Women who are deadlier than the male by Richard Mowe

Women who are deadlier than the male

Greek gothic noir Sea Of Glass turns the tables on two mainstream classics

by Richard Mowe

Greek trio from Sea of Glass at its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (from left) Christiana Matelska Toka, Alexis Alexiou and Evangelia Andreadaki Photo: Courtesy of EIFF/Pako Mera

As a way of confronting the issues of domestic violence Greek film-maker Alexis Alexiou and his co-writing partner Afroditi Nikolaidou are content to acknowledge a kinship with the classic Lana Turner version of The Postman Always Rings Twice as well as Ridley Scott’s Thelma And Louise written by Callie Khouri.

Other ingredients for Sea Of Glass, which they describe as “a gothic neo noir”, came from family histories, personal stories and articles in the media. “I thought what if the couple is not a conjugal couple but a father-daughter and the stranger who disturbs the relationship is a woman seeking solidarity and companionship, then that would give a different spin,” explains Nikolaidou.

“Companionship is a very important element. The two women come from different generations – one is in her early twenties and the other woman is in her early sixties but both have experienced the same kind of violence. And I wanted a woman in her sixties to be one of the main motivators of the film which you do not see very often.”

Evangelia Andreadaki - the role in Sea of Glass was written with her in mind Photo: Courtesy of EIFF/Aimee Todd

The film was shot against the stark landscapes of the island of Evia. Alexiou spent long summers there in the 1980s while Nikolaidou also was a visitor to the summer resort which lies around 2.5 hours away from Athens by bus and boat. “The landscape has changed and there was a lot of building to attract more tourists but now there’s swamps next to the sea. So you have a violation of the land which mirrors the fate of the women,” suggested Alexiou. “There were floods there and I think eight people lost their lives – a sort of revenge of the land, of you like.”

“What connects [the two heroines], and at the same time poisons their lives, is domestic violence and oppression. But they also share a common goal: the need to break free and rediscover themselves,” said Alexiou.

He pointed out that the atmosphere has a timeless and ethereal quality because time has not moved on in this setting. The language of the film is expressionistic – and although framed by the sea and the mountains it also feels quite claustrophobic. “It’s meant to indicate that nature is something bigger than everyone and it can swallow you up but also can give you freedom,” he adds.

Nikolaidou wrote the part of the older woman with established actress Evangelia Andreadaki in mind, alongside newcomer Christiana Matelska Toka, making her feature-film debut, as the younger free spirt.

Murderous intent: Christiana Matelska Toka and Evangelia Andreadaki clean up in Sea of Glass Photo: Courtesy of EIFF

Nikolaidou continues: “Evangelia was astonished when she read the script and found out it had been done with her in mind. We hoped she would say yes and she did.” At the start she is seen playing the carer for her bedridden husband in their small apartment in Athens but when he dies she decides on a spur of the moment take a holiday to the island resort and encounters 23-year-old Vicky who runs the family business of a taverna and rooms to rent while coping with an alcoholic father.

Alexiou, whose previous films comprised Tale 52 and Wednesday 04:45, rehearsed with the cast for three months ahead of shooting. “There was a lot of demanding stuff. We had a lot of preparation for the difficult scenes some of which were quite physical. So we all lived on the island like a small family and as luck would have it most of the actors were available for the whole time. Often you find actors have other projects and you have to fit in around them. It was a useful period because some of the dialogue changed as we got into it.”

The locals on the island embraced the film crew in their midst because not many films are shot there, although Thessaloniki Film Festival's annual Evia Project has been aiming to change that.

“It’s not postcard picturesque and we were pleased to be able to show a part of Greece that is normally not seen in the cinema,” adds Alexiou, who along with the rest of the team has enjoyed comparing their home turf to Edinburgh, often dubbed “the Athens of the North”.

As a parting shot Alexiou beamed and said unprompted: “You know I am a big fan of the Eye for Film website. I read it from Athens all the time."