Les fainéants de la vallée fertile

This is a good film, but from some of the other comments you might get the wrong idea of it. The story here is exceedingly simple and straightforward. There is no surrealism a la "The Exterminating Angel".

The film is about laziness and sloth. And it will frighten anyone who struggles with laziness or feeling overly comfortable in their lives.

While you can certainly theorize about laziness on a the level of social classes, there's no obvious indication that the film is supposed to be carrying a political message.

It's great that the film makes you think, but let's avoid forcing everything through the lens of our political ideology.

Really even if u are not a greek or u don't like much greek films u must take an exception and watch this film. An allegoric film about what happened in real life when your...life is meaningless if u can afford anything and u don't need to work to have a living......only in this case u get to see lazy people who after a while are losing the desire to live and so.......DEATH IS NEAR. one of the most weird greek drama films ever made this is not to miss.

An allegoric film on the bourgeois. A father and his three sons retire to a country-side mansion after inheriting the mansion itself and an amount of money that will enable them to live there without working and be taken care of by a maid. Gradually, sleeping occupies all of their day; even the relaxing walks in the nature, conversation and singing at the dinner table are regarded as unnecessary deviations from their sleeping. There is no kind of guilt. They feel no need for creating, thinking, feeling, sex or food. The few external persons are excluded by their overwhelming desire to sleep: one of the sons chooses to leave his local girlfriend and an artist seeking support by the bourgeois environment is not welcomed. The youngest son compromises his will to leave and study at the university, and even the second time he tries to break the bondage, he is physically unable to walk away. Time is, of course, absent. A part of the first symphony by Malher enhances the image of the lying bodies.

OK, this is one great film. (surprisingly, its Greek!)

I am bit confused about what to write about this one. I strongly believe that 'art' should be comprehensible by anyone - I am not sure this can be. The director, definitely having been inspired by the surrealist touch of 'Angel exterminator' and decadent atmosphere of 'La grande bouffe', and maybe more similar films that I haven't seen, managed to create an original film filled with ingrowing humour, thick atmosphere of decadence and a strong dose realism. But I think I was able to 'get' this because I had previously seen and enjoyed the two pre-mentioned European gems. I am not sure though...

Whatever the case, this wouldn't be appreciated by many: it's a slow, dark, and with little dialogue film. No need to say this isn't your typical Hollywood fare. But those who are after of 'arty' European films of the same era with their power lying into simple but solid context and realism, then YOU OUGHT to see this one. It's one not to miss, an unknown gem.