Patmos Island, Greece, Stars In Independent English-American Film

Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Patmos

Greek director, Angela Ismailos.

The holy Greek Island of Patmos will have a starring “role” in a new independent English-American film that is currently in production. Patmos is home to a UNESCO-listed medieval town, the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse.

Located on the southeast side of the Aegean Sea in the Dodecanese, Patmos has been selected as the filming location of  “Interlude: City of a Dead Woman.” The film is under the direction of Angela Ismailos and stars Sarah Miles (Ryan’s Daughter, Hope and Glory), Bernard Hill (Gandhi, Titanic and Lord of the Rings), Shaun Benson (General Hospital); and Erich Wildpret. Greek actors taking part in the film include Yiannis Voglis, Roula Pateraki and Dimitris Lignadis.

Sarah Miles and Bernard Hill.

Yiannis Voglis.

Roula Pateraki

On Patmos, the film’s protagonists find a way out of their dilemmas, guilt and unresolved social relations. “Therefore, the island was the perfect place to film,” director Angela Ismailos said during a press conference held recently at the Benaki Museum in Athens. Ms. Ismailos also plays in the film.

Chora, Patmos

Cave of Apocalypse, Patmos

Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Patmos

“I went to Patmos 10 years ago during winter season and said to myself that this was where I would make my first fiction film,” she said.

Patmos is the destination where the film’s characters encounter each other at the start of a harsh winter. Set against the backdrop of the island’s natural beauty, neighboring Dodecanese islands and Greek sea, the characters lives intertwine and change forever.

GNTO support

Ms. Ismailos expects “Interlude: City of a Dead Woman” to give Patmos a boost as tourism destination since the film is aimed at an international audience.

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) seems to second her opinion as it is assisting with the film’s budget. The film is also under the auspices of UNESCO.

Scala, Patmos

When answering a journalist’s question, she underlined that the film has nothing to do with Greek crisis nor deals with subjects usually focused on in Greek films. “This is an English-American production with a budget of $3.5 million,” the director said.

“This is not a Greek film… The dialogues will be in English since it is aimed at a broad audience and addresses global issues,” Ms. Ismailos added.

Angela Ismailos is a Greek-born director, actor, and writer. She directed and produced Great Directors, a film that features interviews and archival footage of ten great living film directors of independent cinema. The film received rave reviews in the Venice International Film Festival in 2009.