The Greek Film Society Sydney has announced its screening program for February through June this year.

The new season’s screenings will begin on Thursday 23 February, 7pm at the Greek Atlas Community and Cultural Centre, 96 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville, Sydney.

This year’s premier film is the award-winning 2020 feature ‘Daniel ’16’ directed by Dimitris Koutsiabasakos.

It tells the story of a German teenager who’s sent to a remote juvenile offender community near Greece’s border with Turkey, where refugees make the dangerous crossing over the Evros river.

Over the course of his stay, the disturbed and rebellious young man gradually becomes aware of the cruelty and dysfunction around him, finding compassion for those younger and more helpless than himself.

A sensitive and affecting story, it received the Audience Award at Thessaloniki’s 2020 film festival.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a remote Q & A with the director after the film’s screening.

On 30 March the society’s catalogue will continue with ‘Golden Dawn: A Public Affair’, a two-hour documentary released in 2021 by director Angélique Kourounis which covers the five-year trial of the neo-Nazi organisation’s leadership.

The following month’s screening on 27 April, ‘The Journey of Askavlos’ documents the revival of the ancient Greek bagpipe in the Aegean island. Players young and old meet to play, sing and dance in the spirit of renewing centuries-old traditions; directed by Yorgos Arvanitis.

2019’s ‘The Taverna’ from director Alkinos Tsilimidos will bring a comedic flare to the program on 25 May with its farcical (though perhaps not so unbelievable) portrayal of a popular suburban restaurant beset by an evening of absolute chaos.

And finally, on 29 June director Manolis Papadakis’ documentary ‘Journey to Ikaria… utopia?’ explores the island where centenarians abound; telling its story through the voices of inhabitants young and old in a reflection on the isle’s unique character.

Tickets as well as Society memberships will be available at the door prior to screenings.