East of the West - Competition 2015 / Tetarti 4:45 / Greece, Germany 2015
Thanks to the efforts of owner Stelios, musicians love his small jazz club in the heart of Athens and the place seems to be prospering. But an early demise threatens this island of quality music, and Stelios has a mere 32 hours to save his beloved nightclub – and himself. The movie’s tough shell (crime thriller) masks a bitter treatise on the Greek economic crisis.
Athens, Greece, winter 2010. Thanks to the efforts of owner Stelios, who lives and breathes for his small jazz club, musicians love the venue and it seems to be prospering. But an early demise threatens this island of quality music, and our hero has a mere 32 hours to save his beloved nightclub, his family, and himself. A loan from a shark known as the Romanian has reached astronomical heights and he will accept no more delays. Not even Stelios’ friend Vassos can help, nor the eccentric owner of a strip joint who has also run up a debt with the Romanian. Stelios has to deal with this on his own and time is getting short.… The second feature from Greek director Alexis Alexiou is a worthily crafted crime thriller beneath whose bold visual exterior lies another plane: a statement on the Greek economic crisis. The director depicts the ubiquitous decay with bitterly ironic humor and melancholy in order to reflect both the gradual breakdown of the country and the protagonist’s inner torment.
Anna Kořínek
116 min / Color, DCP
European premiere
Director Alexis Alexiou
/ Screenplay Alexis Alexiou
/ Dir. of Photography Christos Karamanis
/ Music Felizol
/ Editor Lambis Charalambidis
/ Art Director Spyros Laskaris
/ Producer Thanassis Karathanos
/ Production TWENTY TWENTY VISION Filmproduktion GmbH
/ Coproduction ZDF / ARTE, Faliro House, Marni Films, Nova
/ Cast Stelios Mainas, Dimitris Tzoumakis, Adam Bousdoukos, Giorgos Simeonidis, Mimi Branescu
/ Sales Loco Films
Alexis Alexiou (b. 1976, Athens) first graduated in physics from the University of Athens before moving on to the study of film. Ahead of creating his feature debut Tale 52 (Istoria 52, 2008) he wrote and directed the short films Tugo Tugo (1998), Clark Kent Is Superman! (2000), Remember Me (2001), and Aristidis Alopekas (2003), which were screened at numerous international film festivals. Tale 52 was accepted to the Rotterdam competition and screened at the Toronto IFF; local audiences were able to see the work as part of the Young Greek Cinema section at the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF in 2011.
Loco Films
8 passage Piver, 75011, Paris
France
Phone: +33 664 209 160
E-mail: [email protected]
Alexis Alexiou
Florencia Gil
Sales Agent
Thanassis Karathanos
Producer
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