Variety Critics´ Choice 2002 / I akrovates tou kipou / Greece 2001
A story full of political overlaps, accurate human observations and semi-mystical qualities. This impressive feature-length debut is set in 1974 and, at first glance, only concerns the last summer a group of boys will spend together. The unnamed backdrop of the whole film, however, is the period of the Greek military dictatorship (1967-74).
One of the most-anticipated Greek debuts of last year, Hristos Dimas´ "The Cistern" takes potentially kidpic material and spins a tale loaded with political resonance, warm human observation and semi-mystical moments. Setting is helmer´s birthplace Elefsis (an outer suburb of Athens) in 1974 and on the surface the movie is a last-summer-of-childhood exercise, with a group of 11-year-old boys fooling around, challenging each other to diving dares in a concrete water cistern, and playing soccer and other such pastimes. Meanwhile, the adults cope with greater problems like the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Unstated background to the whole movie is the period of military rule in Greece (1967-74), a time when the country went into a kind of weird social stasis. Pic largely focuses on a family of three sisters, and on the two sons of the middle sister, Koula (Yota Festa). Jonathan Holland
110 min / Black & white, 35 mm
Director Hristos Dimas
/ Screenplay Hristos Dimas, podle vlastního románu/ based on his novel Acrobats of the Garden (I akrovates tou kipou)
/ Dir. of Photography Filippos Koutsaftis
/ Music Nikos Kypourgos
/ Editor Sharon Franklin
/ Producer Kostas Varkados
/ Production Bad Movies
/ Cast Yota Festa, Themis Bazaka, Yorgos Marinos, Mihalis Evripiotis, Hristos Nomikos, Vana Rambota, Athina Pappa, Ersi Malikenzou, Pattis Koutsaftis
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
