been developing both local and international markets and it’s going well.?

Your service department works on huge international productions, including well-known international films and series. That’s very impressive.?

Yes and we are also currently in the middle of developing our own-content long-form department. We’ve just finished shooting another short film - a very ambitious project. It’s the second film we are producing with Manolis Mavris, whose previous short film (“Brutalia, Days of Labour”) was awarded the Canal+ award in Cannes - Semaine de la Critique. His second short film is quite different but it has some common elements in the style and visual storytelling. Manolis has a very strong and unique universe, aesthetically-speaking. It’s a story of a girl who slowly transforms into a eucalyptus tree. The film is an allegory on everyone’s inner journey to self-knowledge. We’ve shot a lot of beautiful footage and now it’s a struggle to bring it down to a short *laughs*

What inspired the path to those artistic, longer-form projects? Was that drive always there or did it evolve over time?

Long-form projects have always coexisted with commercials in the company. As early as 2011 we co-produced Yiorgos Lanthimos’ second feature ”Alps”, and another feature by Greek filmmaker Kostas Kapakas, while also producing several shorts after that. Now that the commercials department has reached national and international visibility, we feel it’s time to deepen our engagement in long-form storytelling. Accompanying emerging filmmakers in their first steps to the big screen and bringing their vision to life is something I really enjoy and love doing.

Are there any past or recent projects which you are especially proud of?

‘Midnight Skin’ - the short film we are working on right now - will definitely be a very proud one. And from the commercial side, I will mention Ora? X Rekorder Berlin, which we’ve just shot, because it’s been one of the best experiences in terms of teamwork. The second highlight would be the Whatsapp job for Partizan USA produced by our partner Vassilis Lanier - a short film about the NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo, of Greek and Nigerian origin. It tells his story in a very poetic way. It was a very challenging production but it went very well.?

Are there any stories that you are most interested in telling?

Because of the background in commercials, I like a strong visual impact. But also stories that make you think, question, dream. Stories where magic and dreams blend with realism, where the boundaries between the two worlds are blurred.

Greece does feel like a place that could inspire magical stories like that.?

It’s very inspiring. For me, its magic comes from the very big contrasts and juxtapositions which help with the idea of surrealism. There is still tradition that is very vivid, but at the same time there is an openness to novelty. There are these contradictions between extremes, which are very interesting. Of course the ancient Greek influences in philosophy and art are still present, but they manifest in a rebirth process, focused on finding the link to the past with a modern eye.

I think this has been achieved with the directors of the Greek “nouvelle vague” who are trying to break away from classical storytelling. Contemporary Greek cinema has been given the name “weird wave”. It started with Yorgos Lanthimos and many other young directors followed. It's a totally new approach to cinema and storytelling achieved by breaking the classical codes. Somehow I feel that this opposition of Greece between its past and present needs to be defined. In that sense, Greece is very inspiring right now.?

Is the talent that you work with also representative of this weird wave??

In a way, yes. Manolis Mavris is also part of this weird wave, in the sense of showing a dystopian and cynical world. But he also has a very poetic approach that complements this weird wave. It is his own input to it.?

It’s fascinating to hear about this unique movement, especially since the image of Greece that reaches mass audiences is often a very superficial one, focused solely on its beautiful landscapes and certain tourist stereotypes. Meanwhile, the contemporary culture within the country is so rich and conducive to phenomenal cinema.?

There is darkness in the weird wave. Greece has been a country in deep crisis for many years now. This crisis is a very important element in the arrival of this new wave. It broke a creative fatigue and old film language codes, and brought new iconoclastic perspectives in Greek cinema.

Those unique aspects of each of our partner countries is something that creates the rare beauty of SUPERCLUSTER. What is it that made you most excited to become part of this collective?

The ideal of all these different people from different countries joining together in a creative goal is something I really like. This is a collaboration of ideas with an openness to what these ideas will bring. I like this kind of approach. I feel there is a big freedom in how this collaboration will evolve, with a common goal that is serving creation and creativity.?

Discover our global collective below and stay tuned for more insightful stories at the heart of SUPERCLUSTER.

Asymetric,?AVION FILMS Athens,?Be Sweet Films,?Carbon Films,?COURAGE, Glitch Paris,?Landvogel (EN),?Mamá Húngara,?More Maria, Mother Media,?Mr.Frank,?Mr+Positive Tokyo,?O2 Filmes,?Reel Factory,?Saltwater Films,?Warsaw Production Team