Smart 7 2024

The Summer with Carmen

Zacharias Mavroidis | 2023 | 106'

SYNOPSIS

While bathing all day on Athens' queer beach, Demos and Nikitas reminisce about the events of a recent summer with the prospect of turning them into a script for Nikitas' debut film.

BIOGRAPHY

Zacharias Mavroeidis

Born in Athens, Greece, Zacharias studied Architecture in Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki and theater in RESAD, Madrid before turning to filmmaking. He studied scriptwriting in EICTV, Cuba and filmmaking in NEW YORK College in Athens. He is a Berlinale and Sarajevo Talent Campus alumni. He is teaching scriptwriting in SAE Athens.In 2014 his first novel EFTA PSIHES STO STOMA was published in Greece, currently in development as a feature animation film.His debut feature THE GUIDE (2011) screened in more than 20 International film festivals. His documentary ACROSS HER BODY (2018) premiered at the International Competition of Thessaloniki Documentary IFF and received a mention at Burgads IFF. His sophomore feature, DEFUNCT (2019) won the Young Jury and the Audience Award in the international competition of Thessaloniki FF, the Best Film award in KINENOVA 2020 IFF and best script award at the Greek Film Academy Iris awards 2020.

Multimedia

Critical text

Demosthenes and Nikitas are sunbathing on a gay beach in Athens while considering writing a script together. The friends reminisce about two summers ago, when Demosthenes broke up with his boyfriend (or did he?) and ended up taking care of the skittish chihuahua Carmen. This light and summery comedy by Zacharias Mavroeidis offers a fresh character study and an exploration of the Greek LGTBI scene, while also proposing a meticulous meta-fictional game. GABRIEL DOMÉNECH

Technical Sheet