Director: Minos Nikolakakis
Written by: John de Holland, Minos Nikolakakis
Cast: Prometheus Aleiferopoulos, Anastasis-Rafaela Konidi, John de Holland
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance
3 Stars
Country: Greece/UK
Language: Greek with English subtitles
Fork Lore Collides with Man
After the death of their father and his inability to save him, Panos (Prometheus Aleiferopoulos), a doctor, is determined to use his medical knowledge to help to those who lack access to a doctor. Eventually setting on the remote village in Alyti, he part ways with his half-brother, George (John De Holland), where he finds love with Danae (Anastasia Rafaella Konidi), a woman with a secluded and very secretive living in the woods with her abusive father (Kostas Laskos.)
Director Minos Nikolakakis’ debut film, ENTWINED, weaves Greek myths and cultural superstitions of the residences of Alyti with the modern world of Panos’ own belief and the turmoil that develops as he brings these two worlds together to co-exist.
Upon arriving in the village, Panos is told he is the first doctor in the have ever had. Surprised, he finds that difficult to understand, especially considering that most of the population were elderly. His belief in the power of medicine over what they believed made him look past their cultural practices as he settled into his new life amongst them as their new doctor.
Providing a realistic backdrop to the film’s Greek fork lore, Nikolakakis filmed ENTWINED on location in Mountain Parnonas on the Peloponnese peninsula. This is the location of where many of the ancient Greek myths originated. Myths like neireds, the female spirits of sea water; nymphs, sacred female supernatural beings in charge of forces of nature and nature’s spirits of the earth, water, air, and fire.
In the opening and through-out, director of photography, Thodoros Mihopoulos, brings the trees and vegetation into the forefront, helping tell the story of Panos’s fortunes living in the woods with Danae..
Danae wears a white dress throughout the film while surrounded by soft lighting giving her a magically fairy aura without the use of special effects. The dark and shabbiness of the shack, she called home, along with Panos’ change overtime, provide a good contrast with her. The use of fire, as an additional source of light, and the critical source of her being, bringing in one of the major elements of nature.
Aleiferopoulos and Konidi give good performance as they bring the Greek mystical God of love and sex, Enos and the God of death, Thanatos, to life.
ETWINE is interesting film that gives insight to the myths and supernatural superstitions of Greek cultural as the villager move into the 21st century.
Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Production Co: Inkas Film Production Co.
Producers: Minos Nikolaskakis, Lilette Botassi
Run time: 1 hr. 29 min
Cast: Prometheus Aleiferopoulos, Anastasia-Rafaela Konidi Kostas Laskos, Manos Vakoussis, Anna Kozakinou, Aleka Toumazatou, John de Holland, Maria Eglezaki
Director: Minos Nikolakakis
Writers: John de Holland, Minos Nikolakakis
Director of Photography: Thodoros Mihopoulos, GSC
Editor: Giorgos Georgopoulos
Composer: Sotiris Debonos
Production Designer: Chrysa Daponte
Sound: Yannis Antypas
Hair & Make-up: Ioanna Symeonidi
Special Effects Make-up: Prokopis Vlaseros
Visual Effects: Melancholy Star & Kent
Producers: Minos Nikolakakis & Lilette Botassi
Executive Producer: Inkas Film Productions
Co-producers: Greek Film Center, ERT, Multivision, Authorwave, Melancholy Star, Helleniki Technik