The Cinematheque

“Playful and unconventional … This is a filmmaker with faith in his own rhythms and a muscular enough plan of attack to encourage us to fall in step with this family summer, which plays out at the meeting point of nostalgia and something new.”

Amber Wilkinson, Screen International

An astonishing, stylish, and fresh feature film debut made with cinematic flourishes and editing freedom, Kyuka is an exquisite, immersive experience that has drawn comparisons to splashy debuts like Murina and Aftersun. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of the island of Poros, the film shows Babis, a single father, as he takes his twins, Konstantinos and Elsa, on a sailing trip aboard the family boat. Days unfold in golden ritual, but beneath the warmth, something stirs. A tender, quietly seismic journey into adulthood, Charamountanis’s film (named after the Japanese term for ​“holidays”) gathers pace as it becomes increasingly experimental. Elena Topalidou, the star of Magnetic Fields (VGFF 2023), appears in a supporting role.

In Greek with English subtitles