A talented method actor commits a heist that goes wrong. He befriends the critically injured victim and tries to reconcile his guilt before his one-shot scholarship audition in New York.

Athens, Greece. Luca, a talented actor, lives with his brother, Alekos, in challenging socio-economic circumstances. Luca’s life takes a dramatic turn when he receives the opportunity of a lifetime—an invitation to study method acting at a prestigious school in New York. To seize this chance and escape their difficult situation, the brothers commit armed robbery to secure the necessary funds. During the heist Luca accidentally shoots an innocent pedestrian named Ilias, critically injuring him. The brothers escape without being caught.

Luca visits Ilias in the hospital’s trauma ward to silence him as a witness but instead befriends him without confessing that he was the amateur that shot him. Ilias, a despairing bourgeoisie finds solace in Luca’s enigmatic presence and Luca delves into the world of method acting as he prepares for his audition. Together, they navigate the blurred lines of friendship and deception, transcending societal boundaries. Two unlikely friends find solace and purpose in each other’s company, all against the backdrop of their life-altering choices. Luca introduces Ilias to the world of acting, taking them to the brink.

As the New York audition draws near, Luca grapples with the weight of his actions. His pursuit of method acting in New York serves as a driving force, urging him to confront his past and the complex emotions he never thought he’d face.

ANTONIS TSONIS is a Greek born, writer/director, who studied law and history and received his Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Antonis’ narrative and visual inspiration comes from Italian neorealist cinema, the French poetic realists and the independent American new wave movement of the 1970’s.

A contemporary filmmaker, Antonis is especially focused on stories about characters struggling on the fringes of society. His themes are contemporary, and his style is timeless – his stories could be set in any language or in any city.

Antonis, celebrated as one of Greece’s most successful independent short filmmakers, makes his feature debut with this film. His body of work has received critical acclaim and has also resonated particularly well in Italy and within the U.S. independent film circuit. In his debut feature film, Antonis brings a rare Russo-German handheld technique to BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE, and challenges audiences to explore the porous boundaries between acting and reality.

BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE offers a unique exploration of the struggles faced by Luca, an aspiring actor living in the impoverished neighbourhood of Kypseli, Athens, Greece. Despite his physical confinement, Luca’s ambitions have already transported his psyche to the world of his acting heroes, particularly Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.

As Luca prepares for a crucial audition to study method acting in New York, he becomes entangled in a heist with his younger brother, Aleko, leading to unintended consequences. Through a twist of fate, Luca befriends the critically injured victim, a member of the petty bourgeoisie, and exposes him to the captivating realm of acting, where the boundaries between truth and fiction blur, and emotional authenticity takes precedence.

This journey reveals that open-ended beauty can be attained not just by navigating universal suffering but also by embracing the actor’s calling, constantly striving for realism that exists just beyond reach yet always within the actor’s essence.

Luca’s mentorship by the spectral Stella Adler, conveyed through his vintage TV screen, emphasizes the necessity of a soul for acting. Inspired by this, Luca embarks on a quest to craft his own soul, ultimately leading to the pinnacle of his journey: his performance of a monologue for the New York audition, set in a contemporary world distant from the neon-lit dreams of the past.

BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE aims to provide a cinematic perspective on American film culture through the lens of a method actor, delving into the enormity that the actor’s persona can attain. The narrative explores the idea that the crucible of a “little life” might be where a method actor’s soul is born. The story raises the question of whether a Greek Marlon Brando or Al Pacino, or their equivalents from any corner of the world, can emerge in contemporary Athens or elsewhere.

Ultimately, the story underscores the notion that the actor’s eye is the nexus where creative imagination and the possession of a soul become inseparable from realism. It celebrates the triumph of beauty in shaping a character, even in the face of the ugly and disturbing.

TIA SPANOS TSONIS is a producer from Melbourne, Australia and the co-founder of Ficino Films. Tia has produced and distributed four short films; together they share in over 130 Official Selections and 85 nominations and awards including Best Short Film from many festivals across America and Europe. Two of her short films,
The Firebird and 3000 also achieved limited theatrical release in the USA and Indonesia. Tia works on PR & Marketing campaigns in the entertainment, hospitality and publishing industry and her inspiration to produce comes from her desire to share stories that are unrelenting in their expression of the human condition. This is Tia’s debut feature film.

