Name: I fotografia
Genre: Drama
Released: 1987-10-28
Duration: 1 h 42 min
Rating: 7.5
Cast: Hristos Tsagas, Aris Retsos, Zozo Zarpa

A story about obsession, framed by the sad events of the military dictatorship in Greece

I fotografia (The Photograph) is one of the most highly acclaimed Greek films but very few people have actually heard of the movie (even in its country of origin). What I enjoyed in Papatakis' film is the representation of the Greek society during the time when the Junta (Military dictatorship) was already governing the country (1971-1974). Except from the obvious focus on human obsessions and the psychological thriller turn of the film, we could clearly see the political comment on how hard it was to survive in Greek circles (within the country and abroad) if you were considered to be a communist.In Kastoria, the city where the story begins, all these banners in favour of the regime had "Greece of Greek Christians" or "Country, Religion, Family" written on them. These were the main slogans of the dictators. I found the storyline about the protagonist's (Yerasimos) love of an idea (a photograph)quite metaphorical and parallel to the Greek population's blindness towards the Junta.As Ilias characteristically says to his mother towards the end of the film "what we love about someone is their lie".

Greek cinema draws on myth, politics, and allegory, often using surrealism and symbolism to explore identity and collective memory. The Weird Wave brought absurdism and dark humor to the fore. Recent Greek films often depict austerity, personal struggle, and resilience with raw emotional power and stark visual storytelling, reflecting contemporary Greek life.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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A young furrier leaves Castoria in 1971 to emigrate to France to live with a relative. He finds a photograph, leading to a confrontation with his relative.

Aris Retsos and Hristos Tsagas in The Photograph (1986)

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The Photograph

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