Looking for something bright, breezy and humorous? Look no further than “Listen to Who’s Talking” a Greek feature film playing at the Greek International Film Festival Tour 1-31October24 in 11 Canadian cities. Buried under the covers or dreamt up by my film weary mind is the concept of mindfulness meditation possibly present in the film.
Fotis is an Athenian life coach whose life is caught up in a boring routine. Work, return home exhausted, eat processed and delivered food, pat the dog and then go to bed, get up, have his kolouria at his coffee shop then head to the office to speak with his clients. Over and over with no girlfriend or friends for that matter.
But there is this voice that speaks to him primarily to rouse him from his dullard existence. The voice can be critical such as “Pizza again. How exciting” or “If you keep eating this crap you’ll develop scurvy.” “Another wasted day.” The voice can be encouraging, “What a babe. Get her telephone number.” “You’ve got to chase her. This is not like applying for a permit at the Ministry.”
After 200 days or ordering koluoria for his breakfast he finally looks up to see a beautiful woman, Chrysanthi, serving him. He is captivated so is she now that he has finally looked at her. The voice is his life coach advising how to develop his relationship with Chrysanthi. While there is this external voice directing, nagging, and criticizing Fotis, Chrysanthi’s friend Maria is a voice directing her. The voices heard by Fotis and Chrysanthi are comedic even if critical.
There are Fotis’ clients that are oddball one being a priest who slurps down communion wine as to throw it our would be a sin, a bribe taking soccer referee, a volleyball coach obsessed with his female players’ bottoms and a man obsessed with pigeons and mosquitos.
The movie concludes in a classic romcom manner. Good fun.
But this voice Fotis hears? Some external voice?
In mindfulness there is a key factor in mediation practice and that is shutting up the voice in your head that is judging, criticizing and thinking in many different directions. Could this be the voice Fotis hears? I am trained and certified in mindfulness and you think it is easy to shut up that voice. Think again it can take months of training and more than a few can’t master this simplest yet most difficult task.
The film shows in Vancouver and Toronto.
You can see the Greek trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvx_WMsrVAg . The film is in Greek but with English subtitles.
For more information check out https://gifft.ca
RKS 2024 Film Rating 81/100.
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