ETHNIKOS DOES THE DOUBLE

ERT this July, GFC this December!

We are happy to announce that our film in coproduction with Viewmaster Films has thus far obtained two public grants from Greece: the Greek Film Centre (National Ministry) selective grant, and the investment of the ERT (The Hellenic Broadcasting Network), who will step in as the main broadcaster for Greece’s territories—the contributions amount to €160,000 and €200,000 respectively. Currently, we are awaiting results from the Italian Ministry for the minority co-productions grant. The film is to be directed by the up-and-coming Greek independent film director, Yorgos Teltzidis. Wholly, the project has been in the works for about a year now, and is optimistically set to start principal photography in the Autumn of 2024.

Ethnikos Ellinoroson, whose namesake Athenian slavic neighbourhood and Basketball Team were crystallised in the 2015 theatre play by Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos and Yorgos Palumbis, has thus far garnered a rather impressive underground cult following, fuelled by the former’s artistic ascent. The play, which recounts the misadventures of a middle-aged group of friends reuniting for a monthly basketball game, is at heart a thriller expedited tragi-comedy, with elements of coarse black-humour. It revolves around its colourful protagonists and their flawed personalities. It shows us how despite appearances, even the longest of friendships can be tainted in a shroud of secrets, blackmail, and callous self-interest. Its less-than-likeable characters are thus vessels of this all too familiar state of limbo—mediocrity— people that attained what visible success they have, or didn’t manage well enough, are all somehow in the same boat—they are starkly different from one another, yet all are unhappy, bitter and morally challenged. Facing these unprecedented precedents will boil the pot over, and catapult them to previously uncharted territories to a cathartic finale.