Cinefix: 4 Films Selected By Penny Siopis

Don't miss this rare opportunity to engage with Penny Siopis, one of South Africa's most influential contemporary artists, in person at the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens' (EMST) Mezzanine Screening Room.

On January 23 at 7 pm, Siopis presents a handpicked selection of groundbreaking films that pulse with the same social and political energy driving her acclaimed work. This intimate screening and discussion promise to shed light on the intricate connections between these films and her artistic vision, offering a deeper understanding of the themes that have shaped South African art and society—subjects she fearlessly explores in her retrospective For Dear Life.

Featured films include:

• A Question of Madness, Liza Key, 1999 – A documentary examining the life of Dimitri Tsafendas, the Greek Mozambican who assassinated apartheid’s architect, Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd. The film delves into the deep scars apartheid left on South Africa. (52’, Courtesy of the artist)
• Mine, William Kentridge, 1991 – A short film depicting the fictional character Soho Eckstein as a mining magnate, blending deep-level mining with ecological concerns in Kentridge’s signature style. (5’50”, Courtesy of the artist)
• Chorus, Gabrielle Goliath, 2021 – A two-channel video installation reflecting on rape culture and femicide in South Africa, offering a solemn tribute through the resonant hum of the University of Cape Town Choir. (23’29”, Courtesy of the artist)
• Milisuthando, Milisuthando Bongela, 2023 – A poetic documentary weaving past, present, and future South Africa, exploring love, race, and belonging through the lens of a filmmaker who only realized apartheid's impact after it ended. (128’, Courtesy of the artist)