Moon, 66 Questions
In Jacqueline Lentzou’s exceptional feature debut, an already strained father–daughter relationship is put under pressure.
Artemis returns home to Greece to tend to her father, Paris, whose autoimmune disease causes him to lose control of his body. But the pair were never close, and Artemis isn’t sure how to handle becoming her estranged parent’s sole caregiver. Their reunion is complicated further by the physical proximity they can no longer avoid, forcing Artemis to reconcile with her complicated feelings.
Premiering in the Encounters section of the 2021 Berlinale, Moon, 66 Questions is a beautifully constructed family drama from a filmmaker with a singular perspective. The award-winning Lentzou is not interested in conventional storytelling tropes, tempering the narrative’s difficult material with the whimsy of tarot cards, Paris’ VHS home movies and voiceover readings of Artemis’ diary, all of which bring us closer to each character’s psyche even as they hold themselves emotionally apart. Anchoring the story is Sofia Kokkali (Digger, MIFF 2020) as Artemis, in a deeply expressive and mature performance that goes straight for the audience’s heart.
“The tidal currents of Moon, 66 Questions gently pull us out into an ocean of captivating gaps, ellipses and silences, granting an enormously rich emotional experience for those willing to go with its flow.” – Alliance of Women Film Journalists