Apartment in Athens (Appartamento ad Atene)

Year: 2011
Country: ITALY
Run Time: 95 minutes

Set in 1942 Athens, a war ravaged Greek family is forced to host a high ranking Nazi officer. Their home, already weakened by the death of their eldest son and the ever-present pangs of hunger in wartime, is thrown into upheaval as they endeavor to satisfy the exacting demands of their unwelcome border. The well-educated and dignified father (Gerasimos Skiadaresis) is forced to complete more and more humiliating tasks until his very humanity seems to be slipping away, as his defiant son and wife watch helplessly within the confines of their small apartment. The officer's cruelty escalates while their adolescent daughter, intoxicated by the power of a man in uniform, treads a fine line between dutiful service and worshipful servitude. With nuanced performances and precise pacing, the subtle APARTMENT IN ATHENS portrays the rarely explored details of life under occupation, and we are left questioning the strength of our own morality under such tragic circumstances. (In Greek and German with subtitles) – S.H.

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