ABOUT THE FILM
GREECE/AUSTRALIA · 2024 · COLOUR · DCP · 122’ · GREEK/ENGLISH
GENRE
Drama
WEIRD WAVE ARCHIVE
TRAILER
10 NOTABLE
THINGS
ABOUT BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE
ABOUT BRANDO WITH A GLASS EYE
1
A CELEBRATED INDEPENDENT FILM WITH A STRONG FESTIVAL RUN
The film had its World Premiere at Slamdance 2024 as an Official Selection in the Narrative Features Category, positioning Greek independent cinema on an international stage while resonating deeply with global audiences. This is the first Greek Language film in the history of Slamdance to have been selected in the coveted Narrative Features category. It then went on to screen in over 20 international festivals, securing Official Selections worldwide and won Best Film at NRFF in London.
Additionally, ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ received over 10 nominations for Best Film across its festival run, highlighting its strong reception.
The film has since been acquired for theatrical release in Australia and New
Zealand, where it will premiere in February 2025, marking its transition from the festival circuit to commercial screens.
2
A RARE DUAL OFFICIAL SELECTION AT ATHENS AND THESSALONIKI
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS
Few films receive the kind of academic attention ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ has achieved in Italy and the United States.
The Weird Wave Archive, produced by Marina Hassapopoulou, Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, dedicated an entire special issue to the film. Hassapopoulou, the Special Issue Editor and Founder of the archive, highlighted the film as a pivotal work in contemporary Greek cinema, marking the first time the archive has dedicated an entire special issue to a single film.
“Brando with a Glass Eye is a film that redefines the boundaries of Greek cinema, a hauntingly poetic meditation on identity and performance. It stands as a testament to the continued evolution of the Greek Weird Wave, marking a new chapter in its cinematic history.”
— WEIRD WAVE ARCHIVE Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
3
A RARE DUAL OFFICIAL SELECTION AT ATHENS AND THESSALONIKI
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS
‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ is one of the few Greek films to achieve an Official Selection at both the Athens and Thessaloniki International Film Festivals, despite Thessaloniki’s usual practice of not selecting films that have already premiered in Athens.
“One of the greatest surprises of Greek cinema in recent times.”
— LUKAS KATSIKAS Artistic Director, Athens International Film Festival
4
A FILM THAT CHALLENGES THE LINE BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND FATE
‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ blurs the boundary between performance and fate, exploring how the protagonist’s immersion in the pursuit of authenticity risks him becoming the very illusion he tries to create. His surrender to fate is both horrific and ecstatic, rendering him a spectator of his own undoing, making the film feel like a modern Greek tragedy, where the line between performance and reality continuously shifts.
5
A CINEMATIC LOVE LETTER TO GREECE AND THE ART OF ACTING
‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ is deeply rooted in Greek culture, from its stellar Greek cast to its evocative portrayal of Athens, where the city itself becomes a stage for existential collapse. Beyond its cultural grounding, the film serves as a love letter to actors—exploring their emotional vulnerability, artistic sacrifices, and the fine line between performance and self-destruction.
6
A PERFORMANCE THAT REDEFINES TRANSFORMATION
Yiannis Niarros, who plays Luca, has been widely praised for his emotionally layered, paradoxical performance, where a character caught in inner turmoil ultimately leads the actor to his most transformative role.
The film’s exploration of performance and identity has struck a deep chord with actors, many of whom have praised it as one of the most honest depictions of the actor’s internal struggle. Actors across festivals, screenings, and institutions have described the film as a profound reflection on their own craft, making ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ a rare film that speaks directly to the acting profession itself.
7
A MONOLOGUE THAT TRANSFORMS TRAUMA INTO ART
In his final monologue, the protagonist channels his personal trauma into performance, creating a fictional narrative set in the 1800s to confront his guilt.
This act of storytelling—following Stella Adler’s belief that imagination is key to creating truth—reframes his remorse as art, transforming his emotional pain into a moment of redemption.
Some have even mistaken this original monologue by Antonis Tsonis for a lost piece of Tennessee Williams, drawn to its emotional depth and raw imagery.
8
A SOUNDSCAPE THAT FEELS LIKE A HALLUCINATION
The film’s sound design and music play a crucial role in shaping its hypnotic, immersive atmosphere. The use of distorted city noise, abrupt silence, and eerie compositions heightens the protagonist’s descent, making reality feel unstable.
Just as the narrative blurs the line between performance and identity, the soundscape creates a world where the audience is never sure what is real and what is imagined.
The original score by Alexandros Livitsanos was composed in Melbourne, where Alexandros travelled to work closely with Antonis Tsonis and consult on the emotional aspects of the music. It was then recorded in Prague with a live orchestra, under Alexandros’ instruction.
The score assists the vision in shaping the film’s hypnotic, immersive atmosphere, adding depth to the protagonist’s emotional descent.
9
A HANDHELD RUSSO-GERMAN CAMERA TECHNIQUE THAT EXPLORES THE BOUNDARIES OF ACTING AND REALITY
In ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’, Antonis Tsonis directs the use of a Russo-German handheld camera technique by Joerg Gruber to explore the blurred boundaries between acting and reality.
Through this technique, Antonis allows the camera to serve as a vivid extension of the character’s internal conflict, making the emotional journey feel immediate and palpable.
10
A FILM THAT INVITES DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION
Few films resist easy categorization as successfully as ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’. It embraces paradox, functioning both as a black comedy and an existential drama.
Its exploration of identity, performance, and self-deception makes it a cinematic enigma—one where its lead actor achieves transformation by embodying failure.
“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.”
— ANTONIS TSONIS Writer & Director
“A vivid and authentic portrayal of the world and psyche that shaped my formative years as a student of method acting.”
— PETER KALOS Former Student of Stella Adler and Director of the Melbourne Actor’s Lab