On a wintry road outside Chicago, a car carrying an unlikely trio is pulled over by the police. One of the occupants, on old man with no English, is perplexed. He asks in Greek, ‘were they speeding?’ The driver, a hip dude in a cowboy hat isn’t sure. The little girl is starting to look frightened.
But this is not a traffic infringement. There are lots of cops, they have their guns out and they are very agitated. The dude, pleading ignorance, gets out of the car. And begins to dance. Then there is a sudden flurry of strange, unnecessary violence.
They are taken in for questioning. They seem confused, but it is clear something terrible has happened.
Without Borders is a story told in flashbacks. The old man is Thanasis (Giorgos Voyatzis). The six-year old girl is Melissa (Veronika Vassilakopoulou). Thanasis explains that the girl was his adopted daughter in Greece, who was brought to the States by her biological mother. He is just here to visit them. What’s the problem?
Written and directed by Nick Gaitatjis, it is a touching love story. Not a romance, but a tale of the love that develops between an old man and the little girl he fosters. When the bond between them is severed, they both find their separation unbearable.
Gaitatjis was born in Greece, but moved to the U.S. to study cinema. His observations about the differences between these two worlds have driven him to make this film and it works well.
The performances are excellent. Giorgos Voyatzis presents a lovely balance of pathos and determination, a character of old-world values, devout but not judgmental. Veronika Vassilakopoulou is a delight as Melissa. She is as fresh as rain and provides the perfect motivation for Thanasis’ behavior.
Also worthy of mention is Georges Corraface as Plato, Thanasis’ cousin, who has migrated to the States and agrees to help find the girl. Plato is a very complex character; loyal to a fault, yet morally ambiguous.
Without Borders is about bridging gaps. As well as the space and contrast between Greece and America and literal borders which must be crossed, there are the differences between Thanasis and Melissa, their ages and lack of biological connection. Also, the old world that Thanasis inhabits, and the new world that Plato represents.
It is a film full of sad optimism which, despite the dark undercurrents that move through it, suggests that people harbour a resilience, making them capable of reaching across the space that separates us all.
Without Borders is showing in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney at The Greek Film Festival in October.