ΕΜΣΤ’s Education Department, in collaboration with the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People, invites children and teenagers to a special series of film screenings and activities.
OCTOBER
Sunday 18 October | 11:30 am–1:30 pm
Cine Zizanio: The Mirror of Our Humanity – Rediscovering Our Relationship with Animals
How do we perceive the world we share with other living beings? The relationship between humans and animals is one of the oldest and most complex relationships we have developed: a bond shaped by dependence and care, but also by power, exploitation, and contradictions. At times, animals become companions and friends; at others, they serve as a means of survival — and they often remain invisible as beings with their own needs, feelings, and rights.
Cine Zizanio turns its gaze towards this relationship, not to offer easy answers, but to explore it from different perspectives. The three films in the programme approach human-animal coexistence through a variety of cinematic tools: humour, allegory, realism, and the absurd.
Through the stories in this section, we explore the full spectrum of our coexistence with animals: from the innocent — and often persistent — childhood desire for care and companionship to the weight of responsibility towards farm animals. At the same time, we witness unexpected, almost surreal encounters between humans and animals, as well as extreme situations in which our very sense of morality and empathy is put to the test in our treatment of other creatures.
The films in this section invite us to look beyond the obvious. They go beyond the superficial message of animal welfare, offering a meaningful starting point for dialogue about empathy, the limits of our power, and what it truly means to coexist respectfully on the same planet.
The three short films in this section explore the theme through very different — yet equally fascinating — approaches:
Inhumanity, Nils Vleugels / Netherlands / 2023 / 15’
The Black Hen, Marion Clauzel / France / 2022 / 13’
The Goose, Jan Mika / Czech Republic–France / 2023 / 13’
The programme also features young filmmakers’ works from the Camera Zizanio film archive:
Sunny Days, Maxwell William Andrews / New Zealand / 10’ / 2025
The New Year’s Hero, Juvenile Referral Centre / Georgia / 2’ / 2023
Last Walk, Levi Numann / Netherlands / 3’ / 2022
Somewhere Only We Know, Erato Batoglou / Greece / 3’ / 2020
The programme is intended for children aged 8–12.
NOVEMBER
Sunday 22 November | 11:30 am–1:30 pm
An intergenerational screening for children and their grandparents
How can two generations coexist, share and connect harmoniously? Shared experiences between generations running at different speeds and exposed to different stimuli give rise to a unique language of connection. We invite grandparents and their grandchildren to a different kind of film screening to laugh, bond, and be moved together.
Honey, 2025
Directed by Natasha Arthy
Denmark | Duration: 96’
Honey, a shy 13-year-old, is trying to show her true self at her new school while hiding the truth about her chaotic family. She loves music—and has real talent—but nobody knows it yet. All she wants is a spot in Liam’s band, “Rock Till We Drop.” So, when she discovers that her music-loving grandfather, whom she believed to be dead, might actually be alive, she decides to search for him. He might be just what she needs to finally learn how to stand up for herself.
The programme is intended for children aged 9–14 and their grandparents.
DECEMBER
Sunday 27 December| 11:30 am–1:30 pm
Christmas at ΕΜΣΤ with Cinema
Phantom Owl Forest, 2018
Directed by Anu Aun
Estonia | Duration: 90’
With Greek subtitles
Ten-year-old Eia is forced to spend her Christmas holidays on an isolated farm in the forest instead of with her family. At first, the idea seems boring, but she soon discovers that the place is full of secrets. Eia makes new friends and learns about an ancient woodland threatened with destruction. So, she decides to protect the forest and its rare animals, including a mysterious phantom owl. As she delves deeper into the history of the farm and the forest, family secrets are uncovered that change her life.
The programme is intended for children aged 8–12.
JANUARY
Sunday 17 January | 11:30 am–1:30 pm
Running Images
An exhibition of pre-cinematic machines offers children a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of moving image techniques up to the invention of cinema. Through working exhibits, such as the zoetrope, the thaumatrope, and others, visitors will discover the technology that preceded film art, examining how it operates and its applications. Next, they will build their own pre-cinematic optical toy and be introduced to the concept of storyboarding, learning how to sequence images and craft a story. The goal of the workshop is to unveil the mechanics of the moving image and encourage children to experiment with the expressive possibilities offered by audiovisual language.
The workshop is designed for up to 25 children aged 6–12.
FEBRUARY
Sunday 21 February | 11:30 am–1:30 pm
Cine Zizanio – Children in Times of War: Balancing Between Ruins and Dreams
War is not just an event; it is an experience etched into bodies, memories, and silences. It is the loss of normalcy, the disruption of childhood, a forced growing up. In this section of Cine Zizanio, we approach war not through heroic narratives or historical overviews, but through small, human stories: through the eyes of a child, a teenager, a civilian. Stories that illuminate daily life in conditions of conflict, the strength to survive, as well as the subtle forms of resistance born even in the darkest circumstances.
The four short films in this section compose a polyphonic landscape of experiences. From subtle symbolism to raw realistic depiction, from poetic allegory to everyday gestures of care, the films invite students to reflect on violence, loss, and displacement, but also on solidarity, memory, and hope.
The section seeks to open a safe space for dialogue around a topic that remains dramatically relevant. Through watching and discussion, children are encouraged to express thoughts, feelings, and questions, to recognize the complex reality of conflicts, and to seek ways of understanding beyond stereotypes and simplifications. Cinema serves here as a tool for empathy and critical thinking—as a bridge connecting personal stories with collective experiences, turning the image into an opportunity for a meaningful pedagogical encounter.
The four short films in this section approach the theme through very different —yet equally engaging— paths:
W, Stelios Koupetoris / Greece / 2019 / 6′
The Blanket, Teppo Airaksinen / Finland / 2021 / 15′
Yallah!, Nayla Nassar, Edouard Pitula, Renaud de Saint Albin, Cécile Adant, Anaïs Sassatelli, Candice Behague / France / 2021 / 7′
Zoo, Tariq Rimawi / Jordan–Germany / 2022 / 9′
…as well as youth film creations from the Camera Zizanio archive:
Sunflower, Ketlin Koin / Estonia / 9’ / 2025
The Melody of Life, Abdulbasit Ibrahem / Iraq / 1’ / 2019
Yayoi Kusama’s Magic Circles, Children’s Art Workshop of Eleni Pechlivani / Greece / 3’ / 2019
Human, but…, Mahabubul Antor / Bangladesh / 3’ / 2023
I Wish, Elementary School in Tennenbronn / Germany / 5’ / 2022
The programme is intended for children over 12 years old.
Olympia International Film Festival
The Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People was founded in 1997 and is based in Ilia, Greece. Since then, it has operated as an important platform for promoting cinema addressed to children and adolescents. At the same time, it supports children’s and youth creativity, offering a dynamic space for both expression and learning. Each year, the festival hosts films from all over the world that reflect the concerns, dreams, and challenges of children and young people. From short animation films to fiction features and documentaries, its program embraces a wide range of cinematic genres, with a strong emphasis on high-quality filmmaking. The Olympia Festival is a vibrant, living institution that highlights the power of cinema as an educational tool and a vehicle for social change, nurturing future generations of creators, cinephiles, and thoughtful citizens.
TICKETS
General Admission tickets 4 €, available at the Museum’s Ticket Desk and online in the system below.
Free admission for people with disabilities.
Due to technical issues, payments via IRIS are temporarily unavailable.
