Cinedoc Presents: Bull's Heart At Danaos Cinema

A documentary by Eva Stefani, produced by Onassis Culture, inspired by the performance Transverse Orientation (2021) by Dimitris Papaioannou.

From January 31, at Danaos Cinema for a limited number of screenings, as part of the CineDoc documentary festival.

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CLICK HERE to watch the official trailer!

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Director Eva Stefani follows the preparation and European tour of Dimitris Papaioannou’s Transverse Orientation, observing the acclaimed Greek creator and his collaborators up close as they shape and breathe life into the work. Stefani’s camera captured two years of rehearsal footage at the Onassis Cultural Center during the pandemic and performances in Paris, London, Vilnius, and other international venues, culminating in the final performance in San Francisco.

The Heart of the Bull is an intimate portrait of the multifaceted artist and director Dimitris Papaioannou. The viewer encounters his obsessions, relationships, methods, and constant questioning of the process—despite the fact that process is the only thing he fully trusts. Rehearsals, adaptations, bodies, movement, pressure, images, friendships, and family are laid bare—the preparation of Transverse Orientation reveals his unwavering faith in the creation of art. “The joy of art,” Papaioannou notes, “is that it gives you the sense that there is something beyond the life you live.”

The film premiered at the 27th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, winning the WIFT GR Award and the Special Jury Prize of the Student Youth Committee of Thessaloniki Universities. It was also presented at Doc Lisboa ’25 and DOC NYC, and won the Best Documentary Award at InShadow – Lisbon Screendance Festival ‘25.

Director’s Note

“I have known Dimitris Papaioannou since I was 17, and I always wanted to make a documentary about/with him. When he invited me to film the making-of of Transverse Orientation, I was thrilled. However, at the same time, COVID was surging across Europe, leading to repeated postponements of the performance. Alongside the uncertainty caused by delays and the shadow of the pandemic, the question arose once again: ‘What is the meaning of art in a time of crisis?’

The documentary began as a simple record of a group of dancers and technicians trying to give meaning to the daily routine of preparing a performance that might never happen. At the same time, it is the portrait of an artist who inspires his collaborators and captivates audiences with works that combine pain, heart, and beauty. The filming was done with a very small crew (2–3 people), following the direct cinema method, so that we could be as unobtrusive as possible. We experimented a lot with imagery, particularly out-of-focus shots, which we felt conveyed the uncanny atmosphere we experienced while watching the work. My intention was for the documentary to capture, at least to some degree, the experience of watching Transverse Orientation: its sensuality, darkness, and enigma. Additionally, I wanted to leave gaps that offer a window into the complex psyche of this brilliant artist.”

SCREENINGS

As part of the CineDoc Documentary Festival, The Heart of the Bull will have its Athens premiere on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 20:00, at Danaos Cinema, with the filmmakers in attendance. Through CineDoc’s network, the film will also be shown in Volos and Rethymno, with a special screening in Thessaloniki. Screenings will have Greek and English subtitles.

The documentary is nominated for the Audience Award in Athens, Volos, and Rethymno.

Athens – Danaos Cinema
With filmmakers in attendance:

• Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 20:00 (Premiere)

• Sun, Feb 1, 2026, 20:00

• Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 20:00

• Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 18:00

• Sun, Feb 8, 2026, 18:00

Advance tickets: Danaos Cinema box office and HERE!

For group bookings (10+ people): cinedocanemon@gmail.com | +30 210 7211073

Larisa – Hatzigiannio Cultural Center
Fri, Feb 13, 2026, 20:00
With director Eva Stefani in attendance

Volos – Cultural Center of Nea Ionia
Sat, Feb 14, 2026, 20:00
With director Eva Stefani in attendance
Advance tickets: ENTEKA – Digital Prints
Info: https://www.facebook.com/CineDocVolos

Thessaloniki – Limani, “Stavros Tornes” Hall
Wed, Feb 18, 2026, 19:00

Rethymno – “Simeio” Cultural Space
Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 20:00
With director Eva Stefani in attendance
Info: https://bleproductions.gr/simeio/
Advance tickets: Simeio box office

Director Bio

Eva Stefani was born in the USA and lives in Athens. She has directed over 30 films, spanning ethnographic and experimental cinema. Her work has been screened at festivals worldwide, earning international awards (Oberhausen, Cinéma du Réel, FIPRESCI, etc.), and retrospectives have been organized at festivals like the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival and L’Europe autour de l’Europe, as well as at universities such as NYU and Columbia in New York.

Since 2000, she has participated in international visual arts exhibitions, notably documenta14 and the Venice Biennale. Her latest art installation, The Luminous Cave, was commissioned by the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) as part of the exhibition cycle “What if women ruled the world?”.

In addition to her artistic work, Eva Stefani is a cinema professor in the Department of Communication and Mass Media at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA). Her latest film, The Heart of the Bull, is a unique portrait of director and choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou.

For more information, visit: onassis.org

About CineDoc

CineDoc screens and distributes award-winning Greek and international documentaries. Screenings are organized as part of the CineDoc Documentary Festival, in collaboration with Danaos Cinema, Anesis Summer Cinema, the French Institute, the Film Archive of Greece, CineDoc Volos under the auspices of the Municipality of Volos, and with the support of the Region of Thessaly – P.E. of Magnesia & Northern Sporades, the Municipality of Larissa, Thessaloniki Film Festival (halls “Pavlos Zannas” and “Stavros Tornes”), and the “Simeio” Cultural Space in Rethymno. The festival runs annually from September to April across CineDoc’s network, presenting new films approximately once a month.

The festival is sponsored by the Hellenic Center for Cinema, Audiovisual Media & Creation (E.K.K.O.ME.D.) – Creative Greece.

CineDoc continuously expands its distribution network through screenings across the Greek islands (Cyclades, Sporades, Ionian, and Dodecanese as part of CineDoc Island) and throughout Greece. The festival co-organizes and supports regional screenings in collaboration with cultural and environmental organizations, film clubs, advisory centers, institutions, cinemas, municipalities, and more. Regional screenings run year-round.

Follow CineDoc on Facebook and Instagram. More info: https://www.cinedoc.gr | cinedocanemon@gmail.com