“Micra Anglia”, the new film by director Pandelis Voulgaris, is based on the homonymous novel by award-winning novelist Ioanna Karistiani and unfolds on Andros island in the 1930s and 1940s. The lives of the locals during this difficult period is mainly defined by the long absence of men aboard ships worldwide, by the loneliness of women who have been left behind on the island and by the strict social structures of the certain epoch. 

Scene from the film “Micra Anglia” (photo by ethnos.gr)

The director was faced with the challenge of turning the novel into a film. A novel based on a love story between Orsa and lieutenant Spiros which Orsa will never reveal due to her introverted character. Mosha, her younger sister, has the completely contrary character boasting a dynamic persona who desperately wants to leave the island and escape the fate of the island’s women who are “cursed” to marry the ever missing husbands travelling the seas. Importance is also given to the role of their mother, Mina, also married to a captain in believing that love is meaningless and the only thing it causes is pain. The mother forces both daughters to marry captains who soon leave the island too... 

The house of Pandelis Voulgaris in Stenies (photo by androsfilm.blogspot.com)

The island of Andros is famous for its long and glorious naval tradition but only a few people are aware that it was called “Micra Anglia” between the end of the 19^th century and the mid 20^th century. According to references, this was a name chosen for the island due to its highly antagonistic relation with the large ship-owning offices in the UK and the strong naval bonds it maintained.

 

The rocky islet of Theotokos with the homonymous chapel (photo by photoandros.blogspot.com)

During the film's shooting, the island of Andros was transformed into a huge cinematography setting for a few months. The production wanted to include many of the important landscapes and points of interest of the island in the film, therefore they initially researched for the best and most atmospheric spots which they indeed included in significant scenes of the film. Sineti beach, the areas of Dipotamata, Episkopio, Theotokos, Metalio and Stenies are only just a few of the selected settings which we will thoroughly enjoy alongside the immensely interesting story. 

From: Eva Kanellopoulos

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