Greece-Germany 2020, DCP, colour, 95'
SYNOPSIS
ANNA has lost her memory, but she hasn’t forgotten how to cook. One night she shows up in a working class neighborhood by a Greek harbor. There she meets the unpredictable loner ROULA and gets a job as a cook and a place to stay at his shabby tavern.
In the kitchen, amidst the scents of spices and old forgotten recipes, Anna struggles to recall her past and rebuild her life. Her simple yet delicious food awakens memories to the locals, who in turn help her to reconnect with herself. The story takes an unexpected turn when Roula suddenly discovers Anna’s true identity.
CREDITS & CAST
- Directed by:
- Angeliki Antoniou
- Screenplay:
- Angeliki Antoniou, inspired by the novel "GIA NΑ DEI TI THALASSA" by Evgenia Fakinou
- Script editor:
- Christina Lazaridi
- Producers:
- Lilette Botassi, Angeliki Antoniou
- Co-producers:
- Jost Hering
- Production:
- Inkas Films (Athens)
- Co-production:
- Greek Film Centre, ERT SA (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Athens), Angeliki Antoniou Filmproduktion (Berlin), Jost Hering Filme (Berlin)
- Production supported by:
- EKOME SA (National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication, Athens)
- Screenplay developed within the:
- MFI Script 2 Film Workshops programme
- Direction of Photography:
- Dionysis Efthymiopoulos
- Art direction:
- Michalis Samiotis
- Costume design:
- Chrysa Daponte
- Editing:
- Dimitris Peponis
- Sound:
- Nikos Papadimitriou
- Re-recording mixer:
- Costas Fylaktidis
- Sound editor:
- Ioannis Giannakopoulos
- Sound design:
- Nils Gradlowski
- Music:
- Minos Matsas
- Casting:
- Sotiria Marini, Akis Gourzoulidis
- Make-up artist:
- Vicky Tataki
- Cast:
- Angeliki Papoulia, Yannis Tsortekis, Tasos Palatzidis, Christos Kontogeorgis, Meletis Georgiadis, Stefanos Kosmidis, Vaso Iatropoulou, Anastasia Dendia, Fivos Papakostas, Anneta Papathanasiou
DISTRIBUTION
- Greece:
- Filmtrade (Athens)
WORLD SALES
FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION)
- Marché du Film (Work in progress / Category: Goes to Cannes), France, 2020
- Kitzbühel Film Festival (International Feature Film Competition), Austria, 2020:
- Winner: Audience Award
- Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Official Selection), Greece, 2020
- Hof International Film Festival (Official Selection), Germany, 2020
- San Francisco Greek Film Festival (Competition), USA, 2021
- Indie FEST Film Awards, USA, 2021:
- Winner: Best of show
- Winner: Women Filmmakers Award of Excellence for director Angeliki Antoniou
- Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (Competition), USA, 2021:
- Nominee: Orpheus Award for Best Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Performance - Angeliki Papoulia (actress)
- Rhode Island International Film Festival (Official Competition), USA, 2021
- The Greek Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, 2021
- Split Film Festival / International Festival of New Film, Croatia, 2021
- Nashville Film Festival (Spotlight: International lens), USA, 2021
- Sydney Film Festival, Europe! Voices of Women in Film, Australia, 2021
- Hiroshima International Film Festival, Japan, 2021
- Premio Internazionale di Cinema e Narrativa, Festival di Palermo (International Competition), Italy, 2021:
- Winner: Efebo d’Oro «Ande» Cinema Donna Award
- Festival Films Femmes Méditerranée, France, 2021
- Europäisches Filmfestival Göttingen, Germany, 2021
- Festival du Cinéma du Monde - Films primés, Paris, France, 2022
PRESS
Sight & Sound
One of the highlights was Angeliki Antoniou's Green Sea, a gastro-delicious film starring Dogtooth's Angeliki Papoulia as amnesia-stricken writer Anna
Georgia Korossi
Variety
"Green Sea" in Cannes Marché du Film 2020 (Work in Progress): "This past month during this pandemic period many of us were cooking, and are still cooking at home," said director Angeliki Antoniou ("Eduart," "Donusa") presenting her drama "Green Sea" which turns on a woman who has lost her memory but not ability to cook, and so is afforded a second opportunity in life
Nick Vivarelli
Hof International Film Festival
Angeliki Antoniou tells of miraculous encounters that are connected by the most beautiful things in life: food and love! At the same time, the film is almost fairytale-like, simply wonderful cinema!
Thorsten Schaumann
Centre for the Study and Research in Cinema
"Green Sea" by Angeliki Antoniou clearly stands out. It is a post-nouvelle vague work with noir elements, for the endless eternal time, and the memory it carries with it
Alexis Dermentzoglou
tovima.gr
Memory loss plays the most important role in "Green Sea", the best fiction film to date by the experienced Angeliki Antoniou ("Eduart")
Giannis Zouboulakis
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
In "Green Sea" Angeliki Papoulia plays the leading part and she is sensational as always. She attracts all glances on her, like a magnet, because of her intensity and her kind of energy that we rarely experience.
Peter Körte
la Repubblica
Un film che scorre leggero, con una delicata attenzione per la suggestione delle ambientazioni e una straordinaria attrice protagonista, Angeliki Papoulia.
TIPP - Berlin
Sensitively directed drama
Greek News, Los Angeles
Anna's character was brilliantly portrayed by Angeliki Papoulia, an exceptional Greek actress known for the work on Dogtooth and The Lobster by director Yorgos Lanthimos. [...] Papoulia brought vulnerability and feistiness to the character, both elements necessary for her to thrive in her new environment. Yiannis Tsortekis delivered an exceptional performance in his portrayal of the lonely and enigmatic Roula. The supporting cast delivered fine performances as well. Green Sea is an exceptional offering not to be missed.
Vasilis Papoutsis
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
GREEN SEA is inspired by the Greek novel “To see the sea” from the acclaimed writer Evgenia Fakinou. I loved the idea that a woman who has amnesia still remembers how to cook.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues many people started cooking or are still cooking at home. Preparing home-cooked meals was very important for most of us. It had real benefits for our mental and physical health. Just like it happens in the GREEN SEA. Though the film does not center on food; it is much more than this.
Angeliki Antoniou