To my friend Thanos Ari Onassis.
Well... Let's see.
When the first symptoms appeared
both in body and mind,
my mother took me
to the best pediatrician of Athens.
Again.
He used to know Greek mythology
inside out.
But now he gets confused
and mixes things up.
- When did it happen?
- A few days ago, all of a sudden.
While he was listening at the radio,
his breath started to get heavier.
He said something weird.
He asked whether the Trojan Horse
was a mare or a stallion.
Did he use this word?
What did he want to know?
He mixes mythology
with the news, Doctor.
He asked me how the Greek Allies
got out from the Trojan Horse.
Whether it had an emergency exit,
a latch or a lock.
And he fell into depression.
What made you sad, Stavros?
Now, listen.
I'll ask you to tell us a story, so that
we see whether you know it or not, ok?
Stavros! Hey, Stavros!
The Professor
is talking to you, my son!
Tell us how we won
the Trojan War.
We lost the Trojan War.
- Who told you that?
- No one. I thought it by myself.
And Hercules didn't perform
any labor.
The snakes ate him up
in his cradle, when he was a baby.
You see, Doctor? With this nonsense,
his friends don't play with him anymore.
He gives them nicknames
of villains and they get angry.
Such as?
Cyclops Polyphemus, Procrustes...
- Pine-bender!
- You see?
When Theodore
had the same symptoms...
his family put the blame on me.
Hello, Mrs. Tzevoula.
How are you, Theodore?
Your son is making fun
of my nephew.
He has really upset us!
- He told me a wild story.
- What story?
He said that the Minotaur
grabbed Theseus
and pulled his hair out one by one
and then ate him.
- Is that what he said?
- The Minotaur devoured Theseus!
With all this nonsense, the kid
gets upset and has bad dreams.
And in the morning, there is hair
all over the sheets!
- Can I say the other one too?
- Say it.
He told me that Ulysses
didn't go back to his wife and son.
He became a pirate, sailing
in rough seas along with the Cyclops.
He gets up at night,
all nauseous.
Ulysses along with the Cyclops
in the rough seas!
Stavros, when did you
make up all this stuff?
I started playing with the myths
when my first childhood
erections popped up.
I'd get fascinated by the most
celebrated females of that time.
I'd meet them secretly
in the movies.
Greek Newsreel.
That's where I met
my first great love.
Her Majesty the Queen
Anne - Marie of Greece
visited the town of Thessaloniki
for the National Day celebration
where she laid a foundation stone
for the construction of a house...
As soon as I saw her,
that tantalizing, yet sweet force
arose between my legs
turning things upside down.
We became inseparable ever since.
The News on the radio would talk
about her all the time,
taking on mythical proportions
in my mind.
When playing tag, I was helping
the Allies to chase Prince Paris.
When playing hide - and-seek,
I'd live the adventures of Ulysses.
I was challenging
the mistresses of gods...
while the South Wind was
pushing us into the Queen's cove,
where she was waiting for us,
wet and dampened by the hot breeze.
Until the day
the bad news broke.
After the fruitless counter-coup
against the Revolutionary Government,
and after wandering
from village to village,
the Royal Couple ended up in Rome
seeking political asylum.
When I heard that the Greek Army
instead of bringing back Helen of Troy
banned the Queen from Greece,
I killed all the mythical heroes,
known to everyone around me.
You can put on your clothes, Stavros.
What has come upon us, Professor?
Is it serious?
It's nothing. Children
often make up stories.
They have a wild imagination.
What about his melancholy
and shortness of breath?
Nothing serious. Humid weather
can cause respiratory failure.
Can't you see?
The South Wind will keep on blowing.
I prescribe a little syrup...
And in a few days,
he'll be as healthy as a horse.
- Does he like any sports?
- He likes dancing.
He's been dancing the Tango
since he was three.
In that case, he must go
to a dance school,
meet new friends
and take his mind off things.
Right, Stavros?
- How is your husband?
- Fine.
ARISTOTLE (ARI) ONASSIS
GREEKTYCOON
My father had his own stories.
His clients, enchanted, listened him
talk about his life as a seaman
in the hostile waters
of the South.
- Hello. How can I help you, Sir?
- I'm looking for a suitcase.
- If I may ask, for a long trip?
- Quite long.
- If I may ask, by boat or plane?
- By bus.
I'm going to Frankfurt
to see my brother-in-law.
I see... Well...
Anice suitcase...
to take you to Frankfurt
and back again with no problems...
This one here.
Afaux leather suitcase
that comes in all sizes and colors.
It's specially made
for travelling by bus.
It normally costs 200 drachmas,
but I'll give it to you for 180.
What about the red one
on the window? How much is it?
You are going to Frankfurt, right?
You'll buy this one.
The red suitcase is for long trips.
It can go as far as to Argentina.
- It's Onassis' favorite suitcase.
- Yes, I saw it.
Ari is an old friend and client.
Really?
I even know what he puts inside.
What?
I'm sorry, I can't tell you that.
Discretion is a vice
I can't get rid of. I'm sorry.
- Of course, Sir. I appreciate it.
- Thank you.
- How much is it?
- Ari's suitcase?
- 300 drachmas...
- 300 drachmas?
Maybe more.
- But...
- But?
But I'll make you a special price.
- This is the only one left.
- I don't mind.
March 25, 1968.
Dance can help you forget
your former loves,
but finds new ones for you.
Beautiful and juicy Smaragda...
She was living in our neighborhood.
I forgot about ancient times
and fell in love
with the myths of the Greek War
of Independence against the Turks.
When dancing dances of the time,
I was trying to draw her attention.
Wait here.
My main rival was Lucas,
son of a high - ranking officer
of the military regime.
When Lucas and the other boys were
peeping for their night wet dreams,
my secret devil between my legs
gave me hope that
I was her heart's choice.
Until, one day,
jealousy prevailed.
And I became a traitor.
- What is it?
- They peep on you.
Who?
The boys peep on you from the stairs
when you change your clothes.
You are a sweet little traitor!
I'll tell you something, but promise
you won't tell anyone.
We all know it, that's why
we don't change quickly.
