What's On Kiev (English version)

Sappho
Movie of the Week

USA/Ukraine, 2008-02-28

Directed by Robert Crombie Starring Avalon Barrie, Lyudmila
Shiryaeva, Todd Soley

A young American couple, Phil and the interestingly- named Sappho, arrive on the
Greek island of Lesbos for a honeymoon.(Lesbos, of course, was the home of the
original Sappho, the ancient Greek poetesswhose ‘sapphic’ erotic poems put the ‘lesbian’ in Lesbos.) Sappho – the modern one - is the young and beautiful daughter of a millionaire, and a free spirit in all ways. Phil’s an artist looking for inspiration.
On the island they meet Helena, daughter of a Russian emigrant archaeologist. She’s smart, beautiful, and uninhibited and – surprise! – she ends up
in bed with Sappho, who’s meanwhile become impressed by the erotic verse of her ancient poetess namesake. Needless to say, a love triangle develops. Sappho wants to live in a ménage a trois with Helena and her husband.
Then Phil and Helena fall in love, and eventually decide they can do without Sappho. Apparently the situation mirrors one described in the original Sappho’s famous poem about thwarted sexual desire. As our three lovers come to grips with their passions the present and the past merge together, and our modern Sappho commits an act which recalls the passionate death of the ancient poetess.