Athanasia Leivaditou
Greek videomaker
Interview: 10 questions
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
I was born in Athens (Greece). I graduated from the School of Architecture – University of Patras- in 2005. I did my Masters degree at Columbia University in New York where I spent one more year working. Now I have established my own design studio in Athens. It covers a wide field of activities. Among others, the studio is practicing architecture, interior design, product design, video art and animations.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
I firstly got involved with filming during my postgraduate studies when I attended a course in Film School- Film Theory I- and some seminars on editing. Then I began experimenting with video and animations. However, I believe that there was a deeper connection with filmmaking through architecture: I consider that the latter is the editing of other people’s spaces and lives.
3. What kind of subjects have your films?
Negotiating boundaries, emotions, behaviours and contradictory situations. Reconsidering what we consider as a fact, as ordinary, as standard.
4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
I do not follow certain principles or styles. It is the concept itself that most of the times offers the context of the film.
5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
The equipment simply consists of a handy cam and a tripod for the night shots.
6. The field of “art and moving images†(one may call it videoart or also differently) is is manifesting itself as an important position in contemporary art. Tell me more about your personal position and how you see the future of this field (your personal future and the future of “art and moving imagesâ€)
I like video because it has much potential and it is the only medium that can include all the other forms of art to a great extent. In addition, I consider that video art compared to a simple film is the documentation of the subjectivity and the uniqueness of human existence.
7. How do you finance your films?
By working as an architect and product designer.
8. Do you work individually as a video artist/film maker or do you work in a team?
if you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?
I work mostly individually.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
I am influenced by common problems that most of the people have to deal with in everyday life or feelings that the average contemporary man often experiences. The interpretation of those issues and feelings is the challenging part of filmmaking.
10. What are your plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
To keep expressing my concerns, keep tracing my personal quest in videos and keep sharing my work with other people.
Can works of yours viewed online besides on CologneOFF or VideoChannel? Where?
List some links & resources
www.studionl.com