Do you like peeping on us?
Then, come with me on Sunday.
We'll go somewhere you'll have
your fill of peeping on us.
A few days later, my most
secret fantasies became real.
Smaragda had arranged for me
to see the junta's fiesta
from inside the Horse.
So, I came back to the world
of the heroes...
that I had betrayed
a few days before.
September 1969.
Patriots, no sudden moves!
Spread out on the horse's rump!
Kid, go up so that you can see.
But don't move or we may keel over!
Get ready, guys! Let's go!
Are you ready?
We're getting out in a minute!
Open the trap door!
Come on, compatriots!
Attention to the hinges
and the pulleys!
The Greeks' virtue of war that
arms the warriors' soul...
There is Helen of Troy
near the walls!
When my beloved appeared
as Helen of Troy,
asking for help from the crowd,
Lucas was the first one
to run for her rescue.
We won! Way to go, Lucas!
Kiss the girl, don't be shy!
You kiss her every night at the park!
Kill the chick, now what
everyone's is looking at you!
That night, I felt
like a betrayed traitor.
The next day, bitter and angry,
I challenged the glorious Greek history.
Oh, what a moment Hades
chose for me to perish.
Spring grass everywhere and
branches with blossoms to cherish!
Good. Sit down.
Lazarides, tell us, what did
the women of Souli do...
during the War of Independence
against the Turks?
- They danced.
- Yes, and what else?
Imagination is the biggest
achievement of desire.
What do I care
if History wants to kill
in order to have fans
in the generations to come?
I just wanted to save the girls.
Is that so bad?
Isn't it better to give life
to some lost loves
than to describe
some collective deaths?
- Astrange type of dyslexia.
- What is it?
He can't describe events
in a chronological order.
He insults national symbols;
the heroes who sacrificed
themselves for our country.
He defies
our ancestors' achievements.
In what way?
The women of Souli sacrificed
themselves so that we can live free.
They didn't survive because
their dresses turned into parachutes.
Parachutes? I can't believe it!
I worry about him.
He constantly insinuates things.
He speaks out against the regime.
- What are you saying, Mr. Papatheou?
- He said in front of everyone...
"The valiants of the Greek Army
were defeated by the Turks."
Do you say such things
in front of him?
God forbid, no!
We don't talk politics in our home!
If some officer hears him,
you'll get in trouble.
The Fall of Troy is one thing.
The Fall of Constantinople is another.
Of course.
- I don't know what to do with him.
- He must learn things properly.
And tell the myths
just like our ancestors.
I helped him with his homework
last year, and he said things right.
Only his father
can help him with that.
National Radio Foundation.
First Programme.
Weather forecast.
Strong South Winds on the Aegean...
My father's only friend
was Mister Sotiris,
a Greek photographer
from Constantinople.
When he didn't listen
the weather forecast on the radio,
he was stealing the best moments
from his female clients.
Don't be scared, Mrs. Beba.
I'll have you ready in a minute.
Look at the camera
and say cheese.
It's ok, Mrs. Beba.
Ready, Mrs. Beba?
Just a sec.
Stay still and hold your breath,
no matter what I say to you.
You'll become very popular,
Mrs. Beba.
People will come from all over
the world to see you dancing.
You'll become way more famous
than Salome.
You'll be loved by more men
than the ones you loved.
Well done, Mrs. Beba.
You look beautiful in the photos.
Drop by tomorrow afternoon
to get them.
Thank you, Sotiris.
You put your heart into it.
- Au revoir!
- Take care, Mrs. Beba.
Hi, Thanos.
How are you?
- Is Magda ok?
- Thank God.
Sotiris, may I ask you a favor?
I've sold all the red suitcases.
I must sell the brown ones now.
Is it possible?
Of course. Everything is possible.
Drop by tomorrow to get it.
Sotiris, why don't you come for lunch
on Sunday? We'll have red mullet.
The weather will change on Sunday.
I'll take care of the window display.
Come afterwards. I want you
to talk to the kid.
Why? The same again?
Now he got involved in politics.
He speaks out against the regime!
God forbid! He's only twelve!
He said in front of everyone
in the class...
"The valiants of the Greek Army
were defeated by the Turks."
But you don't talk politics
at home.
He hangs out with the wrong people.
These scums play with his mind.
- He brings them home.
- Why do you let them in?
Because we can't see them.
They are all in his mind.
- Has he seen a doctor?
- The best doctors in Athens.
Magda takes him to an expert
every single day.
Jeanette - Reads palms,
coffee cups, crystal ball.
She finds out everything!
His eyes are shining,
his hands are trembling.
At school, he plays truant.
Doctors say that it's because of
the South Wind and the humid weather.
Does the South Wind
play with your mind?
He mixes mythology
with things he sees around him.
And his friends suffer the same
as the heroes he makes up.
Mythopathy!
What's that, Madame Jeanette?
Avirus that
does not hide in the body!
- Where does it hide?
- In stories.
What kind of stories,
Madame Jeanette?
Dark and gloomy stories.
Jesus Christ!
If he gets betrayed
and loses what he loves,
he has dark thoughts,
his breath gets heavy.
- His heart is about to burst.
- Good Lord!
- What should he do?
- Forget all the stories he knows.
Learn new things and
talk only about them.
If your son is careful
in what he says...
a beautiful life is ahead of him.
Here he is! Look!
Inside the cup! Look!
I see long journeys
with beautiful women.
He's happy and joyful.
Just like my husband used
to fool around when he was young.
Where can one learn new stories?
In a black, dark chamber.
We met in a joint in La Boca.
Everyone knew Ari.
Abar full of seamen.
He was a young lad when he first got
there. But now he was a big shot.
"Osvaldo, this is a friend of mine",
he said to the boss.
"Thanassis, a fellow man from Greece."
- Look who's here!
- Hello.
As soon as Osvaldo saw us,
he told everyone to leave.
He opened a box of wine bottles
and invited a few girls to come.
We danced all night long.
Ari is a terrific dancer.
He is an opera lover,
but he loves the Tango too.
How much is it?
- Avirus has infected our son's stories!
- What virus?
