Ersi Danou, founder of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF), joined “Take Your Time” with Prokopis Agelopoulos to talk about the 19th edition of the festival, taking place from May 27 to June 1, 2025. This year’s event honors acclaimed director Costa-Gavras.
Danou spoke about her early film A Sea Apart, a story that unfolds between Karpathos and Los Angeles, offering a fresh and deeply human perspective on Greece from across the Atlantic.
She shared how her love for the arts inspired her to establish the Greek Film Festival in 2004, envisioning cinema as a bridge that brings together various art forms. Through film, she said, Greek culture and creativity traveled to Los Angeles and connected with local audiences and filmmakers.
Speaking about this year’s highlights, she described the emotional tribute night dedicated to Costa-Gavras, which included a screening of his legendary film Z. She recalled her deep emotion when the director himself said it was “one of the most beautiful moments of his life.”
Finally, she noted that the festival will close on Sunday with the screening of Arcadia, the award-winning film by director Yorgos Zois, which continues to garner international acclaim.