10/08/2023 - The Greek director, whose film plunges into the rarely seen universe of hotel and resort animators, discusses her approach, her research and her cast

(© Margarita Yoko Nikitaki)

Greek director Sofia Exarchou's drama Animal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile] has premiered in the international competition of this year's Locarno Film Festival. Animal is a vibrant portrait of a working class we rarely see on the big screen, but whose challenges affect many others. We talked to the director about her approach, her research and the cast of the film.

Cineuropa: What was your basic intention with the film?
Sofia Exarchou: I wanted to make a movie about labour in Western Europe and capitalistic societies. Very soon, I decided that I would set it in the tourism industry. One reason is that, as a Greek person, I know quite a lot about it and have seen how it has developed over several decades. Tourism represents a milestone in our economy, of course. So, this choice was organic for me. But then, this universe became more and more interesting to me. I then didn't only talk about the employees in the industry, but also focused on the animator, in order to speak about the entertainment sector and its importance today.

How did you choose the shooting location?
I did some research into different islands and into the landscape. In the end, it's not so important where it was shot, exactly, because I wanted to evoke the feeling that this island could be anywhere where such a resort could exist. As a result, I made the decision not to identify the setting or the time period of the story. But specifically, I thought of Crete because I wanted this kind of dry landscape and the particular colours of the island. So, I tried to find a location there. It was important to find a place that would serve as accommodation for the animators. It had to be a little way away from the resort and from where the party takes place. I also wanted it to be near the sea. So, once I’d found the location for the housing, I searched for the resort. The movie was shot in more than one location.

Was it difficult to get permission to shoot at the resorts?
The most difficult thing was that the story begins in late spring and ends in autumn. No one would give us permission to shoot during the summer. We had to fit our schedule around that and shoot later.

Could you tell us more about the cast?
They’re an ensemble of different professionals. Both of the girls in the main roles are actresses. Dimitra Vlagopoulou, who plays Kalia, is also a dancer. It was very important for her to have good dancing and performing skills. As for the rest of the group, I knew from the beginning that I wanted actors as well as dancers and musicians; one person comes from a circus background. It was great since they had nice exchanges and could help each other. Moreover, I took a lot of videos of animators at work around the world, which helped the cast prepare themselves. At some point, we stopped rehearsing the acting itself, and rehearsed only the shows and the choreography for two months. It was difficult for them, but we worked together to understand this world.

So does that mean the shows they perform are based on real ones?
I like to start with reality, but then I want to create my own universe, one that will serve my story. All of the shows are fictional. What I created was completely different from what I saw. I liked the idea of including the dialogue we have with ancient culture and talking about how we exploit it, for example. The shows relate to the psychology of the characters.

Did you always have this specific ending in mind?
The main idea was to show that the system will always keep rolling and will always keep moving.

What are you saying about contemporary Greece?
My whole life is contemporary Greece, my everyday life. I wanted to make this allegory because I believe that people in many different labour systems have to do the same thing as the animators: they have to put on a costume every day, they have to deliver with energy, and they have to smile at the clients, managers or whoever. As for contemporary Greece, I think we are enduring a big crisis and harsh economic and political conditions, which are reflected in the movie.