MANDO // 2021
// it is all a plan
On 19-21 November 2021, the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera, supported by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, presented A Greek Songbook, a production curated by Kornilios Selamsis (composer) celebrating the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution of 1821. A diverse range of artists were invited to create performances that were inspired by historical material, directly or indirectly related to persons and events of the Greek War of Independence. The final production included performances of songs, instrumental compositions, and video art works.
For their participation in A Greek Songbook, Euripides Laskaridis and Giorgos Poulios (music composer and sound artist) were commissioned to create a short film. Their work, MANDO, was primarily inspired by the story of a heroine of the Greek War of Independence:
Mando Mavrogenous fell in love with Demetrius Ypsilantis. Although he promised to marry her, their engagement was soon sabotaged by the machinations of Ioannis Kolettis. Regardless of such a betrayal and her personal devastation, Mando donated all her property for the liberation of the nation, an action of bravery that was never acknowledged during her lifetime.
Departing from such events, MANDO is an intuitive film, that broadly deals with the concepts of revolution, self-sacrifice, and freedom. By adopting both farcical and dramatic elements and by combining a diverse range of aesthetics that derive from the vintage Greek culture, as well as the pop and drag culture, Euripides and Giorgos create a chaotic – yet funny – universe, in which the story of Mando unfolds. Through their distorting lenses, they dare to deconstruct the well-established, idealized, nationalistic perspective on the heroes of 1821, exploring Mando’s human, vulnerable side, motives, and actions.
// where & when
ATHENS // GREECE // Greek National Opera – Alternative Stage // 19-21 November 2021 // video screening // world première
LITHUANIA // KAUNAS // ConTempo Festival – Kaunas Artists' House // 11-12 August 2022 // video screening
GREECE // ELEUSIS // 2023 ELEUSIS European Capital of Culture // 20, 21 & 22 January 2023 // video screening
// project info
MANDO // 2021
// short film
// 12 minutes
conceptualized and directed by // Euripides Laskaridis & Giorgos Poulios
produced by // GNO & Euripides Laskaridis // OSMOSIS
commissioned by // GNO – A Greek Songbook, a project curated by Kornilios Selamsis
original music & sound design // Giorgos Poulios
performed by // Euripides Laskaridis
filmed by // Emilia Milou & Eva Stefani
montage // Euripides Laskaridis
art direction – director assistants // Dimos Klimenof & Konstantinos Chaldaios
special thanks to // Angelos Mentis, Anna Papathanasiou, Nikos Mavrakis & Konstantinos Margas
