Standing Aside, Watching

Greece presents "Na kathesai kai na koitas" (English captions) for the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival. When the train pulls into a small industrial town, a gentleman sitting there is surprised to see Antigone arrive. He says as a rule the only people who get off are Albanians and Pakistanis.

Director Yorgon Servetas brings us:

• Marina Symeou is Antigone, a brusk, sometimes rude native returning home. She quickly encounters her uncle, seduces a young man, meets a former lover and sees a best friend from her youth.
• Marianthi Pantelopoulou is Eleni, that sweet best friend. It is immediately obvious that she is being abused by her married lover but she can't see a way out of her dilemma.
• Nikos Yorgakis is Nodas, a married, promiscuous brute who enjoys raping and beating women.
• Yorgos Kafetzopoulo is Nikos, swept off his feet by that worldly woman but who owes allegiance to Nodas for whom he works in his wrecking yard.
• Kostis Siradakis is Dimitris, that former lover. I was never so happy in my life when I saw his gun!

This story was involving, with extremely crude language. The lead character isn't a warm or wise woman, so I mostly had to root for Eleni and Nikos.