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Vasilis Douvlis • Director

“We are all coming and going, but we never return"

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Set in the Greek province of Zagorohoria, Vasilis Douvlis’ first feature film, The Homecoming, narrates the fatal relationship between an Albanian immigrant and his boss’ wife. The backdrop to the love story is actually a comparison between the Greek immigration phenomenon, which took place a few decades ago, and the corresponding modern phenomenon of Albanian immigrants in Greece.

Combining fiction techniques with documentary elements, Douvlis depicts two men and a woman on the edge, in a story strictly divided into three parts. The film, which won the FIPRESCI award in 48th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, is now part of the Karlovy Vary Europe Now! Sidebar-section.

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Cineuropa: How did you decide to use the immigration issue as the backdrop to your first feature?
Vasilis Douvlis: The film is equally divided among the three main characters. The plot initially unfolds with a focus on the complex relationship developed between a former immigrant returning to his hometown after 30 years and a current immigrant who has come to Greece to fight for a better life. They follow parallel routes in life and the one appears to be the other’s alter ego. The third person plays a major role for both characters – she is the first man’s wife and becomes the latter’s lover. This triangle is actually the basis for the whole film.

In Greek society, however, the subject of an affair between an Albanian immigrant and his boss’ wife is taboo.
This is true, but expounding on this was my initial intention. I wanted to make a connection between the Greek immigrants of the past and the Albanian immigrants of the present. My characters coincide. I did not want to be didactic though, I just wanted to tell a contemporary story. We are all coming and going, but we never return. My film begins with one departure and finishes with another. This is an implication on the perpetual circle of immigration, the perpetual circle of life. People will always think that their dream life is somewhere else – and they will go after it.

This is what your main characters do by all means. They seem to have been taken from an ancient tragedy and placed in a contemporary context.
This is true. While not based on a specific ancient tragedy, my film is built on the general structure of an ancient tragedy. This is the reason why there is neither a villain nor a good guy. There are neither immolators nor victims in my film. There is no polarization between good and bad. This would be quite a simple perspective, in my opinion. All three people in my film pursue their dream, which lies far beyond them. Their effort to achieve it is what defines them as tragic figures. In the end, each of them is punished for hubris. This is actually an ancient archetypal myth in its modern version.

How did you balance a fictional story with a completely traditional setting?
I wanted my film to have some of the truth a documentary would include. I wanted the typical setting to be reflected in my film in its original state, even though we risked delivering a folkloristic film. We avoided that by portraying the location and people in a way that was present yet taken for granted. Many local amateurs were in the cast, which meant we had to spend a lot of time rehearsing before we could film. Of course, I was lucky enough to have experienced professionals working with me to make this possible. I am really grateful to all of them.

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