“Unforgettable… this hugely accomplished first feature is really something special.” (Screen Daily)
The new Greek cinema, as inspired by figures such as Yorgos Lanthimos and Athina Rachel Tsangari adds another triumph to its list of bizarrely humorous observations of a world out of whack. A man wakes one day with no memories—except that he likes apples. There is a pandemic of amnesia going around, and he is taken in hand by the Department of Disturbed Memory, who are a very strange group indeed. They enrol him in a recovery program designed to help patients build new identities by prescribing daily tasks which are then captured on polaroid selfies. Hence, he embarks on the daily adventure of having to discover who he is. Writer-director Christos Nikou posits a beguiling reflection on memory, identity, and loss, exploring how our society might handle the effacement of identity and the journey to self-discovery.
“This is a haunting meditation on the manipulation of memory to anesthetize pain, crafted with a meticulous attention to visual and aural composition that makes for arresting viewing.” (Hollywood Reporter)
“Splendidly poignant.” (The Guardian)
“Like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in reverse… a gently absurdist look at loss and reinvention.” (Variety)
Christos Nikou
Christos Nikou was born in Athens in 1984. He has been assistant director and/or second unit director on a number of films including Dogtooth (2009). He made his directing debut with the short film Km (2012). Apples is his first feature as director.