STORIA was the sum of a kind of addition process for me, one that grew out of two basic areas. One was the simple realization that the Greek-American experience barely placed a footnote in the whole history of American cinema. The second was, as a young filmmaker embarking on that first journey, I knew that I had to draw upon the personal: my experiences growing up, my observations, and the discovery of those things that made me unique amongst my peers. I felt if I didn't attempt to tell a Greek-American story, who would?
The liberating aspect of putting ASTORIA on screen was the fact that there were virtually no films of reference to tread carefully around. Yet, this freedom carried some weight: I was setting out for uncharted territory and I had to find a way to tell a story that would be uniquely Greek-American, but in the same light would be universal in its appeal, in its expression of the human condition.
ASTORIA is a slice-of-life, coming of age story about someone who comes of age a little later in life, a character approaching thirty. It's also an exploration of the American Dream in a working-class, ethnic, urban neighborhood and how the people who inhabit it view that Dream within the parameters set up by their own culture. It's a story about daring to dream, about taking a journey. Alex's quest for the lost tomb of Alexander the Great is really about a young man yearning to break out of a confining environment, one in which he stands out quite obviously. And, of course, this quest is intrinsically tied to Alex's desire to rediscover his heritage. And his obstacles come from many areas, the strongest one being within him. But, what amplifies this internal struggle - what keeps it from uncorking - is the baggage of the external pressures of family and environment. It is in this area where I tried to explore the Greek-American cultural ethos - for it is its own unique creation, neither Greek nor American, but almost a third culture with its own mores and rules. A protagonist struggles to attain a goal, but what is it about his culture that would make his story unique and universal at the same time? The marriage of the two is the great challenge.
With ASTORIA I wanted to create a film of poetic simplicity in its form. It is easy to be seduced by the self-referentialism and pyrotechnic styles that are very common in many "indie" films today. I wanted the camera to be a bit unobtrusive in our awareness of it, taking my cues from the classical Hollywood narrative styles and from the neorealists. This is a film driven by characters: about their moments, their words, their glances, and their reactions. I let my actors be my guides.
I wanted to make a film that was unafraid of bringing the tender and the emotional to the forefront; a film that was anti-cynical; a film that embraced spirituality. Some of the aforementioned, I feel, have gotten lost in much of contemporary independent cinema. At the same time I hope I have accomplished what I've always admired in my favorite films - the juxtaposition of the dramatic and the comic, where the lines between the two are indistinguishable - for that approaches real life.
Ultimately, ASTORIA is about taking journeys, treks, odysseys, to the place where our dreams may not seem so crazy after all. Just as Alex dreams of the glorious past of his heritage when he says "…to find it, to see that it's real, to connect to something…", I hope we can all find some of that inside ourselves.
Nick Efteriades, Director
STORIA was the sum of a kind of addition process for me, one that grew out of two basic areas. One was the simple realization that the Greek-American experience barely placed a footnote in the whole history of American cinema. The second was, as a young filmmaker embarking on that first journey, I knew that I had to draw upon the personal: my experiences growing up, my observations, and the discovery of those things that made me unique amongst my peers. I felt if I didn't attempt to tell a Greek-American story, who would?
