The Summer With Carmen

Bluesky

Zacharias Mavroeidis’ enchanting summer drama is nothing if not open about its intentions. Over the very first shot, four propositions appear. 1. every movie has 3 acts; 2. every movie has a hero; 3. every hero has a goal; 4. every hero changes in pursuit of his goal. Of course, there’s a risk that you might miss them if you’re distracted by the naked sunbather’s arse over which they are displayed, but the film isn’t shy in that way, either.

This is a film about filmmaking – or at least scriptwriting, or at least thinking about writing a script – but it’s also a film about getting distracted, and how easy it is to flit from one alluring thing to another. If a fifth proposition might be added, it should be that a dog is for life, not just for filling the void after the end of a relationship. Demosthenes (Yorgos Tsiantoulos) doesn’t see himself as somebody with a void to fill. After all, as he is quick to point out to best friend Nikitas (Andreas Nikopoulos), he is the one who left Panos (Nikolaos Mihas), not the other way round. He’s shocked that Panos has gone out and acquired little Carmen (Nala) – but in due course, after a spot of dogsitting, he will fall in love with her too.

The sounds and sensations of summer are everywhere in Mavroeidis’ film, from the sun-soaked cruising beach where Demosthenes and Nikitas try to formulate their masterwork, to the joyous clamour of Athens Pride and the city streets where Carmen is taken on walks. The reality of having a dog soon becomes apparent to her new owner, who doesn’t like the idea of his life being compromised; and, as it turns out, neither does Demosthenes, who enjoys the thought of himself as a hero and rescuer but may not be ready to walk that walk. Then there’s his mother (the wonderful Roubini Vasilakopoulou), who immediately dismisses the hapless animal as dirty and unfit to be in her house. As Demosthenes explores the possibility of a new relationship with the handsome Thymios (Vasilis Tsigristaris), yet is somehow unable to fully separate himself from his past, Carmen gets passed around, her ready devotion repeatedly overlooked by the self-obsessed humans in her life.

What begins as a story of romance and creative pursuit gradually turns into something else as Carmen’s plight becomes too serious for anyone to ignore. For all that she’s sidelined, this charismatic animal has a way of dragging herself back into focus, her pure heart putting everyone else to shame. With a lesser canine star, the film would not have worked, but Nala is sensational – not only charming but subtle in her ability to convey all the complex emotions her character experiences. Some animals just get it when it comes to acting, and she’s one of them. If she gets the right roles in future, one can easily see her winning every canine award in the business.

With such a capable star at its heart – and some fairly impressive human contributors too – My Summer With Carmen is everything you could want from a feelgood but still intelligent independent film, at least as long as you’re not averse to extensive footage of naked male bodies. Some viewers will likely spend the whole film swooning over those, but even if you do, it’s Carmen who will capture your heart.