Heiners Filmseiten – Hard Goodbyes: My Father (en)

Hard Goodbyes: My Father (Δύσκολοι αποχαιρετισμοί: Ο μπαμπάς μου)

German title: Schwerer Abschied: Mein Vater
Francaise title: Adieux difficiles: Mon père
Spain title: Papá Â¿Porqué te fuiste?
Greek title: Δύσκολοι αποχαιρετισμοί: Ο μπαμπάς μου
Russian title: Тяжелое прощание: Мой отец
Original title: Δύσκολοι αποχαιρετισμοί: Ο μπαμπάς μου

Alternative titles:
Schwere Abschiede: Mein Vater / Schwerer Abschied – Mein Vater / Des adieux difficiles: mon papa / Diskoli apocheretismi: O babas mou

Drama – Greece, Germany
Production year: 2002
Movie length: 113 minutes

Director: Penny Panayotopoulou
Writer: Penny Panayotopoulou, Nikos Panayotopoulos, Katerina Shina, Laya Yourgou, Jan Fleischer
Cinematograph: Dimitris Katsaitis
Music: Stavros Sofianopoulos

Movie description:

Elias is a 10 year old boy living in Athens with his family in 1969 and has an interest in Jules Verne’s stories and in astronomy. His father, with whom Elias has a strong relationship, is a travelling salesman and his absence affects the whole family. On the eve of his departure for a long business trip he promises his son that he’ll be back in time to watch the moon landing on TV together, but he is killed in a car accident. While Elias’ mother and his elder brother deal with the loss in their own way, Elias refuses to accept his father’s death. He creates an imaginary world, in which his father is alive. He shares fictitious stories with his friends, he sends letters to his grandmother on behalf of his father and he dreams of places like he did with him. Elias’ mother and his godfather, who do everything to bring him back to reality, take him to a summer house. On the night of the moon landing Elias meets his father in his own way and comes to terms with his loss.

Set in Athens at the end of the sixties, the film deals with ten-year-old Elias and his attempts to cope with the tragic death of his father. His brother, mother and other members of the family face this unexpected blow each in his or her own way, but the boy is unable to accept the painful reality. He refuses to come to terms with the fact that he’ll never see his father again and clings to the promise that, after his father returns, they’ll watch the American moon landing together. The burdensome situation marks the boys behaviour. Elias lies, quarrels with friends at school, runs away from home and writes letters to his grandmother as though they are from his father. When the moon landing is broadcast, Elias finally takes the first step towards saying goodbye. The anger he has stored up is replaced with understanding and the boy stops waiting for something which will never return.

Boy Actors