Search Film, Company, People...

VALMIRA

A BAG OF HAIR (WORKING TITLE)

By Maria DOUZA

STEFICON - as PROD

Drama - Post-Production 2021

Financial upheaval forces a teenage deaf girl, Valmira 16, to leave her progressive Athens school and return to her father's island where she is confronted by the danger of prejudice and intolerance, most shockingly -- her own.

- Year of production
- 2021
- Genres
- Drama, Social issues, Second film
- Countries
- GREECE, BULGARIA
- Languages
- GREEK, BULGARIAN
- Budget
- 0.6 - 1 M$
- Duration
- 110 mn
- Director(s)
- Maria DOUZA
- Writer(s)
- Maria DOUZA
- Cast
- Efthalia PAPAKOSTA, Dimitris KITSOS, Yorgos PYRPASOPOULOS, Yoanna BUKOVSKA - DAVIDOVA, Nikos KOUKKAS, Evangelia ANDREADAKIS
- Producer(s)
- Michael SARANTINOS, Ivan TONEV, Maria KONTOGIANNIS
- Synopsis
- Valmira (16) is a deaf adolescent girl growing up in a special school in Athens, financially supported by her grandmother, her guardian since her mother’s death when she was nine. Her semi-depressive father Stamos (50), unable to overcome the loss of his wife, has been living in his native island suffering from unresolved grief. Valmira who has never forgiven him for abandoning her does not visit him there, but only sees him three times a year when he comes to Athens. When, some years later, a new woman Tanya (42) comes into Stamos’ life - a Bulgarian immigrant and her son Aris (18) - Valmira vows to never set foot to her old home again. But the sudden death of her grandmother changes her plans. Stamos is unable to cover Valmira’s school fees and Valmira is obliged to interrupt her schooling mid-term and join her father and his ‘new family’ on the island. Arriving here Valmira, confident and educated, demands to be accepted on her own terms and makes little effort to adapt to the world of the hearing. While she cannot use the Sign-Language she refuses to wear a hearing aid, effectively refusing to “listen” to the language of the others. This leads her to misinterpretation of reality and mostly of people. Aris, Tania’s son, a kind-hearted and generous boy bullied and discriminated at school, offers to be her ally and village life initiator, but his status as “other’ makes him unwanted company for Valmira. Underestimating him, she mixes up with local bully Marios, a xenophobe and arrogant boy, hurting Aris and triggering - a long simmering - conflict between the two boys. When an unexpected turn of events leads Aris and Marios to reconciliation and mutual forgiveness, Valmira, at long last, is compelled to “listen” – not necessarily with her ears – to the truth of those around her as much as of her self.
- Partners & financing
- Creative Europe, Greek Film Center (tba), ERT national broadcaster (tba), Bulgarian Film Fund, EKOME
- Production schedule
- 2020: financing
  early 2021: shooting
  2022: release
- Beginning of shooting
- Feb 22, 2021
- End of shooting
- Apr 09, 2021