We review the Greek LGBT comedy, 'The Summer of Carmen' by Zacharias Mavroeidis.

Zacharias Mavroeidis is one of the unacknowledged queer cinematic voices in Greek cinema. Far from the camp sensitivity and the magical realism of Panos H. Koutras (Xenia), his films (The Guide -2010, Defunct -2019) tell stories of queer empathy in a non-always-hospitable, middle-class environment.
 
 This makes it rather queer when the opening shot of his recent, rather unsure but still meatful film, 'The Summer with Carmen' (2024) opens with a shot of the bare ass of his main actor, Demosthenes (Yorgos Tsiantoulas) in a sunny Greek beach. But we immediately get it that raciness here has to do with cinematic rulebooks as well since the sun-drenched nudist beach is here to celebrate the 'golden rules of screenwriting' (one of the film's frequent title cards). Macho, baby-gorilla type Demosthenes and his fledgling director and friend Nikitas (Andreas Labropoulos) have an idea: to make their own life into a queer film -indie, for the money by the foreign French producer is not forthcoming. And it needs to have sex (so shots of Demosthenes' frontal nudity gleefully about); but it cannot be porn (so, some people should feel guilty about it afterward).
 
 Demosthenes' life -which informs the bulk of the film- is the 'after' day: the breakup with his current boyfriend Panos (Nikolaos Mihas) makes Demosthenes unafraid to decide on his next moves. In a self-defensive act,  he almost adopts his ex-boyfriend's dog, the lovable Carmen. Mavroeidis wants us to be aware of all the queer cinematic stereotypes, so Bizet's music is also in the background and also discussed (as it should be, between two gay men). His comedy of manners proceeds still with the always-tested incongruous duo: the macho hero who cannot commit (to a relationship, to a breakup) and the artistic, unhappy in life, queer director -who needs to substitute sexual creativity with the artistic one. So, when Demosthenes and Nikitas are on the screen, the screen ultimately fires up; their exchanges reveal much of what the young gay community has at stake. Being sexually open, yet being caring at the same time -and being tired of being thought of just as 'gay'. Without being downright 'ha ha' funny (Mavroeidis writes the script, along with Xenofon Halatsis), 'The Summer with Carmen' is a verbal bromance that mostly hits its mark.

Mavroeidis refers to the Greek Weird Wave (check the Athens 'Attenberg' mural when the screenwriting partners talk about their work) but never follows it; so, his production design and cinematography reveal a warm-hearted, open Athens. Homophobia is kept in the closet (the absent, ailing, homophobic father of Demosthenes is only briefly seen -and always discussed as a burden); and his characters need to reflect on the complexities of a same-sex relationship without external interference. Demosthene's mother (a carefully restrained Roubini Vasilakopoulou) only reflects the film's tone of cautious optimism.

Regardless of the many steamy scenes, the best of 'The Summer with Carmen' lies in the film's contrast between a life lived to the fullest and a life with an (artistic, relationship) purpose in mind. Here Mavroeidis' meta-device of screenwriting plot point somehow sabotages his own film; he almost pulls the rug under his characters, trying to control them as if they were still his script creations and not fully-fledged characters on screen. Tsiantoulas nearly falls victim to this, presenting at times a more stiff and macho character than his role seems to require; Labropoulos, on the other hand, plays fluidly, giving the vivid portrait of a promising but struggling young man to be the next Xavier Dolan.


'The Summer with Carmen' both wants and doesn't want to be a 'gay breakup' film, with all its consequences (go back to your friends, get a pet, etc.); when it does so, it's fine and welcome to behold. It is less successful as a treatise on film art. Yet, it is thoroughly modern, and contemporary and presents a view of the Greek gay men scene from the inside out.

Vassilis Kroustallis

 

'The Summer with Carmen' is now out on DVD/Blu-Ray