The Lobster

(2015, Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Co-Written by Efthimis Filippou)

The Hellenic Studies Program invites you to meet acclaimed author, scriptwriter, and playwright Efthimis Filippou in a two-part event celebrating his work. Filippou is best known for his collaborations with director Yorgos Lanthimos on the award-winning films 'Dogtooth', 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer', and 'Kinds of Kindness'. Irreverent and provocative, his writing is emblematic of the so-called Greek weird wave in contemporary cinema. His work continues to captivate critics and audiences with its absurd, tragicomic explorations of human futility, rendered in a stark, dispassionate, and darkly comic style.

His films have received numerous honors, including the Golden Osella at the Venice Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as nominations for the BAFTA Awards and the Academy Awards. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2016.

Members of the public are invited to meet and speak with Filippou following the screening of The Lobster.

Set in the near future, the film follows a society where single people are arrested and sent to a hotel, where they have 45 days to find a romantic partner. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into the woods. A desperate man (Colin Farrell) escapes the hotel and joins a group of loners in the forest—where falling in love is strictly forbidden.

Free and open to the public.

The screening will be followed by a conversation with Filippou, moderated by Hellenic Studies faculty member George Syrimis. Free and open to the public, no registration necessary.