It infects his mind every time
the girls he loves, leave him.
- What are you talking about?
- And then, he sees everything black.
The virus flares up
and hell will break loose on us!
What kind of virus is this?
Amythopathy virus,
something like that...
Big shots have it!
What kind of doctor was she, Magda?
- Apediatrician.
- How much did you give to her?
Less than the others.
Alittle bit more
than what a couple of coffees cost.
We must lock him up in a dark room...
where he'll forget about
the old stories and learn new ones.
What kind of room is this?
So, back again
to the dark places.
Years went by, and I was jumping
to the other side of the screen,
so I could live the new myths,
while life was creating its own
myths in the sidewalks of Athens.
Bread, education, freedom!
when Mr. Konstantinos Karamanlis
came back to Greece from exile
to assume the government
of the country.
Politicians were promising
a bright future for our country,
while some other people
were worrying about my own future.
He became a communist!
Winter 1975.
He comes home late, he stays up
all night writing weird stuff.
- And where does he go?
- To the movies! Where else?
He spends all his time
in the dark like rats do!
- Does he have any friends?
- Of course he has.
Some long-haired
and bearded men.
He brings them home and
they force us to buy their newspapers.
"We want to change the world",
they say.
They lock themselves up
in his room
and sing wild songs
with their filthy guitars.
- He's in big trouble, I think.
- Acouple of days ago, he said...
Greece belongs
to the Western world!
I'll get myself a studio apartment.
How are you going to pay for it?
I won't give you any money!
- I'll get a job.
- You'd better take on your studies!
Your father has been struggling
for you all these years.
- How will you make it, my son?
- Just like you did.
- Don't talk back to your father!
- Just like me?
It didn't happen overnight! I didn't
spend my money on studio apartments!
I'd save the money I earned
while working the hammer in Malaga!
You had a good time there, though.
Greece belongs to the Greeks.
- Is this what he said?
- His words exactly!
He is being very rude!
Sotiris, please, I want you
to take him to your studio.
He'll learn the tricks of the trade here.
You never know.
Send him to me, Thanos. Don't worry.
It's a skill that might come in handy.
How the hell did he get
in such trouble?
So, within a few days,
I had learnt the secrets of the
portrait, of the darkroom
and what to say to women,
so that they shine on the film.
Please, stay still
and hold your breath.
Don't move and don't talk,
until I tell you. Ready?
You'll become very popular.
You'll be adored by more men
than the ones you adored.
And your dancing will be
way more famous than Salome's.
Reed: Insurgent Mexico.
As soon as we closed the studio,
I'd hurry to the movie theater
to see Stelios and Alice,
a couple of progressive intellectuals
I had met in the lobby of the theater.
The western films are just
an allegory of the Odyssey.
Their heroes wander in the Wild West
in a symbolic journey...
What do the cowboys
have to do with Ulysses?
Just like Ulysses in the oceans.
The director uses the wide angle...
- Come on now with the wide angle!
- For the villains he uses a tight lens.
All these directors were cogs
of a reactionary production system.
They were oppressed intellectuals
using allegories.
You underestimate the producers'
part in it.
The Capital imposed on the directors
what to shoot. They had no choice.
No! The directors had the final word
on what lenses they'd use!
Godard said that the camera's
position is a question of morality!
Their arguments taught me
that the old myths
could be seen
from a different angle.
I admired Stelios and Alice,
because they could analyze the film
without seeing the whole of it.
And when it was my turn
to show what I was worth,
I tried hard to impress them.
He wanders in the Amazon jungle,
and suddenly, he discovers
a tribe in a clearing,
where children see things
with a quite different perspective.
Where do you see these films?
In Alcyonis Movie Theater.
"The Third World Cinema."
Till the age of eighteen,
they see things completely flat.
Then they learn to see
like grown-ups, in three dimensions.
- Quite a reactionary point of view!
- How come?
The revisionists say such things
to their silly bimbos!
And then, we'd end up
in the tavern of Alice's uncle,
a meeting place for intellectuals
and aspiring politicians,
where she was waiting tables
for some extra money.
Baked beans, cod with garlic dip,
tomato spaghetti or bolognese.
Mixed grill, goat stew
and tripe soup.
How many tripe soups?
- Two.
- From yesterday.
An exciting new world!
They were talking about old myths
with a new language,
always ready and willing
for a profound analysis.
I would easily appear in the nude
if the role required it.
Stanislavski said that it's easier
to show a naked body
than a "naked" look in the eyes.
For the first, you have
to wear some cloths.
For the second, you have to travel
back and dig deep into your past.
Cheers!
Cheers, guys!
To the good things to come!
Who is that?
Efstathiou, a socialist.
The president's sidekick. He'll go places.
- Fill that again, please.
- Red of white?
Green!
We don't have it. No demand for it.
Take care of it. It's our party's color.
- I'll tell the management.
- You'd be good in politics.
Join the Party.
Tell it to the Central Committee.
He's in the kitchen, frying.
- Some bread?
- Yes, please.
It's obvious that he's important.
And when the actor's past
meets the past of the role,
it becomes
the audience's present.
And if someone hasn't lived
the things the role requires?
Oedipus, Medea?
In the Festival of Youth,
I stage monologues with actors
from the socialist countries.
None of those boys slept
with his mother.
And none of the girls killed
their children; it's a matter of talent.
Great art must bleed,
but in a different way.
Not in the body,
but it the soul.
- And where is that festival?
- In Cuba. In the summer.
The president said, our people
estimate that in the next elections
we'll be the second party.
Betty, how are you?
- Fine, and you?
- Can't complain.
- May I?
- Of course.
- How is it going?
- Rehearsals all the time.
Andrei's improvisations
are out of this world.
I have to tell you...
I'll play Jocasta.
Really? Bravo!
He said that I must go
to a drama school.
I don't know how to tell my parents.
Stavros, meet Betty.
- Hi.
- Hi, Stavros.
Betty is in the theater group
of the of the Philosophy Department.
Stavros photographs spinsters
for matchmaking agencies.
I study Economics and
work part-time in a studio.
Good. I'll come to you
for my portrait.
