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 & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bruno Ganz	...	Alexandros
Isabelle Renauld	...	Anna
Fabrizio Bentivoglio	...	The Poet
Ahilleas 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ASL, average shot length, of this film is 114.3 seconds. To compare this to another modern film the ASL of the Bourne Identity is 2 seconds

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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: My only regret, Anna - but is it only one? - is to not have finished anything. I left all as a draft, shattered words here and there.

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Connections

Referenced in Underworld (2003)

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Soundtracks

Tis agapis aimata
Music by Mikis Theodorakis
Lyrics by Odysseas Elytis

User Reviews

year 98:dedicated to dionysios solomos,the national poet of greece

Thessaloniki this day. A very sick bearded man leaves his seaside house to go to the hospital for the few days remaining. Suddenly he decides to search the area. He rescues a small Albanian boy chased at the traffic lights by the police while cleaning car windows for a living. He saves the same kid when ready to be sold to foreigners. This happens in Greece but it can happen anywhere. He makes a tour with the kid. He visits the frontier looking like a Nazi camp with spectators watching while hanging on the wire fence. He speaks with Dionysios Solomos,the poet of the 'Hymn to liberty' and 'Free begieged'.A poet that used to pay people in Zakynthos to buy a word for poetic exploitation. Theo Angelopoulos plays an important sociophilosophical role as a very talented director in expressing the human relation,the national language and many other concepts. Angelopoulos purports to open a new road for understanding the world,life,death,love,poetry,music,child innocence,a man to die very soon,a wedding with the married couple dancing in circle movements. This movie has a faster mode than previous ones by the

same director. First prize in Cannes in competition with Benigni's 'life is beautiful'. A film with the warm performance of Bruno Ganz. A film with the magnificent music of Eleni Karaindrou. A masterpiece for 10 out of 10.

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, 31 May 1999

Gross USA:

$107,178

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$107,178

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paradis Films, Intermédias, La Sept Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1