“It’s not easy to fire your gun when your own brother could be on the other side”. The time: last period of the civil war. The place: Grammos and Vitsi, the beautiful yet blood stained mountains of Western Macedonia, Greece. Main characters: two brothers, 17-year old Anestis and 15-year old Vlassis, shepherds that have been recruited by the two opposing, warring sides. Anestis by the National Army, Vlassis by the partisan Democratic Army. The two brothers, raised in the mountains, are used as guides, to lead their troops through the difficult and unknown paths and passages of the mountains. With them, Captain-Vounisios, machine-gunner Giannoula, lieutenant Triantafyllos, Brigadier Tsaglis, 14-year old Foula, and many other soldiers and partisans, all too young to die or to kill in this brutal war where brother kills brother. The story of each of them is written in the battlefields, in meetings at the headquarters, in medal ceremonies, execution squads and court martials. The film pays tribute to the youth lost on both sides of this mountain range, it is a testimony in their memory and respect for the thousands of unknown victims of a futile and devastating war with no victory, since the whole nation was defeated in the end.
First Appeared Actors: Christos Karteris, Giorgos Aggelkos, Anna Partsani
Cast: Vaggelis Mourikis, Georgios Simeonidis, Victoria Charalampidou, Kostas Kleftogiannis, Marios Pontikas, Miltos Poliviou, Ian Robertson, Vassilis Nanakis, Alexandra Kazazou, Klea Samanta, Ioulios Tziatas, Giorgos Tzortzis, Argiro Apostolidi
Cinematography: Simos Sarketzis GSC
Art Director: Apostolos Vettas
Costumes: Loukia Chatzelou
Sound: Stefanos Euthimiou
Make-up: Kiriaki Mellidou
Editing: Panos Voutsaras
Assistants Directors: Kostas Athousakis, Daniel Bolda
Original Score: Giannis Aggelakas
SFX: Alpha Stunts
Production Manager: Giorgos Filias
Production House: ALCO FILMS
In association with: Greek Film Centre, ERT, GRAAL, NOVA, Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus
With the kind support of: Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace
Production Services: Black Orange S.A.
Executive Producer: Eleni Berde
Producer: Giannis Iakovidis
Screenplay – Direction: Pantelis Voulgaris