My mother keeps telling me
I'll end up a spinster, you know.
Nice to meet you, Stavros.
National Radio Foundation.
First Programme.
Weather forecast.
Strong south winds...
- Stavros?
- Yes, Mr. Sotiris.
This my first camera.
I was the first one
to buy that model.
I give it to you, so you
can learn how to shoot.
- Thank you, Mr. Sotiris.
- I'm lending it to you. It's not a gift.
And every week, you'll have
a roll of film, as a gift from me.
Here comes the Dean.
Welcome, Sir.
How are you, Professor?
- Good. Are the photographs ready?
- Of course they are!
- Very good indeed. Who took them?
- My daughter.
The colors don't seem right to me.
- What sort of film did you give to her?
- Professor...
It's the best film in the market.
This is the one the Americans use.
What's wrong with the colors?
Look how rosy the cheeks
of your mother-in-law are!
And the potato mush,
how nice and yellow it is!
We don't eat potato mush.
I'm not allowed to eat starch.
And what is that yellow cream
in the bowl?
- Tarama salad.
- Really?
Stavros, the loupe.
You're right. It is tarama salad.
I'll print them again.
You see, with the new chemicals,
the colors are all garbled up.
- The chemicals are not American?
- Russian, I'm afraid.
They're cheap.
They flooded the market.
They make all prints
red or yellow.
They make potatoes look like tomatoes!
Americans are way ahead in this!
Americans copy us, Sotiris!
That's why!
Both in art and science.
What we were doing in the old days,
they are doing it now.
Ancient Greeks had war machines,
they had the liquid fire.
Americans have
satellites, missiles now...
And as we had our epic stories
to tell about our heroic deeds,
they have the moving pictures
to tell about their achievements.
We had the Trojan Horse,
they have the cinema.
- Bye now!
- Bye!
The weather changes tomorrow
with powerful South Winds
and high humidity...
Stavros, come out my boy.
There is someone here for you.
in temperatures
of 18-27 degrees Celsius.
- Hi.
- Hi, Stavros.
- How are you doing?
- Fine.
Betty is a friend.
Mr. Sotiris is my boss.
- What can we do for you?
- Photos for an application.
- What will you apply for?
- The National Drama School.
The National Drama School!
How nice! Good luck!
- I wish you all the best!
- Thank you.
Please, follow Stavros.
He'll tell you how many girls started
their careers from this studio.
- So you made up your mind!
- Yes.
I always wanted to be an actress,
I was insecure.
My parents were dead against it,
but I finally I persuaded them.
With a little help from Andrei.
I have acted in many films,
you know.
Really? Already?
In my mind.
When the lights were out,
I jumped into the screen.
- So, you "jumped"?
- I still do it.
Well...
There...
Like that...
Don't move.
And look at the lens.
Where is the lens?
Right here.
- I know nothing about these things.
- You'll learn at the Drama School.
I hope so.
Who knows? Maybe someday
we'll work together.
Stavros... If you want...
I think there are still some
places in Oedipus' chorus.
- You want to make me a chorus girl?
- Not that kind of chorus!
Stay still.
Hold your breath, don't move
and don't talk now.
Ready?
You're so beautiful.
And photogenic.
You are a great actress.
People around you
are applauding.
You are a diva.
They all talk about you.
You have glory, you have success.
You play all the great roles.
Okay...
That was it!
Thanks.
- When can I have them?
- Tomorrow morning.
Sorry, I got dizzy.
You know how to seduce!
You're so handsome, so sweet.
The moment I first saw you,
I felt something strong.
Good morning.
I'd like photos for the young lady,
but artistic ones.
We only make artistic ones here.
What do you want them for?
The matchmaking agency
asked for them.
Please, wait inside till my assistant
finishes with the other young lady.
Thank you.
Come, Frosso.
Damn you! Degenerate artists!
Come, Frosso, let's go.
Frosso, let's go.
Don't pay attention to them.
In the morning.
I was learning the secrets
of the light - sensitive surface,
until the time came to learn
the secrets of the female surface.
I want to take a long trip
this summer.
Paris, New York...
To see Avant-Garde, contemporary art,
experimental cinema...
The world is changing there,
and here we know nothing about it.
Coming?
- What about money?
- I'm saving money.
I have enough for the tickets.
You are so sweet!
All your ex-girlfriends...
You took them to trips too?
Where did you go
with the one before me?
There was no one before you.
How come?
Maybe I'm afraid.
What are you afraid of?
Maybe of the "after".
If you never had an affair,
how do you know how the "after" is?
I don't want to talk
about the past.
You must have done something.
Say it, I won't be angry.
It's not that you'll get angry.
It might be contagious.
Contagious, why?
Some of the stories I tell
are contagious, "infected".
Infected?
Infected stories?
How is that possible?
When I lose something I long for,
I lose the ground under my feet.
All around me gets dark.
And then, weird things
come to mind.
I can't tell who is good
and who is bad.
The strong ones
lose their strength.
And then, everything
comes upside down.
What you say is wonderful.
When you say whatever comes
to your head, that's genuine love.
Back home,
we call it mythopathy.
They got him into trouble.
- Magda is worried sick.
- Why?
Last Sunday, he came to see us, and
he had the biggest smile in his face.
Full of joy, talking all the time
about what he did and how he felt.
So why worry?
Because he seems to be in love,
and we don't know who she is.
- Doesn't he say anything to you?
- No, he doesn't.
- But very soon we'll know.
- How?
I gave him a camera
so he can learn to shoot.
When a young man is in love,
he keeps shooting silly pictures.
Of the girl
who put a spell on him!
Move your hair from your face.
That's good...
That's it! Now smile!
Look at the light!
Don't look at me!
Nice!
Move your hair from your face.
Perfect!
Perfect!
Two pairs.
- Three of a kind.
- Full house.
We're going to New York
next summer.
How nice!
To see Avant-Garde, contemporary art,
experimental cinema.
The world is changing out there,
and here we know nothing about it.
The real Avant-Garde
is in Latin America.
Asleeping volcano.
Bogota... Valparaiso... Havana...
My dad has been
to all those places.
