THE TREE AND THE SWING: THEME OF ROOTS BY PRADIP BISWAS, THE INDIAN EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS, INDIA 44TH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 2013 Theo Angelopouls, the maestro of Greek epic cinema, is the first ever director to tackle theme of roots in his films in Central Europe. The theme of roots or homecoming has been a strong theme of Maria Douza’s film under review. The was shown at the INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA, GOA, IN 2013. Maria too is in search of roots in her film that displays great social and economic woes pushing people to cross borders, seeking a more viable future. Maria Douza’s feature debut explores such themes via Eleni , a Greek doctor who has moved to London in order to set up a new life with a secured a job and started a family there.The subject has it that her lone father (Ilias Logothetis) seems unwilling to visit her in London without showing any reason. He is a mysterious character as he likes to be rooted to his domain of land. On the other hand Eleni has developed a harsh defense mechanism to sustain her longing, She has in her mentions of her Greek heritage causing her an almost allergic reaction. However, when she’s faced with having to follow her husband to Shanghai where he’s being sent with new job assignment. While staying with her husband at a new place, she feels the urge to visit her father and the land she’s been trying to dispose off. In the process drama is heightened when she reaches home to discover a Serbian woman living with her father after a heart attack. Eleni knew nothing about it and neither her father told Eleni anything about such arrangement, She staying in Eleni’s own old room. Nina (Mirjana Karanovic) seems to have almost replaced Eleni in her father’s every-day life, nearly predominating over all things that matter. What is of utter interest is the way Maria Douza carefully structures of the film without any blemishes. Her filmic intention is probe how people under severe economic conditions and political imbalance are to adjust to new mould of new life style, good or worse, It is more hard to build up family drama with thin subject though crossing border is an essential mode for the creative Greeks. Maria Douza knows the handling of subtle family drama whose proof is evident in the current film. The film is of 104 minute duration and literally sways the viewers with convincing metaphor. The Tree and the Swing is a sensitive film and stays with viewers long after they leave the hall.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 15:10:53 +0000
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