Tsiou...

How can you tell a story about drugs and combine it at the same time with comedy? Although it is pretty hard, Makis Papadimitratos manages to do it and the result is more than good. In his first movie, he makes a movie with deeper meanings.

In the empty Athens of summer, a junkie tries to find a dose of heroin. During his searching a lot of things may happen in a crazy atmosphere. Great debut.

Tsiou is a comedy that gains more and more admirers through the years especially among people of younger ages. The film manages to capture the atmosphere of an abandoned Athens in the middle of august. A circle of misconceptions starts when a junkie is looking for his heroin dose in the abandoned city. This is one of the few times that you get to see in film how the real Athens looks like not only in the areas cleaned up for the 2004 Olympics(in order to show to the outside world the new clean look of the city). Îts a glimpse on Omonoia square and the area around it, and of course the junkies that live in these places. Beside the dialog is smart, fast and at most times hilariously funny. I just wished more filmmakers followed the example of this low budget beautiful film and presented us with films that are real and true in their intentions.

You will appreciate it fully if you are a greek speaker and even more if you grew up in Greece. Tsiou is about the Greek working class code of honor, intrigue and social dynamics that defined the Gen X and Millenial youth. Made in 2005, it's the culmination of 90's era Greece entering it's final stage. The comedown from eurocentricism and the greek dream that peaked with Athens Olympics of 2004, and faced it's reality check in the 2008 global crisis. You can see the spirit of high economic demand lives even at the drug addict community - everyone can afford drugs - everyone can affford vacation and parties. This is NOT a movie about drugs. Drugs are the mere catalyst of the story.

I think it's one of the most realistic portrayals of drug addiction in film. It shows how the addict is constantly chasing their next high and consumes all their time like that. Really low budget but that makes it even more fitting. The plot is nothing complicated or remarkable but that's fine. I think that you watch this film to take a peak in the characters' lives that are just the people next door. It's also nostalgic to watch in 2021 for a resident of Athens. Old slang, clothing styles etc. Really worth the watch for me but I get it may not be like that for someone that looks for an engaging plot or has too high expectations.

Tsiou is the name of a junkie that is searching for heroin in Athens in the middle of August, a time where traditionally everyone is away on vacation and every dealer is out of town. But everyone else is looking too and it won't be easy to find with so many competition around.

An excellent independent comedy that despite its low budget depends on its characters and succeeds to entertain.

Tsiou the junkie played by Parisis is excellent and writer/ director Makis Papadimitratos is very talented!

On top of that there is an excellent music score that glues the whole film together.