He was Onassis' friend.
Why did he come back?
So he can have me.
He lived what he had to live,
and then he settled down here.
People had guts back then,
they were taking risks.
They lived a full life.
Stelios wants us
to go to Moscow.
"Three Sisters",
"The Seagull", the Bolshoi Ballet.
All the plays of the bourgeoisie...
they show them to tourists.
An exotic Mausoleum...
- Stanislavski is the only real thing!
- Who's he?
Come on!
Don't you know Stanislavski?
Andrei always works
with his method.
It doesn't matter. You'll see it
at the rehearsal tomorrow.
What is the actor's task?
To dig up inside him
trigger all the secret and dark
emotions he or she had in the past
and transfer them to the role.
It's only then that we have
what we call truth! "Pravda"!
When the actor's past
meets the role's past
and the audience's present.
Shall we do it again?
Oh, wretched fruit of a womb,
enslaved to the vain human nature.
- Hi, there.
- Hi, Stelios.
- Everything good?
- We're getting ready.
- Hello, how are you doing?
- Good.
Vangelis, Makis and Stavros.
We're making our first short film
with Makis. He's in charge.
Stavros wants to join the team.
An accomplished photographer.
He also writes very well
and plays the guitar.
- Welcome.
- Welcome.
And stay with us.
We'll read the script.
Since you write,
we'd like to hear you opinion.
- Let's go.
- What is it about?
Astudent from a small town
wanders in modern Athens,
facing the cruel reality...
Our hero realizes that a monster
is stalking everywhere.
Now, Greece,
except the Americans,
has new allies, the Europeans,
who also threaten our national
sovereignty and independence,
while people around him
search for new myths and heroes.
Well... First scene.
Establishing shots of Athens
in the pre-election period.
We follow the hero
with a wide angle,
as he wanders in streets
heavily guarded by the police.
Myths everywhere.
On the screen, on the stage,
in the books...
as well as in the stories
we wanted to tell.
But the way they ought to be told
had to be approved by the majority.
Again with a wide angle lens...
She's waiting for him
in some beach of the island
staring at the horizon,
full of hope.
- Objection!
- Comrade Stelios has an objection.
Don't forget that the wide angle
is the bourgeoisie's favorite lens.
It creates the illusion that
everything belongs to everybody.
And that everything
can be gained.
I think we'd better use
a telephoto lens as a master lens.
- Objection!
- I'm talking!
Telephoto lens forces us to segment
reality into various different angles.
It disorients the audience
and doesn't let them see
the general idea we want to show.
I suggest we vote on it.
Comrades, thank you.
Well, let's vote on it.
Who are for the use
of telephoto lens as a master lens?
Four.
Who are for the use of
wide angle lens as a master lens?
The use of wide angle lens
as our master lens is approved.
Write it down.
We can go on now, comrades.
Let's hear Stavros,
our new member.
The hero faces the monster,
you said.
Shall we show the monster?
The monster, comrade...
is the bureaucracy, the isolation...
the food in the Student Club,
the constant police surveillance.
It's a symbol.
The whole story seemed
symbolic to me.
Athens is a symbolic city, a labyrinth
hiding the monstrous Minotaur,
or a Troy where the Allies
are stalking into the Trojan Horse,
and an Ulysses trying to save
his home from the suitors of power.
My old craft came in handy at last!
When you rely on myths,
acceptance is guaranteed.
Who are for comrade
Stavros' symbols?
And unanimous.
We unanimously approve...
the lliad, the Odyssey and
Theseus against the Minotaur.
We come to the roles now.
Who is going to play Penelope?
Any nude scenes?
Only the last one,
with you walking on the beach.
Shall I show my panties?
Only your thighs.
You'll wear a short tunic.
It's a symbolic scene.
Penelope waiting for Ulysses.
- Saying what?
- It's mute scene.
You stare at the horizon and
Wide Angle as a master follows you.
- I won't show my thighs to strangers.
- Strangers? But you know them all.
- And who's this "Master"?
- It's a lens, not a man.
- So why do you call him "Master"?
- It's our jargon. So says the script.
"Wide Angle as a master"
catches Penelope
and a seagull disappearing far away!
- What's disappearing?
- Aseagull.
- Shall I show my face?
- No, just your thighs.
Just my thighs...
I won't waste my thighs for a seagull!
I'm a National Drama School student!
Mr. Sotiris, can I come in?
Hold on a minute.
You can come in now.
- Did you lock?
- Yes, and I put on the window lights.
Put the dry ones in their place.
- Stavros?
- Yes, Mr. Sotiris.
Will you help me take care
of the window display on Sunday?
- There will be South Wind.
- I can't on Sunday, Mr. Sotiris.
But I can work as late
as you want on Monday.
Do you have other lenses
for that camera?
Why do you ask?
- I thought I could try a tighter lens.
- It's still early for that.
Learn how to focus first.
Then you'll learn the lenses.
How come you're asking that?
Who told you about "tighter" lenses?
We're making a short film and we were
discussing the lenses we could use.
Afilm?
Cinema is a costly
business. You got the money?
The University Senate
can finance us.
If the Dean, our client,
approves it.
- He's involved.
- With two girls?
He takes portraits of the first girl,
and more "playful" poses of the other.
If Magda hears it,
she'll flip out.
If they let him down,
hell will break loose on us.
And the worst, he's got involved
with the movies.
You don't say!
First Programme.
And now you will listen
to the National Radio Orchestra.
Good morning. Put your jeans on.
You'll catch a cold.
What a mess!
How can you live in here?
- I'll send Lucy to clean.
- Don't, Mum! I won't let her in.
Put them in the fridge. Don't let
them rot like the other time.
And cookies for coffee.
And bring me your laundry.
Valparaiso... Santiago...
BuenosAires...
Taking a trip?
We are studying the economics
of Latin America at school.
Your father was about
to take me to Montevideo.
But I got pregnant,
and the trip was postponed.
Aristotle Onassis died.
TEMPORALILY CLOSED
TEMPORALILY CLOSED
Every morning, he'd listen to the news
with a cup in his hand.
Today he was sullen and silent.
