Anger, disappointment, anxiety and maybe hope in the form of a group of high school students preparing for the Panhellenic exams. Their spiritual world, just before the end of school years and the transition to adulthood. And all this during an endless economic crisis, as well as a pandemic that will affect their daily lives in ways no one could have imagined.

These are the questions he focuses on Lukas Paleokrasas in his new documentary titled “End of timeand the backstory of a “rusty” education system that seems to ignore its children.

The reason for making the film was the director’s school experience (Constitution, Stamatis, Citizen Xenos), as well as the need to understand why he spent most of his student life with negative feelings about school. “As a teenager, I could not fully understand who was to blame for me or at school. However, as a student, a person is forced to stay in this situation, even if what he is experiencing does not make sense or causes anxiety and discomfort,” he tells kathimerini.gr and explains what made him return to the classroom as an adult. “I wanted to reconnect with these feelings through the stories of children in similar situations and create a documentary that depicts school life directly and vividly.”

The director’s interest was in capturing the psychological impact of pan-Hellenic women on children, combined with the personal issues that may concern them. “I have been particularly fortunate to capture such a pedagogical relationship with a charismatic teacher who manages to find a way to connect with children.”

Adolescent mental health in the foreground

The film was shot over two years, the premiere took place in International Competition Section of the 23rd Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival in March 2022 and will be shown from November 24 in cinemas across the country.

They are the main characters Sophia, Lord, Alexander and Nikos. Their goal promoting adolescent mental health. “It is very important not to ignore the emotional suffering of young people under the pretext that we are small and insignificant, because if we really want to talk with statistics, the suicide rate among young people is just as high and scary as among the elderly. people,” emphasizes Sofia. And he adds: “With my participation in the documentary, I want to show that we are not just students, but people … people with feelings and real difficulties.”

According to the director, the most important part of the labor-intensive process of making the film was “to make sure the kids understand the reason for my presence. I tried to show them my interest in the issues that I wanted to raise and how they can help in this.

The camera follows the students in the yard, the corridors, the classroom, the principal’s office, and the activity they are starting that will disrupt their daily routine. “Children had to get used to the presence of the camera and continue to behave naturally in their activities,” explains Mr. Paleokrasas, noting that the production of the documentary has faced obstacles inside and outside the school due to the coronavirus pandemic. another twist in history.

What did he gain from this experience? “Being able to meet these kids, experience the ups and downs of their little society with them, and finally graduate with them was like a second adult life for them. On this journey, I may not have regained the lost years of carelessness, but I have definitely paid attention to the challenges of today.”

The pandemic has put students’ lives on pause, for some the lockdown has provided a refuge from the often harsh school and personal life. For others, loneliness caused a desire to return to the desks. “I would have given anything at that moment to go back to school, locked in a classroom, because at least I was not alone,” says Mister. “The quarantine was an excuse to hide behind a screen and ignore what is happening to me. But in addition to the emotional part that suffered due to pan-Hellenism, during the preparation I experienced many more physical symptoms that I still have not been able to overcome, “adds Sofia.

Problems in education

The main pathology of our educational system is a lack of understanding of the psychology and psyche of the student, says Sophia. “They are ignored due to the heavily challenge-oriented nature of education, which only contributes to an obsession with grades and a person’s financial recovery, completely forgetting about the emotional rewards of the profession and career.”

Lord says: “The education system does nothing to help the student and prepare him for what comes later. The problem is that he didn’t give the proper tools to the teachers to do their job properly. The material taught is often nonsensical and the time professors have for teaching is always minimal.”

What, according to the experience of producing a documentary film, does the director think, what should the state pay attention to in order to change the education system of our country for the better? “No action will make sense if we don’t first address student communication issues, reinforcing their sense that teachers care about learning and about them as individuals.”

Information

From November 24, 2022 it will be screened in Athens (Danaos Cinema), in Thessaloniki (11/23/2022, Stavros Tornes Hall, Warehouse 1, Port), in Volos (03/12/2022, Achilleion Municipal Cinema, Volos), in Crete, Amaliada (Cine Cinema Amaliada) and the islands of the Cyclades.