Xenia

Two brothers journey undertake a hyperreal 21st-century odyssey in this flamboyant gay entry from the Greek Weird Wave.

After the death of their Albanian mother, two estranged brothers reunite in Athens. Concerned about their precarious Greek citizenship they decide to travel across the country to confront their Greek father; along the way their wild journey takes in an appearance on the Greek X-Factor, gun-fights and a giant talking rabbit.

Taking inspiration from the untethered excesses of Gregg Araki, director Panos H. Koutras' presents a hyperreal 21st-century odyssey that, amid all its fun and flamboyance, harbours a timely message about the lure of Greek citizenship at Europe’s frontier. An exuberant and colourful entry from the Greek ‘Weird Wave’, it was the country’s official entry for the 2016 Academy Awards, and a selection from Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard strand.