«"The boy with light blue eyes"» — the debut feature film from Greek writer-director Thanasis Neofotistos, set in an unspecified time period—nevertheless, the director and his team offer viewers visual references to the recent past. Attentive viewers will even notice a homage to a certain group of extinct reptiles, which, as it turns out, inspired the director's film, which will have its world premiere at the SXSW London 2026 Film Festival on Thursday, June 4.
The film "The Boy with Light Blue Eyes"« — a cinematic allegory of alienation and the desire for love and freedom, which can also be seen as a coming-of-age story for a gay man. Starring Georgios Karidis as Petros, a boy forced by his strict grandmother and the village elder to hide behind a mask because of his blue eyes. Ultimately, this eye color is a source of fear and superstition for the locals of the remote mountain village where they live.
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The film was written by Neofotistos and Grigoris Skarakis, with cinematography by Djordje Arambašić and editing by Panagiotis Angelopoulos. Gersh is handling sales in the US. Ahead of the premiere, Neofotistos spoke with THR about how he first became interested in cinema. «My main idol, my inspiration is what I call «good old cinema,» for example, «Jurassic Park »"Steven Spielberg," he explained. "It was the first movie I saw in a theater, and that's what got me hooked on dinosaurs. I thought dinosaurs actually existed in real life when I was under 10 years old. That was my main inspiration for becoming a filmmaker.".
Creator film "The Boy with Light Blue Eyes"« He was also impressed by the craftsmanship that went into creating Spielberg's dinosaur blockbuster. "He used animatronics, materials that were handcrafted," the Greek director enthused. "It wasn't visual effects or modern artificial intelligence. It felt so real. The story felt so unique, and I was immersed in this universe. That's why I wanted to become a storyteller.".
For Neofotistos and his team, when working on film "The Boy with Light Blue Eyes" »"The key point was also the mastery of execution. "I really enjoy creating entire universes," he said. THR . "So my goal was to create something unique and meticulously crafted. We didn't use any artificial intelligence. We used minimal visual effects. Everything was done during filming.".
His work is also "largely inspired by some Greek filmmakers," including some well-known names. "For example, [Theo] Angelopoulos's first film, «"Reconstruction »"It was filmed near my hometown and beautifully reflects the community," he said. "And Yorgos Lanthimos, an example of a Greek director who has become very popular, the magical realism he uses is something that inspires me.".
Remember I mentioned those extinct reptiles? Look for them when you watch. «"A boy with light blue eyes »"! Neofotistos shared: "Petros' room has some dinosaurs because I was inspired by «Jurassic Park »».
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