What to watch: The Summer With Carmen
Sun-drenched sensuality, love, and drama amidst the men of Greece.
Written and directed by Zacharías Mavroidí, The Summer With Carmen is a film within a film.
Best friends Demosthenes (Yorgos Tsiantoulas) and Nikitas (Andreas Labropoulos) are brainstorming ideas for a screenplay. They draw on the events of the previous summer - mostly revolving around Demosthenes' problematic love life.
The interview
While they were in London to screen the film, I caught up with Zacharías Mavroidí and Yorgos Tsiantoulas to discuss the making of The Summer with Carmen.
What was the creative process like for this film? Did you have a clear vision of where you wanted to get to with this project or were you kind of figuring it out as you went?
Zacharías: The idea of creating a film within a film developed along the way - as part of the writing process. Our process became part of the script - becoming more layered along the way. In a way, it represents how we narrate our stories and how we see ourselves.
Was Demos a character that you were automatically drawn to?
Yorgos: I have a lot of characteristics in common with Demos - primarily a multi-faceted personality, becoming a different person with different people. I was excited at the prospect of playing a lead role in a feature film - that's a rare opportunity in the Greek film industry. The audition process was about a month - trying me out with different scene partners to test chemistry.
How do you prepare for a role like Demos?
Yorgos: I've never had a dog in my life - my mother hated pets. We had a lot of rehearsal time, which is rare in movie production, so that helped. I got to be a dog person and develop the chemistry required. In terms of getting naked on camera, I trusted Zach's aesthetic and had faith in how that would be portrayed. For Demos, being naked was performative - he used his beauty and masculinity as a mask. I've performed naked scenes in theatre before - I always see it as a costume, a way that a character wants to portray himself.
What’s life like in the Greek film industry at the moment?
Zacharías: There's very limited funding available. Private funding is rare, and public funding of film productions is a very low priority for the government. This was something we had in mind as we were writing the script - we deliberate kept it low-budget. We shot the film in 25 days, which was asking a lot of everyone.
The film seems to showcase contemporary Athens at its best? Did you have an intention of wanting to portray the city in a specific way, or does it simply reflect the lives that these characters are living?
Zacharías: I love Athens - it's a really vivid city, it has beauty and ugliness. The film shows a constructed version of Athens - we shot in beautiful neighbourhoods, we focused on areas with steps. Not all of Athens is like that.
Friendship is a central theme of the film. In a world where gay men seem to be increasingly isolated and intimacy becomes transactional, is it becoming harder to sustain the kind of friendships shown in the film?
Zacharías: In Greek society, friendships are very important - your friends are your second family. For queer people, your friends often are your family - your chosen family. Maybe that's not the same in other countries. A friendship between two queer men has an additional abstract layer - we often share common trauma. When queer men spend time together, it can be a bit like group therapy.
The experience of cruising for sex is a theme that you’re presenting within the narrative. Are there any cultural nuances to cruising in Greece?
Yorgos: We filmed at Limanakia beach in the off-season, so it was quieter than when most people go there. But there was a sense of community there, the regulars were protective of us.
Zacharías: The film pays homage to cruising - a place like Limanakia is not just about casual sex - it's a place where people can feel safe, it's a playful space.
The review
This is a concept that runs the risk of being too meta, too self-absorbed, and too self-referential.
But there's a number of key factors that elevate The Summer With Carmen beyond wordy exposition.
Firstly, there's the embrace of nudity. Many of the conversations between Demosthenes and Nikitas take place on a nude beach. Love. Also, we get to Demosthenes frequently hooking up and getting naked. Also love.
Secondly, Yorgos Tsiantoulas is an incredibly attractive man. Whatever he is doing on screen, it's worth watching.
But most importantly, there's an engaging warmth to the storytelling that holds your attention - Zacharías Mavroidí brings a knowing self-depreciation to the whole exercise that draws the audience in with Brechtian flair. We're all in this together, we want to be entertained, we want to enjoy watching this story unfold.
The Summer With Carmen will have you dreaming of a spending some time in Athens, getting naked with the men of Greece.
The Summer With Carmen is distributed by Peccadillo Pictures
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