Vardis Marinakis’ Zizotek enters post-production
- The much-anticipated sophomore feature by the Greek director is currently being edited and is expected to be released next spring
Vardis Marinakis rose to prominence with his debut feature, Black Field [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vardis Marinakis
film profile] (2010), which premiered at Karlovy Vary and won awards at multiple festivals, including Seville and Mumbai. His sophomore effort, Zizotek [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vardis Marinakis
film profile], which was shot in Athens and in the northern Greek city of Xanthi, including the surrounding areas of Thrace and Macedonia, is currently in post-production. The film is expected to be released in April 2018, and its work-in-progress version was first screened at Thessaloniki’s Agora (read the report).
The screenplay, which was co-written by Marinakis and Spyros Kribalis, follows the story of a nine-year-old boy (August Lambrou-Negrepontis) who was abandoned by his mother (Pinelopi Tsilika) during a local music festival close to a forest near the Greek-Bulgarian border. His meeting with a grouchy 50-year-old hermit (Dimitris Xanthopoulos), who has taken a vow of silence, will help him in his quest to find his mother and create a unique father-son relationship.
Greek director of photography Christina Moumouri is handling Zizotek’s cinematography, while Lambis Haralambidis (Wednesday 04:45 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Spring Awakening [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) is currently editing the film.
Regarding the difficulties of finalising Zizotek, producer Konstantinos Vassilaros, of Greek outfit StudioBauhaus, states, “In December 2016, Vardis and I made a tough decision: we either go for it or wait for better circumstances, ideal weather, more funding and better terms. Nearly three months later, the first clapperboard was heard on the snowy slopes of Mount Parnassus; we then spent a month in northern Greece amidst stunning early-spring blooming forests, and wrapped our film in Athens in the blazing-hot summer. Three seasons passed by with our wonderful cast and crew, who came together marvellously and pulled off this demanding production. Seeing the early results in the edit makes me happy that we made that decision.”
Zizotek is a co-production by Konstantinos Vassilaros (StudioBauhaus) with Bulgarian company Red Carpet Films, and has received the support of the Greek Film Centre, ERT SA and MEDIA Development.
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