Suntan
Director: Argyris Papadimitropoulos
Talent: Makis Papadimitriou, Elli Tringou, Dimi Hart, Hara Kotsali
Released: 28th April
Middle-aged Kostis (Papadimitriou) becomes the only doctor in a tiny Greek island. Despite a population of 800 in winter, the place explodes in summer as thousands of young, hedonistic holidaymakers arrive. Kostis manages to ingratiate himself with a group of attractive tourists and falls for the lovely Anna (Tringou) – an initially harmless enough infatuation that soon starts to acquire sinister overtones.
Directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Suntan is a deeply disquieting cinematic experience. The film eventually goes to some very dark places as our protagonist begins to unravel, but even before that, when he is still living it up with his new friends and generally having a ball, his obvious emotional instability means you’re just waiting for things to go wrong. It is a fearless performance by Papadimitriou, matched in every way by Tringou, whose beauty and unbridled sensuality, far from being scintillating, merely highlight the inescapable differences between Anna and Kostis. You definitely won’t enjoy this movie, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it.
Words – Felipe Deakin
