DEFUNCT (99’)

AGE RESTRICTION 12 YEARS OLD

Boys and girls, now let’s get in formation!

Now that you passed your training sessions, it is the time to regroup in lines with your pop corn, get dressed and come meet us for a walk at Papagou. Our global rendezvous on 19 to 31 March with “Defunct” by Zacharias Mavroeidis @ Viva.gr.

You can enjoy the film by the comfort of your home with the company of your beloved grandpas, or not. The film is available with English and French subtitles from 19 to 31/03.

Synopsis

A 30-something failed businessman moves into his grandpa's house, the defunct WW2 veteran. His quest to live up to his legacy, will redefine both the family hero and himself.

Starring Mihalis Sarantis, Thanasis Papageorgiou, Yiota Festa, Alexandros Mavropoulos, Yiannis Niarros, Akis Sakellariou, Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos, Natalia Chatzi, Mary Mina and Xenia Kalogeropoulou as Aunt Fani.

That’s what he said (Zacharias Mavroeidis):

DEFUNCT was born out of a common phenomenon in Athens during the early years of the economic crisis: many people in their 30’s moved into their grandparent’s house due to economic struggles. These were houses that had remained closed for years, exactly as their late owners had left them. This odd “reunion” under the same roof of the misfortune grandsons with the absent grandparents lies at the heart of DEFUNCT.

What the neighbors said:

“Defunct is indeed a manifesto towards something that could be described as the essence of family: support and the transfer of experience. Young people are so eager to create their own paths in the world that they almost always forget that the same obstacles challenging their success have been faced, not too long ago, by their elders. Of course, we can always learn from our own mistakes (and a lesson learnt first hand in that way lingers longer in the memory), but why not learn from the experience of others?” - Ştefan Dobroiu, Cineuropa

“One of the best representations of greekness in cinema, a movie that dives so deeply into modern Greece and at the same time manages to speak directly to anyone's truth and problems whether it's financial struggle, politcal ideology, dealing with the past, identity, family, friendship or love. You laugh, you cry and you're left wanting more of this optimistic yet trully heartbreaking point of view” – Lina Koun, Letterboxd

“The film’s title in Greek is O Apostratos (Ο Απόστρατος) meaning a retired officer or perhaps a forcefully retired officer. You may stretch it to mean a useless man or a defunct man. There are numerous clubs in Greece for retired officers and they can hardly be taken to refer to themselves as defunct. Calling the film Defunct may be another example of Mavroeidis being opaque about his work.” – James Karras, review.

“Memories, menage, and mettle. The film highlights the difference between generations, using the homecoming theme, and how we judge ourselves as individuals from our environment's perspective. The notion that old items and what's left to us become unusable is reversed by our inability to get rid of memories or face the truths we haven't seen behind our memories. Good acting and lean narration make the film flow.” – Capsule Review, Letterboxd

Awards: Best Full-Length Feature Film KINENOVA 2020, Best Screenplay IRIS 2020, Thessaloniki International Film Festival Audience Award & Youth Jury Award

Note: With the purchase of every ticket, you have the opportunity to begin watching the film by using your unique ticket code up until 4 hours after the official start.