Polyxeni, a period drama about a twelve-year-old orphan Greek girl that was separated from her younger brother in 1955, when a prominent Greek Constantinopolite couple adopted her is Greece’s selection for the Oscars.
The movie, directed by Dora Masklavanou, will compete in the best foreign-language film category for 2019.
Polyxeni is in fact Masklavanou’s third feature film which was first released in Greece in December 2017.
The judges and audiences were mesmerised by the heroine’s journey and challenges while she receives an education, comes of age and falls in love, unsuspecting of the plot against her, targeting the large fortune her adoptive father leaves her.
Earlier this year, Polyxeni was awarded the Grand Prix at the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival while it has also won the Best Feature Film Youth Jury Award at the 58th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
It is the fifth time a Greek film has been nominated for an Academy Award, with the most recent being Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth that did not receive a statuette.
Will, Katia Gulioni’s heartfelt yet dynamic performance as Polyxeni make a difference? We certainly hope so.
