Directed by:
Theodoros AngelopoulosCinematography:
Andreas SinanosComposer:
Eleni KaraindrouCast:
Willem Dafoe, Bruno Ganz, Michel Piccoli, Irène Jacob, Christiane Paul, Alexandra Maria Lara, Valentina Carnelutti, Nenad Lucic, Reni Pittaki, Herbert Meurer (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
In this second part of Theo Angelopoulos' historical panorama, a director named A. begins making a film about the life of his parents, Spyros and Eleni. Time and again, the love story of these two Greek émigrés has been influenced by historical events: separated from each other during the Second World War, Spyros emigrated to the USA; in the wake of civil war in Greece Eleni found herself in the Soviet Union, along with other political exiles. A. was obliged to flee to Canada as a result of the Vietnam War. The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the beginning of a new era in his life.
These temporal layers are often intertwined during the course of the film. Following Stalin's death, Spyros travels secretly to Tashkent using a false name. But his true identity is exposed, and Eleni is sent to Siberia where she meets Jacob once more – a German Jew from Tashkent. Jacob stands by Eleni faithfully until her emigration to New York in 1974. Jacob even follows her to Toronto, where she meets A. who, at Eleni's request, was smuggled some time ago by Jacob's sister from Siberia to Spyros in the USA.
Years later, Eleni and Spyros decide to return to their native Greece. They pay a visit to Berlin where A. now lives, as does Jacob. They come together to celebrate New Year's Eve, but when A.'s daughter Eleni tries to commit suicide – a plan which only her grandmother can prevent – the evening takes a fatal turn ...
(Berlinale)
Cast
Willem Dafoe
USA
Best movies:
Platoon (1986)
The Kingdom (1994) (series)
Finding Nemo (2003)
Bruno Ganz
Switzerland
Best movies:
In the White City (1983)
Wings of Desire (1987)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
Michel Piccoli
France
Best movies:
Un amour de pluie (1974)
Milou in May (1990)
Mado (1976)
Irène Jacob
France
Best movies:
Three Colours: Red (1994)
The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
The Secret Garden (1993)
Christiane Paul
East Germany
Best movies:
Generation War (2013) (series)
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
The Wave (2008)
Alexandra Maria Lara
Romania
Best movies:
Rush (2013)
Control (2007)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
Valentina Carnelutti
Italy
Best movies:
The Best of Youth (2003) (series)
Quiet Chaos (2008)
Coco Chanel (2008) (TV movie)
Nenad Lucic
Best movies:
Mr. Nobody (2009)
The Last Station (2009)
Morgen, ihr Luschen! Der Ausbilder-Schmidt-Film (2008)
Reni Pittaki
Best movies:
Miss Violence (2013)
The Dust of Time (2008)
Herbert Meurer
West Germany
Best movies:
The Dust of Time (2008)
Tatort (1970) (series)
The Wild Chicks (2006)
Oliver Unkel
Best movies:
The Gift Horse (2009)
Berlin ’36 (2009)
The Dust of Time (2008)
Chantel Brathwaite
Best movies:
The Dust of Time (2008)
Anja Laïs
Germany
Best movies:
The Dust of Time (2008)
Tatort (1970) (series)
Nord bei Nordwest (2014) (series)
Sebastian Wurm
Best movies:
The Dust of Time (2008)
Nicque Derenbach
Best movies:
247 Days (2011) (TV movie)
The Dust of Time (2008)
Alessia Franchin
Best movies:
I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa (2001)
The Dust of Time (2008)