Love, crime, and suburbia: Inside the mad world of “The Kink”

The 30th Greek Film Festival is astir to airy up screens crossed Australia, marking three decades of cinematic storytelling that bridges Greece and the diaspora. From 14 to 26 October, audiences will immerse themselves successful 13 days of striking performances, almighty filmmaking, and special events celebrating the films and artists who’ve shaped the festival’s journey.

The world premiere of The Kink astatine Melbourne’s iconic Astor Theatre, will people this year’s expansive finale connected 26 October, with writer-producer Alkinos Tsilimidos, manager David Field, and the formed successful attendance.

The movie reunites two long-time collaborators whose originative concern stretches backmost to acclaimed works such arsenic Everynight…Everynight, Silent Partner and Tom White. This time, they’ve turned their attraction to a darkly comic tale of crime, love, and suburban absurdity.

Mirko Grillini and David Field arsenic the conman and the lover’s unsuspecting hubby hatch a program successful The Kink. Photo: Supplied

The plot

The Kink is simply a acheronian drama astir a washed-up, sex-obsessed conman (Mirko Grillini) who is blackmailed by his lawyer’s fiercely protective parent (Sally-Anne Upton) into doing the unthinkable. With conscionable two days to propulsion it off, helium ropes successful his lover’s unsuspecting hubby for help. As the inexperienced duo effort to execute the plan, they σύντομα observe successful the world of swingers, swindlers, golden diggers and mummy’s boys, it’s each about…The Kink!

The thought for The Kink had been sitting successful the backmost of Alkinos Tsilimidos’ caput for three decades.

“I came crossed a story, 30 years ago, astir a woman who hires a declaration slayer to dispose of her daughter-in-law to ‘save’ her son,” helium recalls. “I ever thought I indispensable revisit this 1 day.”

The accidental came aft a visit from his aged person David Field a mates of years ago.

Sally-Anne Upton arsenic the protective parent who wants to bash distant with her daughter-in-law and Mirko Grillini arsenic the conman she blackmails for the job

“I’ve worked with David for galore years. We made Every night, Every nighttime together, Silent Partner, films that person been screened successful festivals astir the world and we’ve had a bully concern going, myself arsenic a director, and David arsenic the pb actor. Although we hadn’t worked together for a agelong time, when helium visited maine helium triggered the thought of making different movie together.”

Tsilimidos admits helium wrote a fewer drafts from the mother’s constituent of view but was ne'er satisfied until helium decided to tell the story from the position of the killers.

“And I thought, why don’t I try and marque this a comedy?”

He wrote the publication successful conscionable three days. Then beingness intervened. While travelling to Greece, a speech with his adjacent person and Greek histrion Vangelis Mourikis sparked a caller idea: why not manus the directing reins to Field?

“It was the champion decision,” helium says. “I told David, ‘I’ve written it, you tin nonstop it, and I’ll produce.’ From that moment, it became our task again.”

Will Hutchins acts successful The Kink arsenic the nephew. Photo: Supplied

A suburban farce

To make the plot, Tsilimidos reinvented the story and acceptable it successful Melbourne.

“The thought astir section suburbia is that thing truly happens. But if you look down closed doors, there’s everything going on!”

The dialogue-heavy publication proved some a situation and a gift.

“It meant a very agelong rehearsal process for each the actors,” helium says. “That was the existent quality with this film. We had a batch of amusive workshopping it. Because it was a low-budget film, we didn’t person the money, but we had a batch of freedom. That really allowed us to bash more. It was unusual to person so overmuch clip to rehearse and the process was a joy.”

Once the actors realised however overmuch amusive they could person uncovering humour successful the dialogue, the movie took connected a caller life. “It became a gateway to creating character,” Tsilimidos explains. “I’d written some very dense stereotypes, and the actors turned them into archetypes. They had the state to improvise with David and me.”

Alkinos Tsilimidos an acclaimed Australian movie and theatre director. Photo: Supplied

The effect is, successful Tsilimidos’ words, “quite mad.” A riotous, offbeat drama that besides pokes amusive astatine our fascination with transgression thrillers and execution mysteries.

“We thought, however tin we tell this story — the bully and the atrocious — and propulsion it each together to find the humour done the perpetrators doing the atrocious stuff, while somehow making them human?”

He adds, “everyone’s getting distant with thing today, and I conjecture we wanted to play connected the humour. World leaders tin bash whatever they want, so why can’t Mr And Mrs Suburbia, get distant with whatever they’ve done too?”

David Field and Tottie Goldsmith successful The Kink. Photo: Supplied

A filmmaker’s evolution

For Tsilimidos, known for his stark κοινωνικά realism, this displacement toward drama reflects his idiosyncratic and creator growth.

It’s the worldly that determines the filmmaker’s evolution, helium explains.

“I think arsenic I’ve got older, I’ve recovered beingness funnier,” helium says. “That’s astir apt the champion happening that’s happened to me. If I tin provender that into my work, fantastic. The information is becoming cynical. With so overmuch going connected successful the world close now, if you tin support a bully consciousness of humour, I think we tin each get done it.”

As acquisition sets in, there’s besides little pressure.

“When you’re young, it’s truly astir ambition. It creates stress arsenic you try to fulfil this anticipation that you whitethorn person of yourself. But arsenic you get older, astatine slightest for me, my idiosyncratic ambition has dissipated. It doesn’t truly exist. What excites maine is the films, and watching actors springiness their best. That’s the champion portion of making films nowadays.”

Vangelis Mourikis and Rachel Kameth successful The Taverna which besides diagnostic successful the 30th Greek Film Festival. Photo: Supplied

Looking ahead

With The Kink astir to marque its world premiere, Tsilimidos admits to feeling some excitement and nerves.

“I cognize the assemblage will mostly beryllium radical of my generation, and I’m excited. But when you enactment a movie up for the archetypal time, there’s ever a consciousness of terror. Because erstwhile it’s connected screen, it’s nary longer excavation oregon David’s. It belongs to the audience.”

As for what’s next, he’s keeping his options open. Perhaps a sequel to The Taverna, possibly something wholly new.

“I’ve ever been independent, I don’t bounds myself to anything,” helium says. “That’s the quality of it. Independence gives you freedom. The lone existent regulation is financial.”