And then he said it.
"Ari is dead."
They used to hang out
together in Argentina.
My man travelled and had a hell
of good times when he was young.
Who knows what they were doing!
The doctor!
That hurt him too much!
Good evening.
Nothing serious.
A slight heart arrhythmia.
No reason to worry anymore.
Thank God!
- A similar case in the family?
- No, we are fine!
- How did it happen exactly?
- This morning, listening to the news.
He started breathing heavily,
his heart was about to burst.
He said something weird
and fell into depression.
Asudden loss explains
symptoms like those.
I understand, the departed one
was a myth for your husband.
Anyway, he'll be released
from the hospital tomorrow.
- Take care.
- Thank you very much, Doctor.
He's in room 7.
Thanos, dear!
Good evening!
- How are you?
- Dad?
- Where will they bury him?
- Either in Skorpios island or Argentina.
- I'd like to be there.
- You're getting out tomorrow. Maybe.
He might see old friends there,
and he's too weak for such emotions.
- I remember a night in La Boca...
- Please, forget about the old times!
Stavros, come here.
Take this money, go to
a florist shop, buy a wreath,
and tell them to send it to
Skorpios island with a ribbon saying:
"Aristo, Godspeed. Your friends,
Thanos, Magda, Stavros."
- What if they bury him in Argentina?
- It's in Skorpios, I checked.
What about the window of my shop?
All suitcases will be gone soon.
- We need photos for the new models.
- We'll think of something.
- "Aristo, Godspeed."
- Dad called him Ari.
"Aristo" is more fancy.
Any other shipping magnate
still alive? Niarchos maybe?
Well, do svidaniya.
"Do svidaniya" means "see you soon".
I didn't know you spoke Russian.
I'm learning now.
It was Andrei's idea.
He wants me to play
Jocasta in Russian.
In Russian?
This summer,
in the Festival in Cuba.
When this summer?
Before or after New York?
I'm not coming
to New York, Stavros.
I want to work on that role.
The trip to Cuba is
a life decision for me.
America can wait.
She said you should wait for her here.
Once more,
in the history of world art,
Oedipus found himself
in the arms of his mother,
who could be his daughter
in real life.
But she was my girlfriend too,
as always.
Oh, wretched fruit of a womb,
enslaved to the vain human nature.
You never found out about the secret
that the fate hid from you.
And madly you loved
the fruit of your own root!
We'll split in small groups,
we'll be filming like guerillas,
and we'll beat it, because
the streets will be full of cops.
What if they chase us away?
There'll be other film crews
covering the demonstration.
We are in pre-election period.
They wouldn't try
any rough stuff on us.
- Welcome!
- Hi.
We'll set the Trojan Horse
on the Attica Hill.
Stavros, you and I will be the Allies'
soldiers that threaten our country.
Cheers!
When I lose something I love,
I lose the ground under my feet.
And everything
turns upside down.
So, the Trojan Horse
was a mare or a stallion?
- Does it matter?
- Of course it does.
Those inside...
where did they come out from?
Where was the door?
Was there an emergency exit?
Can't answer that, comrade.
Suppose that someone decided
to jump out. How could he do that?
Suppose he wanted to tell
the secret to the enemy
and change
the course of the war.
The script says different.
The Allies' soldiers
should join the Trojans
and celebrate with them.
They realize who wants them
to be heroes and they ignore them.
- The NATO soldiers? The Allies?
- He's right!
Inside the Horse, they discuss what
they've been through all these years,
and realize who they are
and what they are about to do.
We are making a simple film,
so people can understand our message.
The world changes, if we change
the stories that support it.
That's how the great change
begins in their lives.
The heroes become
allies with the enemy.
Theseus sides with the Minotaur.
Ulysses sides with Polyphemus.
CHANGE
- They must join the Trojans.
- I agree. It's a subversive idea.
- I agree too.
- Me too!
Your friend is quite right.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
If we want a real Change,
we must abolish the old world,
in the minds of people.
But that takes hard work.
We must change all the stereotypes
we have, concerning our past.
You are the ones who can do it.
The young people.
With the power of the image!
- Excuse me.
- Come in. I finished.
You were incredible. I can't agree
more with what you said.
Efstathiou was writing it down.
You speak beautifully.
Let's leave, Alice... Let's go
find new places. All this time...
Stop it! You've gone crazy?
What are you saying?
I keep thinking of you
and I want us to leave.
Let's go together, escape!
How was the rehearsal, Stavros?
Amess.
I found Betty in Andrei's arms.
And you want another mess here?
Betty never hid
how she wants to live.
I have to go back.
Just a minute.
Come in.
Good evening.
How was the shooting?
Telephoto lens.
Careful. It's a rare lens.
Costs a fortune.
Not that way.
You won't see anything that way.
It's a dangerous lens.
Dangerous? Why?
It shows things you can't see
with a naked eye. Unseen truths.
You'll waste many rolls of film
before you see something you like.
But this one here...
No matter where you look at,
it sees beauty in everything.
The wide angle lens fools everyone.
At your age,
they all shoot with this.
- Does age have to do with the lens?
- Of course it does.
Look how beautiful things seemed
when I was young.
I shot this when I was your age.
And this...
And this...
And here...
I'm getting a bit older.
I was about thirty.
When you're young, life is beautiful,
you keep on shooting...
And you don't care if the light goes
and you have to stop.
But afterwards...
you see that there's something missing.
- What's missing?
- The subject. You have no subject.
In this picture there's nothing
you want to see over and over again.
And one day, quite unexpectedly...
the landscape changes,
because it hides the subject...
The frame changes...
and your life as well.
And then, you have to change the lens.
You want to go closer...
to explore the hidden beauty.
Eyes... lips...
The poses where she smiles...
Even the whisper if possible...
And then...
quite unexpectedly again...
the subject vanishes from the frame,
and from the life itself.
When was the last time
you took a picture out of your shop?
Watch it!
I knew about the bags,
but not...
The day I opened the shop,
I couldn't wait to see my first client
getting in.
I was waiting to see artists, actors...
Waiting for hours
for someone to start with...
The first one to come
was your dad, holding a suitcase.
