Mosaiko

The Flight of the Swan

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Award winning director, Nikos Tzimas (Moscow International Film Festival) weaves a tale of a young idealist who slowly turns into the person he despised. The film opens during the final days of the military dictatorship in Greece with three friends Alexis, Dimitris and Socrates taking part in the protest which saw students taking over the Polytechnic University which was subsequently stormed by the army.

The military junta falls and Alexis travels to New York to complete his degree in urban planning at Columbia University. There he meets Maria, they fall in love and move to Greece where they both work as architects. His old friends are also marrying and embarking on careers. Dimitris becomes a TV journalist, while Socrates becomes a judge in the provinces.

Alexis receives a position with a multi-national construction company and on his way up the corporate ladder loses his friends, his marriage and his integrity.  Alexis is jolted back to reality when the unbridled greed of his company causes an unprecedented ecological catastrophe costing many human lives.

Alexis wants to regain everything he has lost in his life… but he is completely trapped. He is caught in a web of intrigue that tightens like a vice driving him into an inevitably lethal conflict with the conglomerate.

Mosaiko.gr met with Joan Borsten, producer of the film, and Conrad Gonzalez, editor of the film and discussed the premier in Greek theaters, their vision for the film and the Greek cinema.

Have you been to Greece before? Your latest film “The Flight of the Swan” just premiered in Greek theaters. What should the audience expect?

JOAN BORSTEN:  I first came to Greece between my freshman and sophomore years of university, and later many times as a journalist.  It is a pleasure to be here again now, by chance  at the St. George Lycabetus, the same lovely hotel Melina Merkouri introduced me to when she was running for parliament.

CONRAD GONZALEZ:  This is my first time in Greece and I am having a great time.

JOAN:   I am especially happy to be coming this time as the producer of an English-language Greek movie that audiences around the world will hopefully remember not only for its timely message about corporate greed but also for some spectacular scenes of Greece.

On Monday night I attended with world premiere of “Flight of the Swan” with three of the actors who flew in from abroad for the occasion and Conrad who re-edited the film in Los Angeles for international audiences.  As it turned out, this was the version Greek audiences are also seeing.  I was nervous of course.  I am always nervous when seeing a film with an audience for the first time and I had been told Greek audiences boo and hiss if they do not respond to the subject matter.   As it turned out the local audience was highly appreciative of the work of Nikos Tzimas, the good acting, cinematography, music and editing.  Many told me angrily that the timing of the film was perfect because just last month a whole piece of a new highway in the Peloponnese gave way.

Watching the trailer we saw an array of distinguished American actors co-starring with renowned Greek artists. How was the overall collaboration?

The American and British actors got along well with the Greek actors and were thrilled to have worked with such distinguished personalities.

What made you decide to produce this film and what is next for you? What do you think of the Greek cinema and Greek actors?

JOAN:  Mr. Tzimas asked me to help him realize his long time dream. My main role was to help him get talented English-speaking actors, and to help create an international version.    I believe in filmmakers who have passion and vision.  My next task is to make sure Flight of the Swan is seen around the world.

CONRAD GONZALEZ:    By the time Joan approached me about re-editing the film for international distribution, I already had a positive impression of Greek cinema.  I attended the last two Los Angeles Greek film festivals, once as a member of the jury, once as part of the audience.  I was very impressed by what i saw — the great talent

JOAN:  While here I learned that Greece has just passed a new film law which will make it economically advantageous to film international productions here.  I applaud the Ministry of culture for having the vision to do this.  There are amazing locations here, great stories, professional crews and many potential investors. I am already looking at several new projects to film here.

CONRAD:  I would love to come back to work on a film from the first day of shooting.