Nyfes (2004)

Set in 1922, is the story of a mail order bride, one of 700, aboard the SS KING ALEXANDER, who falls in love with an American photographer. She is bound for her new husband, in New York; he is on his way home to a failed marriage.

Director:

Pantelis Voulgaris

Writer:

Ioanna Karystiani

Stars:

Damian Lewis, Victoria Haralabidou, Andréa Ferréol

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Damian Lewis	...	Norman Harris
Victoria Haralabidou	...	Niki Douka
Andréa Ferréol	...	Emine
Evi Saoulidou	...	Haro
Dimitris Katalifos	...	Captain
Eirini Inglesi	...	Ms. Kardaki (as Irene Iglessi)
Evelina Papoulia	...	Marion Gibson
Steven Berkoff	...	Karabulat
Apostolis Totsikas	...	Nikolas
Elizaveta Kuznetsova	...	Olga (as Liza Kouznetsova)
Eleni Roussinou	...	Yelena
Giorgos Makris	...	Prodromos
Olga Damani	...	Niki's Mother
Evangelia Adreadaki	...	Niki's Godmother (as Vangelio Andreadaki)
Yannis Totsikas	...	Haro's Grandfather

Storyline

In 1922, with the Greco-Turkish War and the Russia Civil War, the women from these countries find husband in the United States through correspondence with immigrants. The bride Eleni returns from the United States to Samothrace, Greece, since she has not adapted to the life in America. Her sister Niki Douka is assigned as her replacement and travels aboard the SS King Alexander to New York to marry the Greek immigrant Prodromos in Chicago. Nikki is a hard worker and works sewing along the trip for the passengers and crew. She becomes a leader of the brides and discovers the scheme of the crook Karabulat from Georgia with the Russian brides. She also falls in love with the American photographer Norman Harris from Detroit. But Nikki is committed with Prodromos and she knows the consequence with her family in Samothrace if she runs away with Norman.

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Plot Keywords:

mail order bride | photographer | one word title | forbidden love | suicide | 

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Taglines:

It's not a punishment to remember someone you love. The punishment is to forget.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site [gr]

Country:

Greece USA France

Language:

English Greek Russian Turkish

Release Date:

22 October 2004 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Brides

Filming Locations:

Andros, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alco Films, Alpha TV, CL Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Norman Harris: Where are you from?
Niki Douka: I am from a place I will never see again.

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Connections

Referenced in Fila ton vatraho sou: Episode #1.24 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Klemmena filia"
Written by Stamatis Spanoudakis
Performed by Irontina

User Reviews

Excellent movie

I saw this movie on June 17 '05 at the Acadamy of Motion Pictures theater in Bevery Hills. It is an outstanding movie. Damien Lewis is very good in the film. The lead actress Victoria Haralambidou (?) is also excellent. Those with Greek blood and especially those of the diaspora will find deep emotions in this film. I came away feeling that it is a testament to the strength of Greek women. I hope that it soon will be distributed widely in the USA so that it can be seen by a wider audience. There is an unforgettable scene of all the mail order brides in their wedding dresses from throughout Greece, Turkey, and Russia. As the Damien Lewis character comments, "like snowflakes in the summer".