The Boys
'The Boys' is a psychological thriller, a mental game that unfolds within two parallel stories and in three different time frames. The Boys' (young and old) and the woman's (the narrator and psychiatrist) who deals with the sole survivor of a collective suicide incident.
the boys
July 1972
Five 12-year-old English schoolboys go on a class trip to Greece. There, out of defence, they commit a crime and decide to keep it a secret, forming a terrifying bond of delusional friendship and pseudo-macho interdependence.
25 years later, July 1997
At the request of one, they all meet again at the scene of the crime. The years have shaped them into very peculiar individuals who find pleasure in testing their limits (physical and emotional) and are ready from anything. A drifter, an undertaker, a painter, a writer and a trader, each one releases his personal demons and feelings for one another in a weekend filled with the most absurd game of truth or dare. When one of them tells the rest he wants out, the dynamics of the group's borderline sanity shifts into an abyss of self-destructive catharsis.
2 years later, November 1999
Which one survives whom, how and why, is revealed through the woman's own story, in another of life's twists that shows love and self acceptance are the only courses men can take to challenge their own fate.
"An original, claustrophobic, bleak at times, first feature, crediting Ms Philippou as a talented writer /director, capable of creating good performances in a strong ensemble piece that deals with very uncomfortable issues..."
Kostas Dravas, International Herald Tribune, Thessaloniki International Film Festival Review Section, 1999
An Interview with the Director
Extract from article written and translated by Aggeliki Papadopoulou, To Vima Magazino, in conjuction with her interview with Katerina Philippou-Curtis
"On the 1st night of its screening in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 'The boys' miss their 'mother'. Katerina Philiipou, the writer/director /producer, is nowhere to be seen, despite the press and public looking for her. She spent the last 3 years of her life fighting to put the boys together and went through the entire alphabet of guerrilla filmmaking to see it happening on screen. And now, that her dream has been realised and the Olympion theatre is packed and cheering, the lady is anywhere but here. Speculation is thriving. Critics 'tongues and pencils get ready to sharpen and the Greek Film Centre's publicity stand for The Boys is empty. There's no one there to speak about the film and everybody looks around to congratulate somebody. Ian Robertson simply smiles. He is sat at the back and shake hands with his immediate group- keeping a low profile. To appear as the main representative of the film would be an honour but he also feels would be unfair. He'd rather call Katerina and allow her to listen to the roar behind his mobile. He dials the number and she picks up.
"Hi, Kat? Listen to this."
The roar slowly subsides, there is some intense clappingthe atmosphere is captured.
"How was it?" she asks
"Packed. People seemed to love it. I think it went very well. Well,done, you should be proud."
"Good. I'm pleased", she adds
"And how are you?" Ian asks.
"I'm fine", she says. "Gave birth 3 hours ago. To 'another' boy"
35 mm, colour. 75 min long. The Boys packed the sweat, tears and efforts of 100 volunteers from 8 different countries and a few empty credit cards, into a glossy print that is now being reeled out of the Olympion Projection Room. The person responsible just delivered 'another boy' to the world and his own story suddenly takes central stage. The celluloid lads, like big brothers, would have to hack it on their own."