Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival presents to you “Meet the Filmmakers”. This episode features the film “Elena’s Shift” and its director Stefanos Tsivopoulos, in conversation with Malaika Bova.
Tune in to find answers to some fascinating questions, such as:
1. How did you switch your mindset from a visual artist to a storyteller for the film?
2. The story is inspired by real events. Would you like to tell us what the real events are and who this character is?
3. None of this would have happened without Maria Dragus, the protagonist of the film. How did you know it was her? What made you choose her as the main lead?
“Elena’s Shift” tells the story of Elena, a Romanian woman living in Athens, who dreams of a better future, of finding her voice, and of experiencing a sense of belonging she hasn’t felt in a long time. The story is inspired by real events — specifically the women’s labour movement that took place in Athens. Elena lives in a society where belonging is often tied to staying silent. She, however, begins to challenge this silence, which raises the film’s central question: do you choose the safer path of silence, or do you take the risk and make your voice heard? According to Tsivopoulos, this question is more relevant today than ever, both on an individual and a collective level.
Stefanos Tsivopoulos (born in 1973 in Prague) comes from a visual arts background, and “Elena’s Shift” is his first feature-length film, which had its world premiere at PÖFF. He currently lives and works in Athens and Amsterdam. As a teenager, he was interested in theatre, but due to his shyness he chose to study painting and scenography at the Athens School of Fine Arts. He later moved to Amsterdam and continued his studies — this time in video art at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. He has also directed several short films and is the co-founder and co-director of the non-profit educational organisation Artists for Artists (AfA).
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/elenas-shift/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
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Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the Filmmakers“. Seekord on peaosas film “Elena kord“ ja režissöör Stefanos Tsivopoulos, kellega vestles Malaika Bova.
Kuula kaasa ja saad vastused muuhulgas järgmistele põnevatele küsimustele:
1. Kuidas sul õnnestus filmi tehes vahetada visuaalkunstniku perspektiiv jutuvestja vastu?
2. Lugu on inspireeritud päriselu sündmustest. Mis need sündmused olid ja kes on Elena tegelaskuju aluseks?
3. Film poleks olnud võimalik ilma Maria Draguse, filmi peaosatäitjata. Kuidas sa teadsid, et just tema on see õige? Miks valisid tema filmi peategelase rolli?
“Elena kord” räägib Ateenas elavast rumeenlannast Elenast, kes unistab paremast tulevikust, oma hääle leidmisest ja kuuluvustundest, mida ta pole kaua aega kogenud. Lugu on inspireeritud päriselust – täpsemalt Ateenas aset leidnud naiste töölisliikumisest. Elena elab ühiskonnas, kus kuulumise eelduseks peetakse sageli vaikimist. Tema aga seab selle vaikuse kahtluse alla ning sealt kerkib ka filmi keskne küsimus: kas valida turvaline tee vaikimise kaudu või riskida ja teha oma hääl kuuldavaks? Tsivapoulose sõnul on see küsimus tänapäeva kontekstis relevantsem kui kunagi varem ja seda nii individuaalsel kui ka kollektiivsel tasandil.
Stefanos Tsivopoulos (sündinud aastal 1973 Prahas) on visuaalkunstniku taustaga ja “Elena kord” on ta esimene täispikk film, mille maailmaesilinastus oli PÖFFil. Praegu elab ja töötab ta Ateenas ning Amsterdamis. Teismelisena oli ta huvitatud teatrist, kuid liigse häbelikkuse tõttu suundus ta Ateena kunstiakadeemiasse maalikunsti ja stsenograafiat õppima. Pärast seda kolis ta Amsterdami ning jätkas õpinguid – seekord videokunsti erialal Gerrit Rietveldi akadeemias. Ta on lavastanud ka mitmeid lühifilme ja on mittetulundusliku haridusorganisatsiooni Artists for Artists (AfA) asutaja ja kaasjuht.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/elena-kord/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival presents to you “Meet the Filmmakers”. This episode features the film “Elena’s Shift” and its director Stefanos Tsivopoulos, in conversation with Malaika Bova.
