The Dust of Time (2008)
"Trilogia II: I skoni tou hronou" (original title)

A, an American film director of Greek ancestry, is making a film that tells his story and the story of his parents. It is a tale that unfolds in Italy, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada ... See full summary »

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra,

Stars:

Willem Dafoe, Bruno Ganz, Michel Piccoli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Willem Dafoe	...	A
Bruno Ganz	...	Jacob
Michel Piccoli	...	Spyros
Irène Jacob	...	Eleni (as Irene Jacob)
Christiane Paul	...	Helga
Kostas Apostolidis	...	Secretary
Tiziana Pfiffner	...	Young Eleni
Alexandros Mylonas	...	Man in the Train
Norman Mozzato	...	Hotel Manager
Reni Pittaki	...	Composer
Alessia Franchini	...	A's Secretary
Valentina Carnelutti	...	Empfangschefin
Chantel Brathwaite	...	Young Eleni's Friend
Herbert Meurer	...	Doctor
Sviatoslav Yshakov	...	Grandfather

Storyline

A, an American film director of Greek ancestry, is making a film that tells his story and the story of his parents. It is a tale that unfolds in Italy, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada and the USA. The main character is Eleni, who is claimed and claims the absoluteness of love. At the same time the film is a long journey into the vast history and the events of the last fifty years that left their mark on the 20th century. The characters in the film move as though in a dream. The dust of time confuses memories. A searches for them and experiences them in the present.

---

Plot Keywords:

part of trilogy

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Greece Italy Germany Russia

Language:

English Russian German Greek

Release Date:

12 February 2009 (Greece)

Also Known As:

The Dust of Time

Filming Locations:

Athens, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Theo Angelopoulos Films, Greek Film Center, Hellenic Radio & Television (ERT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (2004)

User Reviews

"Precisely and distinctly directed..."

Greek director, screenwriter and producer Theodoros Angelopoulos' thirteenth feature film which he co-wrote with Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra and the director's long time collaborator Petros Markaris, is the second part of an unofficial trilogy about modern Greece which was preceded by "The Weeping Meadow" (2004) and became his last film. It was produced by Theo Angelopoulos' frequent collaborator and wife Phoebe Economopoulos and is Greek, Italian, German and Russian co-production. It tells the story about a middle-aged American filmmaker of Jewish ancestry who is in the process of making a film about the story of his mother Eleni and his father Spyros at Cinecitta studios in Rome, Italy. While the producers of the film is worried about the shooting of the film, the director is concerned about finding his missing daughter.

Narrated by Willem Dafoe and Irène Jacob and with a fragmented narrative structure that moves between the past and present and has them, this contemplative and imaginary epic about Greek history, family history, love, immigration, friendship, memories and time draws a pervasive portrayal of a destined relationship between two immigrants separated by time and circumstances. This quietly paced, character-driven and extensive journey which spans over fifty years from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, depicts a significant love story, is precisely and distinctly directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos (1935-2012) and finely photographed by cinematographer Andreas Sinanos who also worked as the director of photography on the more stylistically prominent first segment of the trilogy.

Shot in Russia, Rome in Italy, Cologne and Berlin in Germany, Athens in Greece and Kazakhstan, this subtle continuation of the story about Eleni and Spyros contains some memorable scenes, poetic images, artful and naturalistic milieu depictions and Greek composer and long-time collaborator of the filmmaker, Eleni Karaindrou's distinct score which reinforces this story within a story's poignant atmosphere. The international cast primarily consisting of American actor Willem Dafoe, Swiss actress Irène Jacob, German actor Bruno Ganz, German actress Christiane Paul and French actor Michel Piccoli delivers affective acting performances in this somewhat elegiac, at times humorous, humane and moving historic drama from one of Greece's most reverent and important filmmakers, which is seen from varied points of view.