FAMILY PORTRAIT
Drama
9minutes Melbourne, Australia
Mature audiences
Olivia and Alex live together but you wouldn’t know. Alex isn’t ‘out’ so she has built a closet big enough for two-for the sake of family. Olivia just wants to live the truth. Alex’s mother has come to visit but a surprise guest and a marriage proposal forces them to decide who is family.
Language: English
Director: Demetra Giannakopoulos
Cast: Anita Torrance, Mary Nilos, Tonia Giannopoulos, Nicholas Kato
Advice: Adult themes, Sexual references
Depuis qu’elle partage la vie d’Olivia, Alexandra n’a jamais eu le courage d’avouer son homosexualité à sa famille, une famille d’origine grecque et qui plus est, très à cheval sur les traditions. Aussi, et dans le soucis de ne pas les perturber, s’est-elle efforcée de construire un placard suffisamment grand pour les abriter/proteger toutes deux, elle et sa compagne… Tandis que la mère d’Alexandra leur rend visite et qu’un invité surprise demande cette dernière en mariage, la tension est à son comble et une question se pose alors à tous: qu’est-ce que la famille?
Cast
Anita Torrance
Mary Nilos
Nicholas Kato
Tonia Giannopoulos
Crew
Writer, Director, Editor: Demetra Giannakopoulos
Producers: Anna Slowiak, Demetra Giannakopoulos
Director of photography: Kieran Doolan
Long synopsis
Alexandra (Alex) and Olivia, young and in love, have recently moved in together in inner city Melbourne. Alex’s mother, Voula, has been invited to visit so that the truth can be revealed: that Alex and Olivia are more than just flat mates.
Alex is resisting telling Voula the truth. Olivia is already angry because they have de-lesbianised their home so not to betray that a couple lives there: hiding holiday photos, not showing any affection for each other in her presence, even setting up a makeshift bed that Alex sleeps on during Voula’s visit. A closet big enough for two. Olivia loses patience with the charade.
Reluctantly Alex comes out to Voula. A ferocious argument erupts. Alex has heard it all before but Olivia is shocked by the hostility. In the heat of the argument Voula implores “I thought you were over this [being a lesbian]?” Alex has been lying to both Olivia and Voula.
The argument is interrupted by the surprise arrival of Aleko, Alex’s gay friend from Greek school. Alex fails to make Aleko leave, raising Olivia’s suspicions. Aleko demands an answer-will she marry him for convenience? It’s an elegant solution to hide an elaborate lie. If they are married everyone can pretend that everything is normal. They just turn up as a married couple to birthdays, Christmas, Greek Easter, namedays, anniversaries…“its just for the family stuff”.
Olivia is devastated. Wasn’t she Alex’s family? While she has been urging Alex to reveal the truth of their relationship, Alex has been planning to bury it under more lies.
Alex is jolted with the realisation that she does not have the courage to live her truth and will lose the woman she loves.
Alex must drive her mother home. If she leaves now Olivia will be gone when she returns. Does she have the courage to find a way back to Olivia? Alex acknowledges her duty to her family but decides to move towards love and a life fulfilled. Alex leaves Voula to wait in the car as she invites Olivia to meet the rest of her family. They walk out into the enveloping light.
Provenance: Melbourne, Australia
Running time: 9 minutes
Language: English
Sound: Stereo
Exhibition format: 16:9 FHA