Movies not to be missed

Greek Film Festival director Penny Kyprianou shares her list of five highlights of the festival and why you should see them


Miss Violence:
Director Alexandros Avranas’ Venice Film Festival Silver Lion Winner, is a dark portrait of a bourgeois family who are forced to confront their horrific secret after the suicide of their 11-year-old daughter Angeliki, who jumps off the apartment balcony on her birthday with a smile on her face. An important product of the Greek Film Industry this past year.

Xenia:
Xenia is a cross-Greece romp that follows two brothers – Danny and Odysseas – on their quest to locate their biological father after the death of their Albanian mother. The latest effort from Strella director Panos H. Koutras, it’s a sometimes fun, sometimes emotional film that made a splash at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Stratos:
The latest film from the award-winning Yannis Economides, Stratos follows a lowly baker who moonlights as a contract killer. Despite his sinister double life, Stratos is a man of morals inevitably drawn into a violent situation when his past indiscretions come back to haunt him.

The Enemy Within:
Directed by Yorgos Tsemberopoulos, The Enemy Within is a powerful drama that sees Kostas, a pacifist with a strong moral compass, embark on a revenge mission after the aggravated burglary of his family home. An engrossing film that will have you questioning your own ethics.

Committed:
For those after a little romance, Committed is a part-crowdfunded feature by Cypriot filmmaker Stelana Kliris that explores modern-day relationships. A chance meeting between George and the beautiful unnamed ‘Bride’ – who has bailed on her groom on their wedding day – forces two strangers to confront their hangups about love and set off on an unforgettable road trip across Cyprus.