A Neighborhood Named 'The Dream' (1961) User Reviews

Modern Greek Melodrama

[graphi · 8/10 · 18 April 2006]

Synoikia to Oneiro proves that Alexandrakis was both a gifted actor and an innovative director. His movie is both gritty and moving. Shot on location in what was then Athen's poorest area, he overwhelms the viewer with the abject poverty of post-war Greece. All performances are noteworthy, especially that of Manos Katrakis. Mikis Theodorakis fans will love this movie for its music. Synoikia to Oneiro has few of the technical problems common among Greek movies of the time. I can't help feeling it a shame that Alexnadrakis hadn't directed more films. Let's not forget that movies in Greece at the time were made on shoe-string budgets. This film is under-rated. In my opinion, it's on par with Stella, Ta Kokkina Fanaria and other great Greek films made in the mid-fifties to mid-sixties.

A film with great past

[emilywes56 · 10/10 · 15 January 2018]

This greek film moved me deeply like no other film of this particular cinematic era in post-war Greece, more specifically the years between 1950-1960, the golden years of Finos Films and the greek cinema. Director and actor Alekos Alexandrakis, made this film because he wanted to speak through it, to communicate his thoughts about some truths that had to do with his own country and the people living in it. In contrast with the majority of greek films in the fifties, which were mostly succesful comedies with very good cast and some romance or humorous plots, Alexandrakis rejects all the typical approaches in a story that is true, innovative and very close to the real environments and situations taking place in the film. Also, the camera techniques, frames and the atmosphere is very powerful and promising, reminding us the characteristics of Italian Neorealism cinema. One great achievement is the collaboration between Alekos Alexandrakis (director), Tasos Livaditis (theatrical writer and poet) and two great personalities in the area of music production, the musical composer Mikis Theodorakis and singer Grigoris Mpithikotsis. The song that plays along the movie, is an overwhelming experience that makes us feel the anti-heroes's emotions and desires. The story is that Rikos, an ex-prisoner, returns to his old neighborhood, one of the poorest and underpriviledged areas in Athens. He, then, faces life as it is, when his old lover, Stefi, has become friendly with some rich but hollow men in her try to escape from poverty and isolated home. Also, his two friends, Nekroforas, Stefi's father and Asimakis, face the same difficulties in this abandoned and unprosperous location. Alekos Alexandrakis made only two films in his whole life, Synoikia to Oneiro and another one as co-director. This film has some sad events behind it and that is why it is such an important document in greek film's history. This one, along with some other very special and different from the usual films, like Drakos (director Nikos Koundouros) and movies like Stella or To Koritsi me ta Maura (director Mixalis Kakogiannis) are more raw, critical to society and unacceptable from the politics of the country at the time. Censorship and political parties destroyed the film of Alexandrakis, so much, that he said he did not connect with it, after all. He invested all of his money to this unique film making, because his desire was to unveil the unfair situation that refugees from catastrophe of Middle Asia were living everyday, isolated from the rest of the people as pariah and social outcast. Even though, the film we watch is not the one Alexandrakis edited -and that is a great casualty-, it transfers us a certain emotion. The way that noble people decide to be decent, with an uncertain smile in their hearts.

Greek neorealism

[demetriosvoto · 10/10 · 30 August 2020]

An excellent film deeply influenced be Italian neorealism. One of a few in Greek cinematography. Unfortunately the original version has never been screened as the conservative - right winded administration - censored the movie and destroyed the prototype negatives of the film, due to "communism" and "disrespect" of the state. The real reasons was the way the prospective and finally, the objective presentation of greek society at the time. Deeply poor and in despair yet, still supportive of each other.