Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria

Από την Άκρη της Πόλης
Greece, 1998, 94mins (Drama)
Director Constantinos Giannaris

Written by Constantinos Giannaris
Produced by Dionysis Samiotis & Anastasios Vasiliou
Cast: Stathos Papadopoulos, Costas Kotsianidis, Panayiotis Hartomatzidis, Dimitris Papoulidis, Theodora Tzimou, Anestis Polychronidis, Nikos Kamontos

“Like a Greek version of My Own Private Idaho.” The New York Post

Sporting a flesh-exposed cast of beautiful, body-sculptured actors, From the Edge of the City is “an anti-travelogue to a little-known corner of East European chaos” (Bright Lights Film) i.e. the immigrant rent-boys of Athens.

For the Kazakhstani youth of Menidi – a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Athens – clubbing, drugs, prostitution and petty thievery is an everyday part of life. For their leader, Sasha (Stathos Papadopoulos), this is just a transient stepping-stone to a better one, although his dreams appear out of reach when their lives collide with a ruthless world around them.

“Captures a gritty urban reality without moralizing or sentimentalizing.” The New York Times

Festivals & Awards: Thessaloniki International Film Festival 1998 (Best Director, Golden Alexander nomination), Stockholm Film Festival 1999 (Bronze Horse nomination)  

About the Director:
Born in Australia in 1959, Constantinos Giannaris studied Finance, History and Philosophy at the Universities of Kiel (Germany) and Birmingham (UK). His cinema career started in England where he worked on short independent films. Before From the Edge of the City, he made the English language 3 Steps to Heaven (1995), and, following, he made One Day in August (2001), which also screens in this year’s Best Of program.

To buy tickets, watch the trailer and for more information about the Greek Film Festival 2013 please click here to visit the official website.