Based on a WWII-set novel by Glenway Wescott, Ruggero Dipaola’s debut feature tells the story of the Helenios family, forced to board a Nazi captain in their small Athens apartment, and the pressures his presence exerts on each member. Mother Zoe is upset by her husband’s toadying to the soldier while her young daughter and rebellious son face their guest’s emotional manipulations and capricious wrath. A lightness of sorts is reached when the German leaves for two weeks and the family can breathe freely again. But his return—and the emotional sea change he has undergone while away—will prove devastating to the family’s wellbeing. Confined to tight spaces and whispered conversations, the film is tensely claustrophobic and features an anchoring performance by the wonderful Laura Morante.


Written by Ruggero Dipaola, Luca de Benedittis, Heidrun Schleef. Photographed by Vladan Radovic. With Laura Morante, Richard Sammel, Vincenzo Crea. 95 min. In Italian and Greek with subtitles. L'Occhio e la Luna.