“Marjoram”, a cutting-edge Greek film made in 2013, packs a serious punch. I can almost say it is a quasi Greek “Exorcist” except unlike Linda Blair it is not Satan destroying a little girl but rather 11 year old Anna is slowly being destroyed by her mother wanting what she believes to be the best for Anna. The best simply can’t obliterate a dirty little secret gnawing on Anna’s psyche.
Anna, a talented juvenile chef, is being relentlessly pushed by her mother to win a kiddie cooking show. No it is not a beauty contest a la Jon Benet nor parents pushing or permitting their children to participate in drag contests. Even injuries both physical and mental provide no respite to Anna’s misery at being edged on by her mother.
It is a therapist at the network that detects something unusual with Anna when she cuts her fingers with a grater at a television rehearsal. Despite the flagging of a potential psychological issue both the producer and Anna’s mother blindly push Anna towards the precipice.
But there is something even more sinister clawing Anna’s back. Can she overcome the past and her mother blinded by self-failure?
This very disturbing film is available to be streamed 3-12March 2023 through the Hellenic Film Society USA “Greek Films on Demand”. See https://www.goelevent.com/HellenicFilmSociety/e/MARJORAMMATZOURANA
It is in Greek with English subtitles. Directed by Olga Malea.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idkBjrr3UHc&t=3s
RKS 2023 Films Rating 92/100.
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