Tack
12th September 2024
h. 16:30
Concorso Internazionale
Synopsis:
“Tack,” a feature film by director Vania Turner, had its world premiere at the 26th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The films follows the story of Sofia Bekatorou, the Olympic sailing champion who sparked the #MeToo movement in Greece. Her courage in denouncing an act of violence by an influential figure in the Hellenic Sailing Federation catalyzes an unprecedented wave of social change in the country. Amalia, a young sportswoman, inspired by the athlete, decides to pursue a personal battle for justice after being abused by her coach in childhood. The documentary follows the two women through two crucial years as they fight to modernize Greek social norms. Sofia champions legal reforms to empower abuse victims, while Amalia takes her abuser to court in what becomes Greece’s first #MeToo trial. Animated sketches bring the courtroom drama to life, where Amalia faces intense victim blaming, humiliation, and attempts to discredit her. “Tack” documents the courage to confront gender-based violence, showing the impact of trauma on victims and the shortcomings of the justice system, as well as the isolation of victims in small communities.
Director’s notes:
I began filming Sofia as she became a national symbol and met Amalia shortly after she made the difficult decision to take her abuser to court. Throughout these two years, and especially during the trial, my camera became a sort of repository for their thoughts and we grew extremely close. Focusing on them allowed me to begin a deep exploration of complex trauma, revealing the profound impact it has on victims and their loved ones. It also allowed me to move beyond the life of the protagonists to tell the story of a broken criminal justice system, and to show how the insularity of small towns ends up isolating and stigmatizing victims -including children.