A year has passed since we last updated and in that year the world has seen the escalating drama of the refugees right on their doorstep. The biggest displacement of human wave since WWII.
When we set out to make the film, we knew we were making a reflection of the last 7 years and we tried to incorporate (in an allegorical way) what is going on in Europe and how Europe reacts to the major (and even minor) events that occur. We shot scenes that would enlarge the story and we managed with a lot of blood, sweat and tears to expand the mind storyline of the heroine.
Europe – our heroine as you know, has two journeys in the film. The conscious, which happens inside her flat with Rich and her subconscious which happens outside and where the reality of her situation is allowed to be shown, felt and, dealt with. Here is a scene of her subconscious where she deals with the escalating drama of the refugees. How she reacts and what happens in this scene reflects the motives and feelings of a torn Europe that wants to help, that feels responsible, guilty, worried, justified and ultimately human. The refugees are not criminals, they say that clearly.
In Indie filmmaking you don’t have the luxury of turning day into night or night into day, or turning winter into summer and spring into autumn. No budget for that. So we had to wait for 4 seasons. We had to wait for spring.
We had to wait for poppies, bluebells and rape fields.
And autumn. We are now waiting for bare trees and we are literally DONE.
We shot some good scenes all year. Casting took time as the pool of actors that can work for the basic and are also pretty amazing is quite limited.
We have now completed 90% of the visual effects and have edited the entire film, bar a few scenes that be shot in a church next month.
Here are some photos of our last year’s work, a constant day/night dedication which I am very proud of. With Paul, Natalie and Clare, the team of 3 has done something incredible. We want to believe you will like the results and that the anticipation of Marriage is stronger than ever.
As a Greek seeing my country losing its identity, its purpose and its hope I can’t help but putting an image that is on my mind into the film. This image does not ridicule either parties despite what many will say. But it is the reality and I’m interested in showing only the reality. Greece is at the mercy of its Lenders, that is a fact. Greece is trying to get into a programme, a kind of routine that will eradicate the corruption of the past and will open the door for a socio-political structure that abides to European rules, bringing the country to the 21st century and up to par with the West and the developing economies. Well, all good in paper and theory but the journey to this point is not easy. And the average Greek is faced with a cataclysmic u turn of the life they had , not a life of corruption alone, but a life of decency and fairness. That to me is the depiction of the working/ middle class Greek who is at the mercy of their CARER, a carer who has good intentions but needs to be firm and strict in order for the programme to be seen through.
Angela and Homer. Another vivid image of Europe’s imagination, that comes and taunts her. (In the film Europe is taunted by nightmares.)
I will stop here or else I will give away key scenes and spoil all surprises. I have to leave by adding that, it may have taken 3 years to finish it, but this film is perhaps the only film out there that is brutally honest about the world we live in and I’m immensely proud of it. It started as a small intimate piece and has expanded into a feature of great production value and riveting storyline.
See you soon for the final update, keep well and see you at the premiere.