THE BOY WITH THE LIGHT BLUE EYES
Thanasis Neofotistos
Argonauts Productions S.A.
A coming of age queer Greek tragedy.
High up on the Greek mountains, there is a remote village, whose residents strongly believe in myths and superstitions. PETER is a teenager, who has grown up in this suffocating environment with his strict grandmother and overprotective mother, who have forced him to wear a protective mask over his eyes since the day he was born. Peter suffers from an “eye disease” and he is gradually losing his sight. Before he becomes completely blind, he and his best friend AEMON will travel away from home and go to the place they desire the most: to see the view up from the top of the recently built wind-turbines. Through their adventures, Peter will come-of-age, and learn the painful truth about his eye-condition and the lies he has been told. He will understand that in order to complete his journey he must sacrifice his own eyes.
THANASIS NEOFOTISTOS / IMDB
THANASIS NEOFOTISTOS is a film director, writer and architect from Greece. He is a member of European Film Academy, Berlinale Talents alumnus and Head Programmer of Student Int’l Competition of Drama International Short Film Festival. Most importantly, he is the member of the LGBTQI+ community. His short films have premiered and won awards amongst others at Venice Film Festival, Locarno IFF, Toronto TIFF and Clermont-Ferrand. His latest short film AIRHOSTESS-737 is having its World Premiere at 75th Locarno Film Festival 2022 - Official Competition!
Director’s statement
THE BOY WITH THE LIGHT BLUE EYES will be a strong, emotional coming-of-age story, with a gay symbolic subtext, about diversity and acceptance. With a high-end arthouse direction aiming at beautifully natural and authentic aesthetics, this film will be local in its form, but universal in its essence. RECONSTRUCTION meets BLACK SWAN. The story is inspired from my own experience of growing up as a gay man in a conservative and religious Greek household. My grandmother, especially, was extremely superstitious, believing in the “Evil-Eye”. It was in this tradition and close-minded environment that I had to come to terms with my sexual orientation, whilst my family rejected my true nature. The film is an allegory on acceptance in a society that is resistant to anything different. It is for all the people who feel that they don’t belong and struggle to understand why this is so. Only when they realise what marks them as misfits or outcasts in their community, can they truly come to terms with themselves.
IOANNA BOLOMYTI / IMDB
IOANNA BOLOMYTI is an EAVE Producers Workshop alumna. Working in the cinema industry for the last fifteen years with Argonauts Productions’ team, she has accumulated significant experience, producing a high number of acclaimed short and feature films.
Producer's statement:
THE BOY WITH THE LIGHT BLUE EYES is a Greek folktale about superstitions, diversity, homosexuality and the cost of them when you come-of-age. It is set in a real traditional isolated village, on the Greek mountains of Epirus (Zagorochoria). The unique elements of the project, the artistic and aesthetic approach, the director’s strong vision, and a carefully implemented strategy both in production and distribution will make this film successful. We strongly believe that The Boy With The Light Blue Eyes has the potential to premiere at a major film festival. Our primary targets for world premiere will be first of all Berlin and then Cannes, Venice, Toronto, followed by Locarno, San Sebastian but also Moscow, Pusan, Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals. The release of the film will follow its festival premiere, to capitalise on it.
Where are we at?
Total estimated budget: 1.050.035 €
Finances pending: 300.000 €
Financing in place: 575.035 €
Production timeline
Answers from funds in July 2022.
Pre-production late 2022.
Production early 2023.
Production Company Profile
Argonauts is Greece’s biggest and best-established production team. Since 2003, producing and co-producing films and TV that expand how people see the world.