Synopsis
“Deserted landscapes, ancient ruins and abandoned shipwrecks at sea. Elefsina’s archeological sites don’t come close to being as hauntingly beautiful as these dead ships. They stand majestically like memorial sculptures and bring a magnetism to the eye. In fact, these are the neglected refugees of Elefsina. For how did they end up there, anyway? What’s their story? That’s the story I want to know. Elefsina Notre Amour is a short sci-fi essay, a timeless archive, filmed on 16mm color Kodak.” - Mahdi Fleifel
A word from Tënk
Elefsina Notre Amour marks an unexpected turn in the film career of Mahdi Fleifel, a Danish-Palestinian filmmaker and RIDM favourite since the 2012 release of his first feature, A World Not Ours. Shot on 16mm film, this documentary stands out for its bold, experimental take on science fiction. Deep in the Elefsina Gulf, in Greece, the camera explores a mysterious ship graveyard where colossal metal structures are left to corrode. Between the lines of this troubling yet dreamlike visual poem, Fleifel hints at the unavoidable analogy between this strange landscape and refugees crossing the Mediterranean. With the exile’s experience at the heart of his work, the filmmaker once again invites us to reflect on the human condition.
Ana Alice de Morais
Programmer, RIDM
