By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Alexander Voulgaris
Starring: Alexander Voulgaris | Argiris Thanasoulas | Christina Mathea | Romanna Lobats
Original language title: Roz
Country: greece
Year: 2007
Running time: 95
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368794/
Bruce says: “There are many things to like about PINK. PINK is a meditation on personal history, love, loss and creativity. It unconventionally wanders between fantasy and reality. Using a clay model of Athens to tell his story director Voulgaris creates a fantasy reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s in HEAVENLY CREATURES. It is an alternate world. Alexander Voulgaris’ fresh, innovative approach to storytelling makes PINK an enjoyable viewing experience. My one reservation with PINK is the apparent age-old rationalization that spiritual bonding can excuse a much older man’s interest in a young girl. Throughout this film ‘inappropriate’ kept coming to mind. ‘How inappropriate?’ is a question that remains unanswered by the ambiguous ending of the film.
“Writer/director Voulgaris stars as well. He plays Vassilis Galis a musician who cannot find his niche. His mother leaves to ‘travel the world’ when he is ten; he writes her frequently in hope she will return. She was his anchor, his entry into the world at large. Vassilis has a severe schoolteacher who also affects him profoundly. Poor Vassilis gets off to a difficult start with women. To make matters worse, his father is poor at parenting.
“As a young man Vassilis falls in love with an Irish girl in Berlin but the romance evernutally falls apart. Back in Athens, his brother provides emotional support but that does not seem to be enough to overcome his painfully shy demeanor. Vassilis is obsessed with recording the music of immigrants, documenting the cultural diversity before it becomes homogenized. One day on a shoot, he meets a pubescent immigrant named Romanna who has artistic leanings; the two bond and a close friendship ensues. As a child Vassilis kept a journal and Romanna keeps one, too. This relationship seems to be what Vassilis needs to give him an emotional boost.
“The film walks the line between innocence and the debauchery of youth. Suprisingly, it never becomes maudlin nor does it succumb to its insidious undertones. That alone is an amazing achievement for a young director. Alexander Voulgaris is a talent to watch. 4 1/2 cats
“PINK screened at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival”