Student Workshop: ‘Intergalactic Stories through the Lens of Cinema’

The student workshop ‘Intergalactic Stories through the Lens of Cinema’, was held on Saturday, 17 January, as part of the 2nd Student Conference From Mythology to Space – Kids Talk with the Stars, organized by the school network ‘From Mythology to Space: International Education Network for Sustainability’, in collaboration with the World Human Forum. The workshop was organized by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – EKKOMED and the International Center of Films for Children and Young People – CIFEJ and was attended by elementary school students. Using Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) as a central reference, the workshop explored how cinema can function as a contemporary myth-making medium and as a tool for understanding the universe. Through the lens of Cary Bazalgette’s 3 Cs of media literacy (Critical, Cultural and Creative approach), students were encouraged to observe the ways through which cinematic language constructs meaning, posing philosophical questions about man’s perception of the universe and technology. Particular emphasis was placed on the analysis of the film’s music in relation to its opening sequence, highlighting how sound and image work together to evoke ideas of cosmic creation at the threshold between imagination and reason. The workshop also examined film techniques that play with the time–space continuum, enabling students to reflect on non-linear conceptions of time and space, while drawing connections between myth, narrative structure, and cinematic language. Overall, the workshop encouraged young participants to critically engage with audiovisual storytelling and to recognize cinema as a powerful means of reinterpreting myth and exploring humanity’s enduring questions about creation and the universe.

Workshop Conveners:
Irene Andriopoulou – Director of Education & Heritage, EKKOMED; Executive Director, CIFEJ; EU & UNESCO Media Literacy Expert
Katerina Virvidaki – Film Aesthetics PhD; Head of CIFEJ Office, Athens