Absences

A family story of incest, decadence and desolation. Greece, early twentieth century. A bourgeois family is on the verge of breaking up. The mother has abandoned the family, and the father, a retired officer, keeps his three daughters, as well as the illegitimate son of the oldest daughter, confined in the house. After his death, the three sisters live through their personal drama. The eldest, Eleni, imbued with the morals of the time and closely identifying with her father, tries to take his place. The middle one, Maria, representing rebellion, goes off with a captain of the sanitation service, while the youngest, Anna, skating on thin ice through all this, is completely destroyed.

Directed by Giorgos Katakouzinos, Absences leans on a strong ensemble — Themis Bazaka, Pemi Zouni, Nikitas Tsakiroglou — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about romance titles of 1987.