GIANNIS IN THE CITIES

Μαρ 01, 2025 Κινηματογράφος 0

MOVIE REVIEW

LIFE IN THE CHILDHOODS

Giannis in the Cities: by Yannis Fragoulis

Translation: Chara Tsaousi

The film by Eleni Alexandraki, “Giannis in the Cities”, deals with the more or less unknown subject of the children who lived in the children’s towns of Queen Frederick, in Greece. A true story by Yannis Atzakas, who has translated it into a book, «Turbid bottom» («Θολός βυθός»), ed. Agra, Athens 2010.

Giannis in the Cities: The film

The children of the rebels lived with their mothers after their fathers were at war with the regular army of the Greek state. It was then considered kind of the Queen’s gesture to build shelter structures for these children. But the truth was different. The money to make these structures had been given by the Greek people, from donations and from taxes or pay cuts. The palace had not given anything for this project.

The truth is that the education and life of the children in these lodges was very different from that of their families. It is also known that Frederick was a member of the Nazi party, something she made no secret of. She considered the communists to be “subhuman”, as she put it. Consequently, their children were in the same category. Their life and education had nothing to envy from that in the army or in a Nazi camp. Very few of these children went on to higher education and many of them went, through various programs, to adoptions in the United States, mostly.

Giannis in the Cities: The representation

All this is told in the film. The lives of these children are portrayed by actors. The narrative style is the most classic. It shows the life of the small child in the village, then in the children’s town, then the climate there. The viewer can reconstruct the narrative, the missing parts and complete the story. The actors faithfully recreate the era, helped by the very good work that has been done in costuming and sets. Playgrounds are revived, we have a relatively unknown era that we live through with them.

The conclusion of the story is interesting, when the now young man goes to see his father in the former eastern bloc. There the director shows the other side of the coin. Life there is not ideal. There are a lot of restrictions, the police operate as in the western world, the lack of freedom is evident. In other words, the film does not give hope. Socialism has not created an ideal life for man. Heaven is a utopia, hell is lived within us and placed where we live.

Giannis in the Cities: The father-son relationship

This ending will probably not be to the liking of communist paradise lovers. Recent history has proven it: communism and socialism have failed to create a society that serves man and not the other way around. The director closely follows the historical events of our time and makes a faithful representation. But she does not leave an outlet for another reading of history, to create another historical narrative, an alternative way of living that would have a hope for man. The film’s narrative ends with the simple mention of the relationship between father and son and the discovery of the father, unknown to him. It leaves open the possibility of reconciliation between the two people.

GIANNIS IN THE CITIES

Directed by Eleni Alexandraki

Script: Eleni Alexandraki, Panagiotis Evangelidis

Photography: Dionysis Efthimiopoulos

Editing: Christos Giannakopoulos

Music: Nikos Xydakis

Sound: Nikos Papadimitriou

Set: Yorgos Georgiou

Costumes: Despina Chimona

Producers: Eleni Alexandraki, Kostas Alatas, Panos Bistas, Christos Giannakopoulos

Actors: Philip Milikas (John 6 years old), Marios Konstantinos Galetzas (John 9 years old), Konstantinos Athanasakis (John 13 years old), Aeneas Tsamatis (John adult), Agni Strouboulis (Venetia, Yiannis’ grandmother), Simos Kakallas (Yiannis’ father 28 years old), Stelios Mainas (Yiannis’ father 62 years old), Evi Saoulidou (children’s manager), Aglaia Papa (Frederick), Konstantinos Seiradakis (Theodore), Katia Leclerc O’Wallis (head of children), Katia Goulioni (Theodora Mumtzi), Eudoxia Androulidaki (Aliki Politidou), Themis Panou (Pandremenos, professor), Maria Kallimani (Anthoula, aunt of Giannis), Andreas Marianos (Pantelis, uncle of Giannis), Manolis Mavromatakis (Grammatikas)

Country of production: Greece

Year of production: 2024

Language: greek

Genre: tragedy

Colour: black and white

Duration: 90΄

Distribution Company: Feelgood Entertainment

Release date: 20/2/2025

For more information about the cast and technical specifications see here.

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