And he asked me to photograph it.
Asuitcase!
My first client was a suitcase!
I wanted to send him away,
but then I thought...
it was bad luck to send away
your first client.
He brought me luck, after all.
And we became good friends.
And then I invented the story with...
After all, my dad's suitcases
were not empty, and not cheap too.
The words that filled them
before they left the window
were my own precious heritage.
What are you doing here?
Hello.
Hi.
Sorry.
What for?
For the kiss... and the trip...
The kiss... and the trip...
You are a poet.
You are all funny.
You leave as men,
and you come back as little boys.
- Stelios will...
- Forget about him!
He dwells in his lair,
and we come in and out.
If he let us.
When is a kiss worthy?
Before or after the trip?
Both, before...
and after...
I took you with me secretly.
Where?
We slept in each other's arms
on a bench in the Paris airport.
We took off at daybreak
and twelve hours later,
we landed in Havana.
We stayed with friends
for three days, cutting sugarcanes.
Then we went to Mexico...
We strolled in the beach...
And we went to Santiago...
Sleepless...
There we parted for two days,
like a couple of wanted outlaws.
We got together again
in Valparaiso.
And then Nicaragua...
Bogota... Montevideo...
You were bitten by mosquitoes.
And I asked the guerillas
if they had some repellent.
Then with a rowboat
in the Amazon...
And you wanted to meet the kids
who see only one dimension.
And now, what?
What have we brought back
from such a trip?
So we can tell about it
in the years to come?
To enchant them all...
Men, women, our children...
This, for the takeoff...
For Mexico...
Valparaiso...
Bogota...
The Amazon...
Is your camera loaded?
Always.
Don't forget, comrade.
The camera's position
is a question of morality.
Now, where are we flying to?
Ladies and gentlemen...
The sign "fasten your seat belts
and no smoking" is on.
We started our descent
to the Athens airport.
You in the tavern,
and me in the darkroom.
But now, we have the journey.
I want to see them
when you develop them.
I'll bring them to you
tomorrow at the tavern.
As of tomorrow, no more tavern.
Quiet, comrades.
Let's vote now.
Who are for the Allies leaving
the Horse and joining the Trojans?
Stavros' idea
is approved unanimously!
Write it down.
Well... who is the monster?
- Bureaucracy, isolation...
- The food in the Student Club...
Why? What's wrong with
the food in the Student Club?
I eat there, and although I have a weak
stomach, it didn't hurt me at all.
The food in the Student Club
is excellent, Sir.
Well, what happens in the end?
Stavros?
Some of those in the Trojan Horse
think of the hardship...
Interesting. And then?
They decide to join the enemies.
They warn them, revealing
the secret of the Trojan Horse.
At reason?
If this happens, ten years
of hard work will be wasted.
What's the reason for a war?
What's the message
you convey to people?
That the conciliation of peoples
will abolish the wars, Sir.
Young men...
If the Greeks tell the secret
to the Trojans
you won't have a story
to tell your children.
Ulysses did not invent the Trojan Horse
in order to win the war.
Homer invented it,
so we can have stories to tell.
The fall of Troy...
The journey to Ithaca...
We see the myths differently, Sir.
What if Ulysses discovered
that his wife was cheating on him,
and decided to ravage everything
he would find in his way?
I see where you are getting at.
As a student in Paris, I did
my thesis on the myth of Atlas.
I was fascinated by the idea
that everything around us
is nothing but a burden
on someone's shoulders.
We see it differently.
What would have happened
if the Earth fell off Atlas' shoulders?
- Suppose he hurt his back.
- Exactly what I used to believe!
That the burden the Titan Atlas
was carrying was not the Earth,
but the stories people
were loading on the Earth.
When I told my professor that,
rather insolently, mind you...
he scolded me.
He said, "It's good to see
some things changing."
"But not all of them,
dear Nikitas."
Not all of them...
"Certain things must be told
exactly as they were heard of."
"You never know!"
What a wise thing to say!
How much does a Trojan Horse
cost these days?
STUDENTS' FILM CLUB
- Stop!
- Don't cut it, Stelios!
- But we have the shot.
- No, we don't!
- Shall we do the close-up?
- I completely disagree!
Let's vote on it.
Guys, shall we do the close-up?
Alright, let's do it.
Vote for the Greek Communist Party.
Vote for the Socialists,
the Party of Change.
- The mouth? Does it open?
- You bet!
Pull it, Babis!
- Yes, but can it stand the weight?
- Of course it can!
- Seven soldiers will pass.
- From the mouth!? You kidding?
- So the script says.
- Forget it! What about the hinges?
- Didn't they have hinges that time?
- Not the German-made ones I use.
Where can I fit the wires?
And the pulleys?
They must pass through the mouth.
- But the "others" will see us.
- That's what we want.
If they see us, how can we fuck
the living daylights out of them?
You'll drive us crazy!
We did win in Troy!
We got in and fucked
Hecuba and Priam's daughters!
Are you okay, Mr. Mimis?
Aslight arrhythmia.
Why bother, comrades?
Leave the mouth alone.
I can add some nice plastic teeth
and a flashing light!
The valiants will come out of the belly
on a mahogany coated ramp,
dancing, along with a group
of hot feathered chorus girls!
Aglorious spectacle!
- With ten thousand...
- How much?
You know! The past
has cost, in cinema too.
Is Alice coming?
How could I know?
You know better.
What do you mean?
You know... Don't you?
How could I know?
Come on, Stavros.
Don't pretend you don't know.
Look at me in the eyes, buddy.
She told you?
She didn't have
to tell me anything.
I saw it with my own eyes.
The last night she worked there,
I found her in Efstathiou's arms.
She was crying like a baby.
He was caressing her.
And then he kissed her.
And I, like a jerk,
waited for them to finish.
Come on, guys!
We're losing the light! Quick!
There she is!
- She's gorgeous!
- She's gorgeous!
We came to fight for her sake,
and she's partying with
the enemy's dignitaries!
The dignitaries always
take our women.
And we strive for a meaningless
graffiti on some wall, ten years now!
Comrades, I'm leaving!