Tune in to find answers to some fascinating questions, such as:
1. How did you switch your mindset from a visual artist to a storyteller for the film?
2. The story is inspired by real events. Would you like to tell us what the real events are and who this character is?
3. None of this would have happened without Maria Dragus, the protagonist of the film. How did you know it was her? What made you choose her as the main lead?
“Elena’s Shift” tells the story of Elena, a Romanian woman living in Athens, who dreams of a better future, of finding her voice, and of experiencing a sense of belonging she hasn’t felt in a long time. The story is inspired by real events — specifically the women’s labour movement that took place in Athens. Elena lives in a society where belonging is often tied to staying silent. She, however, begins to challenge this silence, which raises the film’s central question: do you choose the safer path of silence, or do you take the risk and make your voice heard? According to Tsivopoulos, this question is more relevant today than ever, both on an individual and a collective level.
Stefanos Tsivopoulos (born in 1973 in Prague) comes from a visual arts background, and “Elena’s Shift” is his first feature-length film, which had its world premiere at PÖFF. He currently lives and works in Athens and Amsterdam. As a teenager, he was interested in theatre, but due to his shyness he chose to study painting and scenography at the Athens School of Fine Arts. He later moved to Amsterdam and continued his studies — this time in video art at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. He has also directed several short films and is the co-founder and co-director of the non-profit educational organisation Artists for Artists (AfA).
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/elenas-shift/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
---
Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the Filmmakers“. Seekord on peaosas film “Elena kord“ ja režissöör Stefanos Tsivopoulos, kellega vestles Malaika Bova.
Kuula kaasa ja saad vastused muuhulgas järgmistele põnevatele küsimustele:
1. Kuidas sul õnnestus filmi tehes vahetada visuaalkunstniku perspektiiv jutuvestja vastu?
2. Lugu on inspireeritud päriselu sündmustest. Mis need sündmused olid ja kes on Elena tegelaskuju aluseks?
3. Film poleks olnud võimalik ilma Maria Draguse, filmi peaosatäitjata. Kuidas sa teadsid, et just tema on see õige? Miks valisid tema filmi peategelase rolli?
“Elena kord” räägib Ateenas elavast rumeenlannast Elenast, kes unistab paremast tulevikust, oma hääle leidmisest ja kuuluvustundest, mida ta pole kaua aega kogenud. Lugu on inspireeritud päriselust – täpsemalt Ateenas aset leidnud naiste töölisliikumisest. Elena elab ühiskonnas, kus kuulumise eelduseks peetakse sageli vaikimist. Tema aga seab selle vaikuse kahtluse alla ning sealt kerkib ka filmi keskne küsimus: kas valida turvaline tee vaikimise kaudu või riskida ja teha oma hääl kuuldavaks? Tsivapoulose sõnul on see küsimus tänapäeva kontekstis relevantsem kui kunagi varem ja seda nii individuaalsel kui ka kollektiivsel tasandil.
Stefanos Tsivopoulos (sündinud aastal 1973 Prahas) on visuaalkunstniku taustaga ja “Elena kord” on ta esimene täispikk film, mille maailmaesilinastus oli PÖFFil. Praegu elab ja töötab ta Ateenas ning Amsterdamis. Teismelisena oli ta huvitatud teatrist, kuid liigse häbelikkuse tõttu suundus ta Ateena kunstiakadeemiasse maalikunsti ja stsenograafiat õppima. Pärast seda kolis ta Amsterdami ning jätkas õpinguid – seekord videokunsti erialal Gerrit Rietveldi akadeemias. Ta on lavastanud ka mitmeid lühifilme ja on mittetulundusliku haridusorganisatsiooni Artists for Artists (AfA) asutaja ja kaasjuht.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/elena-kord/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
