Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria

Greece/Germany, 2014, 103mins (Drama)

Director Athanasios Karanikolas

The Hellenic answer to Upstairs, Downstairs.

With a noticeably absent musical score and a remarkably minimal style, At Home is both a tender and restrained melodrama – a testament to the skills of both its director, Athanasios Karanikolas, and cinematographer, Johannes Louis.

In what The Hollywood Reporter describes as "a magnetic lead performance", Maria Kallimani plays Nadja, the long-term housekeeper for Stefanos (Alexandros Logothetis), Evi (Marisha Triantafyllidou) and their daughter, Iris (Zoi Asimaki). This wealthy family lives in an idyllic Marathon villa and considers Nadja an integral member of their home. However, when Nadja is diagnosed with a degenerative illness and the family business falls victim to the fragile Greek economy, Nadja finds herself alone in her dual struggle with mortality and money.

As engrossing as it is accomplished in its performances, At Home leaves all viewers breathless with its extensive master shots of the captivatingly beautiful Marathon area and Aegean Sea.

Written by: Athanasios Karanikolas

Produced by: Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Lasse Scharpen, Lucas Schmidt

Cast: Maria Kallimani, Alexandros Logothetis, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Zoi Asimaki, Giannis Tsortekis

About the Director:

Born in 1967 in Thessaloniki, Athanasios Karanikolas studied photography in New York, and video and media art in Düsseldorf, before completing his studies in film direction at the University of Film and Television in Potsdam. At Home (2014) is his third feature film, following on from Echolot (2013) and his debut, Elli Makra, 42277 Wuppertal (2007).

Greek Synopsis:

Μια Γεωργιανή οικιακή βοηθός ζει μαζί μια όμορφη ζωή με μια οικογένεια, σε ένα σπίτι στα Δικαστικά του Μαραθώνα. Όλα όμως αλλάζουν όταν μαθαίνει πως υποφέρει από μια αρρώστεια.