Petra Andreas Avgousti

“Petra” was filmed by Andreas Avgousti in 2019. The film, tells the story of a young girl who returns to her family house after a significant number of years, only to find herself experiencing strange and inexplicable series of events that would eventually lead to the revelation of what really happened in that “haunted” house many years ago.

         The main actress in “Petra” Varvara Christofi, displayed real professionalism in relaying the fear caused by these unexplained series of events without the slightest over acting or exaggeration, in a sense that the audience is taken with her on this journey between the haunted past and the daily life of a young woman trying to understand what is really happening around her.

The opening scene reminds us of Kubrick’s classic “The Shining” with the aerial shot following a car headed towards what will later on be discovered as the cause of an ill fate. The director brilliantly knew how to set up the mood early on by avoiding the cheesy cliché “haunted house” horror movies we are showered with these days, he slowly but steadily reached the climax of the plot in a crescendo manner revealing just enough for the viewer to be tantalized and wanting more.

Technically, the camera movement and angles compensate for the absence of dialogue in large parts of the film, the use of high key lighting as opposed to the usual low key used generally in such genre of films allowed “Petra” to stand out as a thrilling surrealist experience. Editing wise, the slow pace used keeps us on edge pondering what will happen next, the art direction of the film is also crafted in a very professional manner down to the tinniest detail that suits the theme of the work. As for the music it served it’s purpose to the max, by enhancing the mood and breaking the imaginary wall between the audience and the film thus transporting them into this thrilling experience.

As a conclusion, “Petra” is a breath of fresh air with its exhilarating moments and skillfully executed plot, “Avgousti” is to be saluted for his work alongside the whole cast and crew and is encourage to dwell more into such themes where he has proved to be more than qualified to direct such work.

N.Khouri Ph.D

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