BLAKE NORTHFIELD is the Co – Founder and CEO of Bronte Pictures Pty Ltd, CO – Chairman of the Asian Alliance Film Corporation and owner of Byron Bay Lounge Cinema. With fourteen years working experience in the film and television industry, Blake started out as an actor and runner. Training in Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne for acting, Blake’s acting credits include Home and Away, Please Like Me & The Story of Us. Working in Management under mentor, Mark Byrne, in Sydney, Blake spent two years working in the administration side of the business. Co – Founding Bronte Pictures Pty Ltd in 2015 and since then Blake has produced multiple feature films and one documentary TV series which have been sold to multiple countries all over the world and domestically to Netflix, Stan & Redbull.

PRODUCERS’ NOTE
BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE explores friendship, guilt, shame, loss, domestic violence, and escape through the eyes of a budding actor frustrated in a city that he feels has abandoned him.

The film puts on visual display the birth of a method actor who exploits his talent for gain but unravels tragedy. In an attempt to resolve his shameful life our character examines the validity of the conditions he endures to realise his craft.

We bring ourselves closer to understanding the human condition as one emotional truth; and as we bear witness to alienated characters in the story – the artist, the widow, the high-ranking detective, the mother, the mechanic, the aristocrat – we come to realise that we too are participants in this universal category of belonging in the pain community, irrespective of social status, occupation, and etiquettes.

WAYNE BLAIR is an Indigenous Australian accomplished actor and award winning director, seen on both sides of the camera in Australia’s acclaimed T.V dramas, Redfern Now, Cleverman, Total Control and Mystery Road. Wayne is also the director of the highly successful feature film, The Sapphires, which premiered in the Offcial Selection, Out of Competition, midnight screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Wayne continues to work in Australia as a film mentor, writer-director and actor.

MARIA DRANDAKI founded her own production label Homemade Films in 2009 after working for several years as a producer and development manager in film and TV. Maria’s slate includes works by some of the most unique voices in Greek and international cinema, most notably the internationally acclaimed feature films by Syllas Tzoumerkas (Homeland, A Blast, The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea) and Yorgos Zois (Interruption), multi-award winning short films Limbo and Electric Swan by Konstantina Kotzamani and A Drowning Man by Mahdi Fleifel. Maria is a member of the EAVE and ACE producers’ networks and the Greek Producers’ Alliance.

PANAGIOTIS FAFOUTIS was born in Patras, Greece. He studied Law at Athens University and film direction at the prestigious Stavrakos Film School also in Athens. Panagiotis is a celebrated and well-known director, scriptwriter and producer in Greece. He has made 8 short films, awarded nationally and internationally, and 2 feature films. His work has crossed many artistic genres including cinema, television, theatre, corporate and cultural events. Panagiotis is currently teaching cinema studies at film and drama schools whilst continuing his work as a filmmaker. Panagiotis has a highly regarded reputation amongst his peers and collaborative partners.

PETER KALLOS founder of THE LAB, is an accomplished actor and director who honed his craft in the USA and Australia. He trained under legendary acting teachers like Stella Adler and Anna Strasberg, specializing in “the method.” With nearly two decades of experience in Hollywood, Peter worked closely with actor/director Barry Primus, gaining insights into being an actor’s actor. His journey allowed him to interact with renowned figures such as Eli Wallach, Robert DeNiro, and Al Pacino. Additionally, Peter ventured into screenwriting, collaborating as a script doctor for notable producers. He also explored stand-up comedy, performing at renowned venues like the LA Cabaret and the Improv in Hollywood. Today, he leads THE LAB, providing a nurturing environment for actors of all levels to pursue artistic excellence, inspired by the teachings of master actors from the past

YIANNIS NIARROS LUCA
ALEXANDROS CHRYSANTHOPOULOS ILIAS
KOSTAS NIKOULI ALEKOS
XENIA DANIA EVA
HARA MATA GIANNATOU MELINA
MARIA KALLIMANI EUGENIA
GIANNIS TSORTEKIS VASILIS

ANTONIS TSONIS WRITER & DIRECTOR
TIA SPANOS TSONIS PRODUCER
BLAKE NORTHFIELD PRODUCER
MARIA DRANDAKI EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & PRODUCTION SERVICES
PANAGIOTIS FAFOUTIS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
WAYNE BLAIR EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
PETER KALLOS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
JOERG GRUBER CINEMATOGRAPHER
PETER CARRODUS ASE EDITOR
ALEXANDROS LIVITSANOS COMPOSER
RECTIFIER PRODUCTION DESIGN
LEDA BOUZOUKOU LINE PRODUCER
GEORGE ZERVAS PRODUCTION MANAGER
STUART MORETON SOUND EDITOR & SUPERVISOR
NATASSA SARRIS COSTUME DESIGNER
BRETT MANSON COLOURIST
THE POST LOUNGE POST PRODUCTION