“You Only Live Once”, find its way on the big screen

…We interviewed producer-director, filmmaker of outstanding talent,  and visionary, Dimitri Vorris at the airport, minutes before he boarded the next flight to Los Angeles. Dimitri

 is an experienced, driven, self-motivated multi-tasker, with extensive

experience in international co-production planning, scheduling and delivery of finished

audiovisual product. A team player, and content creator  with excellent communication, writing, organizational and skills.

 …After “December Riots” what’s up next for you?

“You Only Live Once”. It’s a female driven, romantic dramedy, based on a true story.

Four women battling breast cancer meet in a New York City hospital. Travelling for a

wedding to the Aegean island of Kos, Greece, the birthplace of Hippocrates, the father of

modern medicine, they seize the opportunity to change their lives. Their failed careers and

wrecked personal lives take a turn for the better…

The mood, pace and overall tone of the film is unique in that it goes far beyond the personal

tragedy of each of the four leading female characters. They search for the light at the end of the

tunnel and remain optimistic and humorous, even in light of the dire circumstances and

challenges they face. Life goes on, and one must learn to rise above the adversities and obstacles

that life seems to mercilessly dish out.

A heartfelt screenplay about finding the courage to change and grow, and to fall in love again

after life (and just about everybody else) have let you down…

Let’s talk about your passion project “Sonderkommando”.

One action will stand out alongside the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and that is the revolt of the

Sonderkammando at Auschwitz-Brikenau on October 7, 1944. This was an uprising which Jews

from Greece, Italy, Spain, and France both planned and successfully executed, leaving behind a

memorable list of heroes and martyrs for posterity. Their victory was dual in nature: it constituted

a psychological victory over the German army who now feared the Jewish prisoners in the camps,

further damaging their declining confidence in winning or even surviving the war and, secondly,

they died free men, in the ancient Greek tradition of a noble death, which has become part of the

Western culture. Namely to fight against all odds to the very end and to deny the enemy the

opportunity to loot and gloat.

“Sonderkommando” tells one of the most heroic, “against-all-odds”, stories in human history. It

serves to remind the world that despite their suffering during the Holocaust, the Jews were brave

enough to revolt and to continue to fight under the most hopeless of circumstances.

There’s a new law voted on August 4, 2017 providing much-needed cash-back relief to international film productions shooting in Greece.

This new law gives 25% cash back to feature film, animated, documentaries and video games projects. The Ministry of Digital Policy promised to be effective from early February 2018. A 70M euros budget has been earmarked for fiscal 2018. If we had this financial instrument, this law, 5-7 years ago everything would be drastically different in the Greek audiovisual industry… Better late than never.

How about the Greek omogeneia in the USA?

It is really difficult for them to understand and invest in film. There are quite a few exceptions mostly in Los Angeles running major  Hollywood studios (like Jim Gianopulos) but the majority of fellow American Greeks are stuck forever into real estate, restaurants, and paintings collections…Hopefully the new law is going to make them think twice about their options. We have to make an alternative investment fund that specializes in Hellenic culture. The possibilities are endless, the potential  unlimited, but you need to find the human capital first. It’s an uphill battle.

I am wishing you the very best for 2018.

Thank you. Likewise for you and your readers.

Mood video link “SONDERKOMMANDO”:

https://vimeo.com/206390510