I'm going to them!
Are you crazy? We came that far,
and you quit before the victory?
That's treason.
I am a betrayed traitor!
I want to leave and join them!
Be patient.
Very soon, we'll be partying too.
We'll be back victorious.
Where the hell did I go wrong?
Vote for the Socialist Party!
My boy...
This cup...
I have read it before.
Exactly the same!
My mother had brought me
here, years ago.
Does the South Wind
still play with your mind?
Let's go to the light
and tell me about it.
I fell in love with her,
some time back, Madame Jeanette.
And I kept it inside me, because
she was my best friend's girl.
- Till we took a trip.
- Where did you take her?
We roamed all over Latin America...
in an apartment in Athens.
- She left us for someone else.
- For whom?
Apolitician.
He took her in his office.
And the other one? The actress?
They moved to Berlin.
- They cut short the rehearsal.
- Berlin...
They are rehearsing there. She'll play
Jocasta this summer, in Russian.
I lost my red trench coat
in Berlin.
I was...
I was young then...
I left the night club,
all men's eyes pinned on me.
Suddenly, it started to rain.
No taxis passing by...
Abig fancy car pulled over.
He was nice, a gentleman.
He offered to give me a lift.
A few days later, a parcel
was sent to my house.
There was a red trench coat in it.
And a ticket to Berlin...
And a note...
"Wear it,
so I can recognize you."
- Did you go?
- I did. Of course I did.
I had fallen in love with him.
Because of a note...
Such a fool I was!
When I met him, I thought
that my life would change;
A few hours later,
I understood...
I put the trench coat
in the closet...
and came back...
Remember, my boy...
Women never leave.
No matter how far we go,
we always come back.
We take the trip for a story...
a story we'll tell in the end.
POLLING PLACE
November 1977.
We'll know tonight.
If they come second,
who knows what's in store for us.
We only want to work well. No matter
who wins, it's the same for us.
It's not, Sotiris. With those
Socialists, be ready for the worst.
They might take everything we have.
We'll lose our houses, our shops.
They'll take the photos from our shops
to decorate their dachas.
Personally, I don't mind.
After Christmas, the shop
will have a new management.
Thanos, I've been thinking about it
and I wanted to tell you...
You're giving up your shop?
I'm tired, Thanos.
All day long, moving from darkness
to light and from light to darkness!
- Both my eyes and mind are tired.
- And what are you going to do?
I want to go out in the light,
to shoot some new subjects.
I'm rotting in the darkroom.
Stavros has learned the craft.
If he wants and if you agree,
he can take over the shop
after Christmas.
He can display his own pictures and
put new faces in the window display.
That's both good and bad news.
It's only good, Thanos.
Both for me and the kid.
Mister Sotiris...
I can't take over the shop.
Why? He's giving you
a good chance.
- I'm leaving.
- Going where?
- I'll take a trip.
- Where? Will you go alone?
- I'll make a movie.
- You mean a film?
I want to make movies.
I love cinema.
I'll film my own stories.
Cinema needs money.
You have it?
He's giving you an established
business with a clientele.
Isn't it better to make money
from other people's stories...
instead of begging for the ones
you make up, the phony ones?
Why, father?
You did the same, didn't you?
- How were you making money?
- How can you talk like that?
With the phony stories
about you and Ari.
You had set the whole thing up.
And you did well, didn't you?
I've never been
to Argentina, Magda.
What about Ari?
Where did you meet him?
You were friends, weren't you?
Of course not.
How could Ari have me
as a friend?
I heard that he was
in the Yacht Club, once,
and I managed to sneak in,
because I admired him.
He was talking to people.
Suddenly,
he stopped and looked at me.
And he said,
in front of everyone:
"Hi, buddy, how are you doing?"
Before I replied,
he continued...
"You wife, is she okay?"
"What a night we had in La Boca!
In Osvaldo's bar!"
As I was leaving,
I heard someone saying:
"This man isAri's friend
from Argentina."
And then I got the idea.
Ari was my last chance.
Last chance for what?
To marry you.
I wanted you,
I was in love with you.
But you were playing hard
to get.
And when I told you...
After a few days, you said yes.
You think I said yes
because you were Ari's friend?
Ari helped me to persuade my parents
who had other plans for me.
I wanted you, but not because
of what you were saying.
You knew? And you made me
send flowers to the funerals?
Why not? We had
some good times, didn't we?
- Even in our minds.
- And these stories I was telling you?
The regards I was sending
to Osvaldo?
You hadn't bought all these?
Bless him wherever he is. I don't
know who he is and if he's still alive.
Of course he's alive...
Alive and kicking!
And he's a terrific dancer too!
How do you know?
- I had someone look him up.
- Who, Magda?
Acoffee teller, a friend of mine.
Well traveled. She knows people.
An old friend of hers
managed to find Osvaldo.
He remembered Ari...
And a man called Thanos.
You know how coffee tellers are!
But it doesn't matter.
I liked to believe that it was you.
Of course,
among all those seamen,
there must have been one
called Thanos at Osvaldo's.
Let's be rational.
Give me your dishes.
The weather is about to change.
South Winds are coming.
- Stavros?
- Yes, Mr. Sotiris?
This Sunday, will you help me
take care of the window display?
When the South Wind calms down,
I come here and clean.
So she can enjoy the view
and not get bored.
Other people light candles,
I change the "display".
I had brought your dad here too.
We helped each other
in changing displays.
A few days later,
I set off on my first journey,
to collect images and fill the gap
those years had left behind.
I lost track of my old friends.
I only saw a few of them
in festive days.
I saw Alice, the night
the Socialists came into power,
strolling along
the alleys of her own myths.
Change has won!
November 1989.
A few years later,
I saw Betty...
who, cutting short a rehearsal,
climbed on a wall
that would come tumbling down.
And when the time came
to change the lens,
I saw things
I couldn't see with a naked eye.
Now, I had my own story too.
Of course, I tamper with it a bit,
every once in a while...
just for the hell of it,
just to turn things upside down.
Because it's nice
for some things to change,
provided that other things are told
exactly as they were heard of.
What a great thing to say!