A staid-looking man is indebted to his "boss” for his life, so he decides to devote himself to a single task – getting the underworld kingpin out of prison. This austere picture, which competed at this year’s Berlinale, builds upon a strong hero with an utterly inscrutable face, while genre elements have been replaced by considerations of the limits of justice.
Stratos spent half his life in prison, where the powerful Leonidas took him under his wing and even once saved his life. Now Stratos works the night shift at a bakery – murdering for hire by day – and invests all the money he earns on a plan to break Leonidas out of prison. The big day is approaching.… Perhaps this austere movie’s straight-up criminal plotline is sufficient, but it portrays its gangland shenanigans devoid of any romance or purely generic elements, replacing them with an emphasis on social issues. The surrounding world is characterized as despondingly indifferent, much like the movie’s pervasive, life-draining gloom. Stratos’ quick gestures and powerful resolve while at work combine with a moderate dose of mystery, thereby supplying the film with sustained tension and subliminal anxiety. Looking at the taciturn main character, it’s hard to read anything at all, and when the man – an otherwise reliable killer – decides to start doing things his own way, the tension only builds.
138 min / Color, DCP
Director Yannis Economides
/ Screenplay Yannis Economides, Thanos Xiros, Vangelis Mourikis, Christos Konstantakopoulos, Harry Lagoussis
/ Dir. of Photography Dimitris Katsaitis
/ Music Babis Papapdopoulos
/ Editor Yannis Chalkiadakis
/ Producer Christos V. Konstantakopoulos
/ Production Faliro House Productions
/ Coproduction Argonauts Productions, The Match Factory, Y.E Films
/ Cast Vangelis Mourikis, Vicky Papadopoulou, Petros Zervos, Yannis Tsortekis
/ Contact The Match Factory
Yannis Economides (b. 1967, Limassol, Cyprus) headed for Athens in 1987 to study film. After a number of shorts and documentaries he debuted in features in 2003 with Matchbox. His second film Soul Kicking (2006) screened in Cannes’ Critics’ Week before competing at several festivals around the world. His third movie Knifer (2010) premiered at Korea’s prestigious Busan festival and took seven awards from the Greek Film Academy, including best picture, director, and script. Economides also wrote the screenplay for Stratos, which competed this year at the Berlin IFF.
The Match Factory
Domstrasse 60, 50668, Cologne
Germany
Phone: +49 221 539 7090
E-mail: [email protected]
Christos Konstantakopoulos
Producer
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