| The Summer with Carmen | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Greek | Το Καλοκαίρι της Κάρμεν |
| Directed by | Zacharías Mavroidís |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Ioánna Bolomýti |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Theódoros Michópoulos |
| Edited by | Lívia Neroutsopoúlou |
| Music by | Ted Regklis |
| Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Cinobo |
| Release dates |
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| Country | Greece |
| Language | Greek |
The Summer with Carmen (Greek: Το Καλοκαίρι της Κάρμεν, romanized: To Kalokairi tis Karmen) is a 2023 Greek comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Zacharías Mavroidís. It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2023.
Plot
Demosthenes is enjoying a beautiful day at the queer beach in Athens. He is helping his friend and aspiring filmmaker Nikitas come up with an idea for his first feature film, inspired by the adventures of a dog named Karmen. Two summers earlier, Demosthenes had to stop in Athens because of his father's health problems. An excuse to meet his ex, Panos, who, in turn, took in his dog Karmen, a decision he soon regretted. Just like Demosthenes, who seems to regret breaking up with Panos. Or maybe he does? Committed to transforming real events into the "hero's journey", the two friends begin to question the main rule of screenplay theory—the hero changes—and in the process give a twist to their enduring friendship.
Cast
- Yorgos Tsiantoulas as Demosthenes
- Andreas Lampropoulos as Nikitas
- Nikolas Mihas as Panos
- Roubini Vasilakopoulou as Kaiti
- Vasilis Tsigristaris as Thymios
Production
Mavroidís co-wrote the film with his best friend Xenofondas Chalatsis. He described it as "a comedy about the futility of knowing thyself", and mentioned Charlie Kaufman as an inspiration for the film's structure. The film was shot in Athens and the nudist beach of Limanákia in Vouliagmeni.
Release
The Summer with Carmen premiered in the Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2023. It was later screened at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, where it won the Mermaid Award, the Youth Jury Best Film Award and the Fischer Audience Award for a Greek film. The film was released theatrically in Greece on 13 June 2024 by Cinobo.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.
References
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (28 July 2023). "Be For Films Boards 'The Summer With Carmen' Ahead of Venice Days Premiere". Variety. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- Fabre, Clarisse (19 June 2024). "« The Summer with Carmen » : à Athènes, deux personnages en quête d'histoire". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- Lazic, Elena (9 September 2023). "Review: The Summer with Carmen". Cineuropa. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- van Hoeij, Boyd (7 September 2023). "The Summer with Carmen". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- "To Kalokairi tis Karmen (The Summer with Carmen)". Giornate degli Autori. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- "The awards of the 64th Thessaloniki International Film Festival". Thessaloniki International Film Festival. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- Cinobo: «Το Καλοκαίρι της Κάρμεν» από 13 Ιουνίου στους κινηματογράφους. NewsIT (in Greek). 10 June 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- "Το Καλοκαίρι της Κάρμεν": Στους κινηματογράφους από το Cinobo. Antivirus (in Greek). 7 June 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- "The Summer with Carmen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
