Eternity and a Day (1998)

Famous writer Alexander is very ill and has little time left to live. He meets a little boy on the street, who is an illegal immigrant from Albania, and goes on a journey with him to take the boy home.

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (as Theo Angelopoulos)

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (as Theo Angelopoulos), Tonino Guerra (co-writer)

Stars:

Bruno Ganz, Isabelle Renauld, Fabrizio Bentivoglio

9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bruno Ganz	...	Alexandros
Isabelle Renauld	...	Anna
Fabrizio Bentivoglio	...	The Poet
Achileas Skevis	...	The Child
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lazaros Andreou	...	(as Lazarus Andreou)
Aristotelis Aposkitis	...	(as Aristotle Aposkitis)
Despina Bebedelli	...	Alexandros' Mother (as Despina Bebedeli)
Iris Chatziantoniou	...	Alexandros' Daughter
Dimitris Fotsinos-Safrantzas	...	Kid (as Dimitri Fotsinos-Safrantzas)
Petros Fyssoun	...	Alexandros (voice) (as Petros Fissoun)
Eleni Gerasimidou	...	Ourania
Rony Gianari
Milena Giannakidou	...	(as Milena Gianakidou)
Mihalis Giannatos	...	Ticket Inspector (as Mihalis Yanatos)
Themis Gousoulis	...	Kid

Storyline

Alexander, an old writer, is ill and prepared to die. He says his goodbyes and recalls his life with his wife long ago. While driving his car he saves a street kid, an illegal immigrant from Albania, from being arrested. Later in the day, by chance, he sees the same boy being abducted, and follows in his car. Although he is preoccupied with his own regrets, he puts death on hold to find a way to help the boy.

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Plot Keywords:

street kid | death | morgue | child abduction | writer | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Artistic License Films

Country:

France Italy Greece Germany

Language:

Greek English Italian

Release Date:

28 May 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eternity and a Day

Filming Locations:

Greece

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,221, 30 May 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$106,486, 3 October 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paradis Films, Intermédias, La Sept Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruno Ganz delivered his lines in German and was dubbed into Greek.

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Goofs

When the child goes to see his dead friend Selim in the morgue, we can see Selim's right eyelid slightly blinking just after the child closes the door.

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Quotes

Alexandre: I know that one you will leave. The wind pushes your eyes away but today give me this day as if it was the last.

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Connections

Referenced in Hrysa koritsia: Episode #1.15 (2008)

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Soundtracks

Panselinos o erotas
Music by Eleni Karaindrou
Lyrics by K.H. Myris
Performed by Haris Alexiou

User Reviews

Flawed, but moving and beautiful

The most Bergmanesque of Angolopoulos's films. Simpler and less epic than most of his work, with fewer of his trademark breathtaking images and grand themes. Yet this story of a dying writer spending his last day before entering the hospital -- never to leave -- has a deeply elegiac melancholy, and his attempts to find meaning by saving an Albanian street urchin are often moving, if occasionally sappy. The same is true of Bruno Ganz' (unfortunately dubbed) relationship with his wife and family, told mainly in flashback, Much is moving, some is hokey and forced. But Ageloupolus' use of images to make film a poetic medium is always worth watching, even when flawed.