RKS 2024 Film: “All The Lost Ones”: A Civil War Spreads Upwards North Bay Way!

A massive water contamination incident kills thousands on North America’s northeast coast. Climate activists go wonkers in a Greta Thunberg fury sparking a backlash from a paramilitary-political group the United Conservancy comprised of neo Nazis, racists, white supremacists and assorted right wing deviants. Law and order people or so they say marching northward seeping intoContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “All The Lost Ones”: A Civil War Spreads Upwards North Bay Way!”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Acheron” (Short)

Acheron is that mythical river in northwestern Greece where legend would have it Charon the ferryman transported souls of the damned to Hades.  Coins were given to Charon in return for transportation. Yet there is a school of thought describing the Acheron River as a place of healing, cleansing and the purging of sin fromContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Acheron” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Driving Me Crazy” (Short)

Parthena dives her Papu to his doctor’s appointment in town. Parthena is filling in for his regular driver so they are forced to talk to each other for once. Papu speaks his mind and like her Papu, Parthena does as well. Off the bat we surmise Papu must be a traditionalist refusing to call Parthena,Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Driving Me Crazy” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Gardener’s Death” (Short)

A man lies sleeping in a beyond dilapidated room. The door knocks with a letter on the doorstep stating, “I am here waiting”. Three people appear in the man’s room one of which is holding a newspaper with sensational headlines (except one which laments the 100% increase in the price of olive oil) linked toContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Gardener’s Death” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “MJ” (Short)

The Greek film short “MJ” weaves a cautionary tale about entertainment industry fame known yet forgotten by many. Fame is fleeting. “MJ” initially is comedic. In fact, it is hilarious. MJ is a rapper with an ego the size of the Parthenon. Material trappings have inflated his ego to the extent he can’t deliver twoContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “MJ” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival:” What Mary Didn’t Know”

“What Mary Didn’t Know” is a lighthearted Greek, French and Swedish co-production. Mary is cruising with her Swedish family in one of those floating hotels. The ship is the NEOROMANTICA with more seniors than you can shake a stick at. Mary’s father complains in the ship’s dining room there is salami in his Spaghetti CarbonaraContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival:” What Mary Didn’t Know””

RKS 2024 Film (Short): The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Halycon Days”

A farm girl and an auto mechanic from a small Greek village are driving to the mayor’s office for their marriage ceremony but the officiant leaves the building before the ceremony joins the two as man and wife. They must return the following day. The camera work is brilliant in capturing facial expressions of theContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film (Short): The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Halycon Days””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Maldives”

I read the writer and director’s statement (Daniel Bolda) about his film “Maldives” and had a chuckle as the film is, in my opinion, an open book capable of multiple interpretations. With all due respect and affection, I say Bolda is entitled to his interpretation as you and I are as well! Not that IContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Maldives””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Strangers’ Case”

The Strangers’ Case” was filmed in Jordan, Turkey and Greece. It recounts the journey of several refugees from Aleppo in Syria to the island of Lesvos, Greece in the Eastern Aegean Sea. Amira is a successful pediatric radiologist working in a hospital running short of supplies but is never short of blood and suffering.  AfterContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Strangers’ Case””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Wishbone”

Sorry for jumping ahead here. Do you like “happy endings” and by that I don’t mean that term as used in that “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode with Larry David and his Korean masseuse I watched on my KLM flight from Thessaloniki to Toronto this week. There is no clear-cut ending here. Director Penny Panayotopoulou hasContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Wishbone””