Stathis Kolias: In an Irrational Way, Stand Up Comedy and Law

Why did you decide to follow the law career path, since from an early age you discovered your inclination towards the arts?

Stathis Kolias: To a certain degree because my family encouraged me to, because I would have a secure job.

 

Considering that everything is a matter of perspective, do you experience a movie differently as a critic and as a viewer respectively? Are there times when the two perspectives might not agree?

S.K.: A big problem that both critics and creators-directors have to face is that they can’t enjoy a movie, because they always see the mistakes. They see the frames, they say this here was poorly done, I would do it this way, they see the plot inaccuracies, that it doesn’t make sense. I am lucky, my best friend who is a film critic, my friend Chatzikos can’t do it, that I can still be a viewer and not spot mistakes. To be a viewer, you will have to let yourself get carried away by the movie. So watching a movie as a critic and as a viewer is different, because when you are a critic, it’s very difficult for a movie to carry you away. So I would probably say that I’m not such a professional film critic, so as to be able to enjoy a film as a viewer.

 

So you might watch a film as a viewer and not like it, but the same film might thrill you as a critic?

S.K.: Yes, it’s very probable, because if you analyze something afterwards based on logic, while before it has overwhelmed you emotionally, you can find the flaws and say ‘but there was a problem here, here and here, nevertheless I had liked it’. Quite often, the analysis can just ruin the initial pleasure.

 

Place the following in an order of preference: cinema, radio, theatre.

S.K.: Ohhh…now you’re tough on me! Can I ask a question? Cinema in terms of consuming it or creating it? Are you asking me, in this case, if I would rather consume or create cinema, radio and theatre?

To answer based mostly on your speech and your career path, let’s say in terms of creation.

S.K.: Good! Theatre then will be last for me. But do I have to choose between radio and cinema? My answer won’t change anybody’s life but… cinema will be in the second position and radio will be in the first. I don’t know why…

 

When you were asked to give a speech in this year’s TEDxAUTH, what made you say yes? What did you want to communicate?

S.K.: Initially, I asked them why? There are better lawyers than me, there are better comedians than me, there are better film critics than me. I considered it a great honor to have been asked, I just saw it as a chance for me to speak my own truth, as somebody who loves different things and co-exists in different fields. To just speak my truth, nothing more.

Translation: Kleio Antonaki

Review: Niki Saridaki

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