Even face to face contact with the direst reality cannot, for some people, bring to the fore their positive identity, not even fear of the ‘beast’ can release them from the grip of apathy.

For others, the last remaining identity is their neighbourhood. And they will stand up for it. In every way possible...

Two strangers meet in a train on its way to Athens. It is certain that they will never meet up again.

One of them unfolds his ‘crammed’ reality, through bits and pieces of his pressured daily life: the foreigners and poverty have a hold on his neighborhood, Victoria.

He fantasizes about his own private ‘final solution’ while stressed ‘Victorians’ from the past interrupt sporadically the narration with reminders that violence is anything but a modern day phenomenon.

At the same time, the other passenger (the reader) coming into first-hand contact with a dire reality, journeys from voyeurism to political correctness and from there, to fear and apathy.

Yannis Tsirbas was born in Athens, in 1976. He grew up in the center of the city. He is lecturer in Political Science and Public Administration, at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens. In addition to academic essays he publishes articles and book reviews in the press and on the Internet.

His short stories have received awards in competitions in Greece, have been included in anthologies and appeared in literary magazines.

Victoria does not exist is his first novel.

THE MOVIE (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goJzKqpAdEk

Mixing a kinetic visual style with ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling, Amerika Square is an unflinching look at economic crisis, racism and the mass migration economy—where “borders are business. Based on the Novel “Victoria does not exist”, by Yannis Tsirbas (2013, Greece: Nefeli and 2015, France: Quidam)

Film festivals official competition selection (so far): Busan International Film Festival (6-15 October 2016), Chicago International Film Festival (13-27 October 2016).

Director: Yannis Sakaridis / Coproduction countries: Greece, Germany, UK