Sceneggiatura, musica / Screenplay, Music: Kostis Charamountanis Fotografia / Photography: Konstantinos Koukoulios Montaggio / Editing: Kostis Charamountanis, Lambis Haralambidis Suono / Sound: Nikos Konstantinou, Kostas Fylaktidis Scenografia / Set Designer: Vassilina Kouliou Costumi / Costume Designer: Konstantinos Georgopoulos, Vassilina Kouliou Interpreti / Cast: Elsa Lekakou, Simeon Tsakiris, Konstantinos Georgopoulos, Elena Topalidou, Afroditi Kapokaki, Stathis Apostolou, Ioli Kalaitzi, Chryssi Vidalaki Produzione / Produced by: Heretic, List Production Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Greek Film Center, North Macedonia Film Agency, ERT Con il sostegno di / Supported by: National Centre of Audiovisual Media & Communication – EKOME in Greece Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: Heretic
Summertime. A family of three, a single father, Babis, and his twin children on the verge of adulthood, Konstantinos and Elsa, sail to the island of Poros on the family boat for their holidays. In the midst of swimming, sunbathing and making new friends, Konstantinos and Elsa meet unbeknownst to them, their birth mother, Anna who abandoned them when they were babies. This encounter will stir up long-held feelings of resentment in Babis, resulting in a sun kissed, bittersweet coming-of-age journey for everyone involved. Opening film of the ACID selection at the latest Cannes Film Festival.
“Kyuka Before Summer’s End is part of a trilogy beginning with the 2018 short film Kioku Before Summer Comes. Inspired by a patchwork of elements and real events, the film draws partially from my childhood memories of family vacations aboard a small sailboat in Poros. The confined space of the sailboat bred tension. Yet amidst this dynamic, the enduring presence of humor and love left behind a bittersweet nostalgia for those cherished vacations. At its heart, Kyuka delves into the complexities of familial relationships, exploring the bonds between parents and their children. The love between siblings and how sometimes, this kind of parental, protective love can easily turn suffocating and toxic. It reflects on adulthood and what can trigger it in a person regardless of their biological age. Since the summer of 2017, Kyuka has been my devoted project, embodying a personal evolution in my filmmaking journey, akin to a coming-of-age experience.” (K. Charamountanis)
Kostis Charamountanis
Kostis Charamountanis, born in 1994 in Athens, is a self-taught filmmaker, writer, editor, and composer. He graduated from the Athens Conservatory School of Drama in 2015. Kyuka Before Summer’s End, his debut feature film, was developed as part of the Midpoint Feature Launch 2020, a program of the Midpoint Institute. The film was screened also at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, where it won a number of awards.
2016 The Eye and the Brow cm / sf 2017 The Beast Asleep cm / sf 2018 Kioku Before Summer Comes cm / sf 2019 Dog of Chamomile cm / sf doc. 2020 Anthologio mias petaloudas cm / sf 2021 Clouds Over my Backyard cm / sf 2024 Kyuka Before Summer’s End; Premi / Awards: Thessaloniki FF – Premio del pubblico, Premio Finos Film, Miglior film per la Giuria dei giovani, Premio Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece al Miglior regista debuttante / Audience Award, Finos Film Award, Best Film Award of the Youth Jury, Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece Award to a Debutant Director
