The first Greek film with purely artistic aspirations and an accomplished personal form of expression. The young poet, Laskos Orestis, with a beginner’s boldness and despite his ignorance of filmmaking techniques, dared to bring to the screen the well-known pastoral romance by Longus (2nd century A.D.). Two abandoned children grow up as shepherds in the meadows of Lesbos; Their close friendship is shaken by the first signs of their adolescent sexuality, and they pass various trials before their relationship reaches its natural conclusion. Orestis used two young amateurs, whose innocence, beauty and refreshing awkwardness made them perfect for the part. The filming, all of which was on location, takes advantage of the soft landscape of Lesbos; the quality of the images and the lyrical disposition of the director more than make up for the film’s imperfections. In the bathing scene, perhaps for the first time in the film history, the heroine is shown completely naked, creating a moment of extraordinary eroticism. The film was a commercial success not only in Greece but also in the USA, Poland, Romania, Germany, and many other countries. After the Second World War the film was considered lost and only a few fragments found in Greece. In 1990 the Restoration Department of the Greek Film Archive located a major part of the film in the USA. This restoration project was completed in 1992, with the assistance of Laskos Orestis, who died a few days after the première in 1993.

Maria Komninos, Greek Film Archive