Small Crime

Colour, 35 mm
Germany, Cyprus, Greece, 2008, 85 min
EP – European premiere
Section: Variety Critics’ Choice

Synopsis

In the tradition of charming, character-driven comedies such as Local Hero, the sprightly romp Small Crime centers on a tightly wound novice cop Leonidas (Aris Servetalis) assigned to a sleepy Greek island where nothing much happens and everyone knows everyone else’s business. But Leonidas’ life changes when Zacharias (Antonis Katsaris), the local drunk turns up dead at the foot of a cliff, offering a puzzle for him to solve and an excuse to romance local talk show star Aggeliki (Viki Papadopoulou). As Leonidas investigates, each new clue sparks a potential scenario in his hyperactive imagination, staged to increasingly comic effect. Unfolding in a beautiful, remote location that practically becomes a character in itself, this appealing second feature from Cyprus-born, Athens-based helmer Christos Georgiou (Under the Stars) humorously captures the mentality of a small island community.