Greek film written and directed by Lakis Papastathis.
After twenty years in Paris, Kostas returns to his hometown of Mytilene, to accept the inheritance of the family’s ancestral home. As his portable digital camera documents the grand arrival of the prodigal son, and the warm reacquaintance with relatives and friends, the intangible but unbreakable bond between the vivid memories of a then-ten-year-old Kostakis and the new reality of a familiar but evolved place becomes more solid than ever. The relationship with Eleni, a strong-willed and sensitive doctor working at the nursing home in Mytilene, plays a crucial role. However, what drove Kostas away from his beloved island? Can he face the truth and the pale ghosts of the past?
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Original Title: Ταξίδι στη Μυτιλήνη
IMDb rating: 6,2/10
Cast:
Nikolas Papagiannis
Loukia Michalopoulou
Dimitris Katalifos
Ivonni Maltezou
Hristos Hatzipanagiotis
Theodoros Katsadramis
Movie Trivia:
1. This is just the fourth feature film in thirty years from a director who is unanimously considered ‘important’ by Greek film critics. Journey to Mytilène is mostly a nostalgic, tender and humane film.
2. Mytilène is the chief town of the island of Lésbos, located on the North Aegean. The ancient city, lying off the east coast, was initially confined to an island that later was joined to Lésbos, creating a north and south harbour. Mytilene is so popular among Greeks, that often the city’s name overshadows the name of the island.
3. Lakis Papastathis (1943–2023) was born in Volos and grew up on the island of Lesbos. He shot his first short film (Cases of “No”) in 1965, while in the period 1970–71 he collaborated as an assistant director with Alexis Damianos on the filming of the – almost legendary – film “Evdokia”. His third short film (“Letters from America”) won the First Prize at the Thessaloniki Greek Film Festival in 1972. He shot four feature-length fiction films: On the Time of Hellenes (1981), Theophilos (1987), The Only Journey of His Life (2001) and Journey to Mytilene (2010). In 1970, together with Takis Hatzopoulos, he founded Cinetic, a production company that became known for its television productions [Historical Archive (1975–1976), (1990–1997), The Revival of Ancient Drama (1998 and, more importantly, for the documentary series Paraskinio (1976–2013) which is the longest-running show on Greek television. He also published five short story collections.
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