The Summer With Carmen

Australian premiere

"An exciting new example of a film that employs the concept of “anything goes”... one of the year’s most charming and unforgettable comedies." — International Cinephile Society

While enjoying a day at Athens’ queer beach, 30-something Demosthenes offers to help his bestie and aspiring filmmaker Nikitas in drafting an idea for his feature debut. They brainstorm a script inspired by the dramatic events of their previous summer and a certain dog named Carmen. Through flashbacks, this endearing comedy traces how Demosthenes, while caring for his ailing father reaches out to his ex, Panos, as their cute canine becomes a battleground for their failed relationship and potential reconciliation…

Struggling to transform these events into a hero’s journey, Demosthenes and Nikitas come face to face with their own fraught friendship as they clash over whose story they’re really telling. A delightful, lighthearted comedy that plays on the self-consciousness of the film-within-a-film narrative, with sly nods to Spike Jonze's, Adaptation.

Content warning: Nudity and sex.

Venice Days Official Competition at Venice Film Festival