First up was Greece, the film, Dogtooth.
To be honest I don't know many Greek films and I know next to nothing about their film industry. I would have to consult my giant BFI Cinema book for advice. But I managed to get a copy of Dogtooth and as it fitted perfectly into my challenge I thought why not.
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The story is about a husband and wife who have kept their two daughters and son within their property, sheltering them from the outside world. The children are all adults now but still act like children. They are kept ignorant of everything beyond their walls and are told things such as the planes that goes over the house are toys. Only the father leaves the compound to go to work each day and only one other person, a woman from his office visits to have sex with the son from time to time.
The characters either seem cold and hurtful or naive and at times pathetic. The story and how it unfolds made me feel uneasy. I wanted to know if any of the children would escape but also wanted the story to end. Near the end you can see how uncomfortable the eldest daughter is and this is brought to a head when she pulls out a tooth. She does this because her father has told her and her siblings that in order to leave home they first have to lose a dogtooth.
Yorgos Lanthimos who directed the film has been praised in Greece and Internationally, claiming the film to be 'a horror without the splatter'. I couldn't agree more with this statement.
For anyone who is interested or intrigued by the story, which how I originally became interested, I suggest you watch this but probably no more than once. And it is definitely not something to watch with your family.
End Line: Disturbing family film
Next: Italy