Lampros

The short film Lampros (2024), directed by Giorgos Vasilakopoulos, is a disturbing exploration of grief. The film goes straight to the point, sharply narrating the story of Lampros and Lena, siblings whose relationship has become estranged following the death of both of their parents. Through washed-out colour grading reminiscent of Twilight, with a bluish tone overwhelmingly toning the majority of the piece, viewers are taken on an uncomfortable journey of loss and family turmoil as secrets threaten to surface.

Lampros is a young boy played by Aristotelis Nikau, and whilst struggling with grief, he becomes eager, alongside his like-minded friends, to embark on sexual conquests through unconventional means. Meanwhile, he and his sister Lena, played by Eren Stauraki, suffer from a communication breakdown. Hiding her true profession, she vaguely describes to Lampros the horrors she faces whilst working at a hospital. Frustration builds between them as Lampros can sense that Lena is keeping information from him, and Lena is unable to express what she is having to go through in order to support them both financially now that their parents are gone.

Both Nikau’s and Stauraki’s performances are outstanding. The film deals with very complicated issues, and both actors evoke a heavy disturbance that encapsulates what they are going through brilliantly. Through facial expression, body language, and tone of voice, which are often delivered in blunt dialogue, viewers feel their sense of detachment from reality and confusion around their identity.

Visually, the film contains many effective, moody shots with varying stylistic choices, painting an erratic picture of both the emotional and physical endeavours both characters are facing. Accompanied by a heartwrenching, sombre soundtrack, the film grips viewers with its darker moments and doesn’t shy away from creating an atmosphere of hopelessness as it tells its story. The film is permeated by catastrophe and deprivation, yet, through its artful shots, it captures a beauty hard to define in its ability to depict such a tender struggle. The despairing mood the film captures is comparable, perhaps, to the feeling evoked by I Saw The TV Glow, both dealing with slightly similar themes of loss and isolation.

As the story unfolds, each setting is necessary in providing another piece of the puzzle. Side characters drift in and out, every one adding layers to Lampros and Lena’s situation in disturbing detail. Viewers may find some aspects difficult to watch, especially as the cast members are clearly very young and play their roles convincingly, making the film's tragic events truly sorrowful to watch.

Overall, Lampros is an expertly crafted exploration of highly difficult situations through the naive lens of adolescence. Each and every aspect of the film, from its artistic choices to its blunt dialogue, brings together a unique telling of the two siblings' story. As they grow and navigate the world without any role model figures to help guide them, viewers understand their journey as one which has been derailed and left them feeling lost and helpless. They must deal with the hardships of being financially struggling young adults in a world where they feel abandoned and unable to find their way, and in a way, they do. Viewers may find it difficult to accept the choices that Lampros and Lena make; however, it is impossible to blame them, as their scenario is so specific and complex that the only possible response is one of empathy and compassion.