CREDITS 

35mm - Colore - 126’

Direction: Theodoros Angelopoulos
Script: Theo Angelopoulos (from a story by Theo Angelopoulos), Tonino Guerra, Thanassis Valtinos
Photography: Giorgos Arvanitis
Music: Eleni Karaindrou
Editing: Yannis Tsitsopoulos
Cast: Michalis Zeke, Tania Paleologou, Stratos Giorgiogiou, Vassili Kolosos, Dimitris Kaberidis.
Production: Greek Film Centre, Greek Television (ERT-1), Paradis Films (Paris), Basicinematografica (Rome) and Theo Angelopoulos Productions

SYNOPSIS

The prodigal father who figures in almost every Angelopoulos film here has evaporated into his mythical essence - leaving his children to become the wanderers in search of him. In the «chaos», two children appear, little Alexandros and his older sister Voula. In order to exorcise their loneliness, they invent a secret universe for themselves, inhabited by their dreams. Every night they go to a train station to watch the departure of a train to Germany, where they have been deceived by their mother (herself an off-screen presence) into believing that their absent father is living. One night they finally dare to get on the train. But their voyage turns out to be hazardous and pointless and disappointing. They confront suffering, physical and moral illness, jealousy, evil and death, if also love - as many ordeals and rites as initiations. Evading the half-hearted pursuit of the police and uncaring relatives, sneak onto trains, hitchhike in vans and lorries, and suffering poverty, rape and exploitation, take a dangerous leap of faith, an eerie plunge into liberation and danger. The familiar Greek landscape - the cafes, the depopulated towns and deserted beaches - are played for a strangely harsh fairytale quality, seen through the eyes of two children whose introduction to the real world borders on the surreal. The film is filled with extraordinary, unforgettable moments that are at once real and hallucinatory and contains intriguing references to other Angelopoulos' films.

CRITICAL NOTES

Melancolic tale of realistic cut, written with Tonino Guerra, closing the trilogy of the journey (Viaggio a Citèra, 1984; Il volo, 1986) of the greatest Greek director. It has a high expressive style, every now and then exhausted in pleased lingering. The tormented moments and inventive strokes are not lacking, but we have the impression of a longed for more than found poetry. Tender, involving music by Eleni Karaindrou, effective photography by Giorgos Arvanitis. (M.Morandini)

SELECTED FESTIVAL AND AWARDS

1988. Silver Lion Award for Best Director, Venice Film Festival.
1989. Felix (Best European Film of the Year) Award, Golden Hugo Award for Best Director, Silver Plaque for Best Cinematography, Chicago Film Festival.