What a great movie. Saw it today at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. My capsule review:
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/jpoeuo
The setting is Greece, 1943, in the waning days of the German occupation. Nazi officers routinely commandeer private homes for lodging and, in this intense character study, Captain Kalter (Richard Sammel) waltzes in and takes over the Helianos family's late elder son's bedroom. (He died in the war - one of many ironies in this brilliant cinematic experience.) The middle-aged couple and their two young surviving children, 13-year-old Leda (Alba De Torrebruna), on the verge of womanhood, and 12-year-old Alex (Vincenzo Crea, who provides much of the film's comic relief), likewise in that stage from boyhood to man, all find unique ways of dealing with their unwanted long term guest. His presence will test the family's bonds to each other and influence the behavior of their resident Nazi in ways that viewers can guess but still surprise at every turn. There are moments of levity but the audience was left stunned and in tears.
This is a masterpiece from co-writer/director/producer Ruggero Dipaola based on the Glenway Wescott novel. Heidrun Schleef and Luca de Benedittis share screenwriting credits with Dipaola. The film has won a dozen awards on the festival circuit, including Best Feature, Actor (Gerasimos Skiadaressis), Cinematographer (Vladan Radovic), and Screenplay at Newport Beach. It also took home the prize for Best First Feature at Italy's Golden Globes this year. It is by far the best feature of the 11 I've seen here and my favorite film of the festival so far.
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