Digger

A mudslide caused by heavy rain and forest clearance almost sweeps away the cabin at the foot of the wooded slope. But this is not the only upheaval in Nikitas’s life. Shortly after the landslide, a man on an off-road motorbike comes racing through the forest and stops in front of Nikitas’s cottage. For the first time in twenty years, Nikitas’s son Johnny stands before him, demanding the inheritance that was left to him in his mother’s will, namely, fifty percent of the land on which the reclusive Nikitas is now living. At first, Nikitas ignores his son. But there is also a company that is after the land; called simply “the monster” by the villagers, the firm wants to build a road here. To prevent the muddy ground from being pulled from under their feet, father and son have to dig deep into it. Together.
Director Georgis Grigorakis sets his rain-drenched woodland Western against a majestic backdrop and finds robust yet tender images to tell this tale of rapprochement between two men. A story of resistance more powerful than the strongest excavator.
by Georgis Grigorakis
with Vangelis Mourikis, Argyris Pandazaras, Sofia Kokkali, Theo Alexander, Michalis Iatropoulos, Vasilis Bisbikis, Pavlos Iordanopoulos, Thitis, Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos, Marianthi Pantelopoulou
Greece / France 2020 Greek 101’ Colour

With

  • Vangelis Mourikis (Nikitas)
  • Argyris Pandazaras (Johnny)
  • Sofia Kokkali (Mary)
  • Theo Alexander (Petros)
  • Michalis Iatropoulos (Bob)
  • Vasilis Bisbikis (Kostas)
  • Pavlos Iordanopoulos (Billy)
  • Thitis (Haris)
  • Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos (Themakos)
  • Marianthi Pantelopoulou (Thodora)

Crew

Written and Directed by Georgis Grigorakis
Story Georgis Grigorakis, Maria Votti, Vangelis Mourikis
Cinematography Giorgos Karvelas
Editing Thodoris Armaos
Music Michalis Moschoutis
Sound Design Leandros Ntounis
Sound Mixing Simon Apostolou
Sound François Abdelnour
Production Design Dafni Kalogianni
Costumes Vassilia Rozana
Make-Up Ioanna Lygizou
Assistant Director Arsenis Polymenopoulos
Casting Anna Nikolaou
Line Producer Fenia Cossovitsa
Production Manager Matthaios Voulgaris
Producers Athina Rachel Tsangari, Maria Hatzakou, Chrysanthi Karfi Koi
Executive Producers Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Michael Weber
Co-Producers Gabrielle Dumon, Nikos Katsaounis, Ernst Fassbender, Fenia Cossovitsa, Anna Nikolaou
Co-Production Le Bureau Paris
Faliro House Athen
N-Coded Pictures New York
FassB Filmproduktion Frankfurt am Main
Blonde Athen

Produced by

Haos Film

Georgis Grigorakis

Born and raised in Greece, he studied social psychology in the UK before completing a master’s degree in directing fiction at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield near London in 2012. Since 2007, he has been writing and directing short films which have screened at over 100 international festivals in total and have won more than 20 awards. His debut feature film, Digger, was supported in its development phase by the Nipkow Programme, the Cinéfondation Cannes and the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

Filmography

2007 And Me For Myself; short film 2010 Reverse; short film 2012 Revolving; short film 2014 45 Degrees; short film 2020 Digger; Panorama

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020