Storytellers bring the Aegean Sea to New Farm

By Kate Lockyer
Two local creative startups have partnered to immerse their audience in the remote Greek island of Kythira for a new film loosely inspired by the filmmaker’s grandfather.
Teneriffe filmmaker Jacob Richardson of Film Focus premiered his debut feature film The Aegean at New Farm Cinemas on October 27, and it was shown as part of the Brisbane International Film Festival and Greek Film Festival.
Mr Richardson said his own grandfather lost his wife a few years ago, and he was inspired by his story.
“It’s a fable for my own relationship with my grandfather,” he said.
The story follows Hector (Costas Mandylor), a widowed Greek fisherman whose outlook is changed upon meeting Theodore (Nicky Dune), a resourceful teenager desperately seeking a saviour. Together they embark on a journey on the enchanting Aegean Sea.

Mr Richardson described The Aegean as a meditative piece, “a tender film” that explores themes of loss, grief, mental health and isolation, particularly for the elderly.
Despite this, the movie still aims to “leave people with a sense of hope”.
In a unique addition, Film Focus – comprised of Mr Richardson and his partner, producer Aida Vucic – partnered with New Farm game design startup Persephia to create game to accompany the film.
Mr Richardson said the game allows them “to immerse people into the world of The Aegean” and the main character’s “sense of isolation” before and after the movie.
Designer Harry Keightley said the idea of creating a ‘teaser’ game to complement the movie started as a joke with Mr Richardson, whose sister Ashleigh Richardson is the other half of the Persephia team.
“We sneakily built him a prototype and he was a lot more enthused than we expected,” Mr Keightley said.
In the game, you play as some of the film’s main characters, moving around the Greek island, fishing, taking in the scenes, and talking to others.
Mr Keightley said the hardest challenge was creating the world without having seen the movie – Mr Richardson was keen to make sure there were no spoilers, even for the design team!
So, they created the game based on imagery from the movie, guided by the story that Mr Richardson conveyed to them.
While over in Kythira last year, he said they received a warm reception from the locals, and they were able to partner with residents who could help with behind-the-scenes production.
“Shooting in Greece was an amazing experience… it’s a small community and we developed great relationships with the people over there,” he said.
“Whether it was someone lending us their boat, or allowing us access to a location, they all came together to support the film.”
In fact, some of them were given roles in the movie, jumping in as extra characters.
The Aegean will be released early next year and has been selected for the Agora Film Market as part of the 2024 Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece.