If you’ve seen in the insanely effective Dogtooth, then you either can’t wait to check out director Yorgos Lanthimos’ next film or you want to stay as far away from possible. I’m in the former camp, loving his debut and ready for his next feature Alps. We got the first stills for the “darker and funnier” drama headed to Venice and Toronto, but now a teaser has arrived. In true fashion for the director, it provides evocative image and the likely violence that will occupy the film. Starring his Dogtooth actress Aggeliki Papouli, check it out below.
Synopsis:
A Nurse, a Paramedic, a Gymnast and her Coach have formed a service for hire. They stand in for dead people by appointment, hired by the relatives, friends, or colleagues of the deceased. The company is called Alps while their leader, the Paramedic, calls himself Mont Blanc.
Although the Alps members operate under a discipline regime demanded by their leader, the Nurse doesn’t… From the director of the Oscar-nominated DOGTOOTH
A list of the 15 rules the group in the film must obey has also been dug up by The Playlist and you can see ti below.
THE 15 RULES OF THE ALPS
Alps members:
1. Must declare in advance the things they are unwilling to do by filling out Form (e.g. kissing, lifting weights, travelling etc.)
2. Must declare in advance the things they are good at by filling out Form (e.g. dancing, waterskiing, discussing etc.)
3. Must have some basic knowledge of psychology and sociology.
4. Are obliged to support, under all circumstances, the interests of the Alps group.
5. Must respect each other.
6. Have the right to change their nickname only twice. They cannot choose a nickname belonging to another Alps member. The nickname must strictly be the name of a mountain in the Alps, and not something general or irrelevant (e.g. Blonde, Master, Dragon etc.)
7. Can never talk about Alps activities with non-Alps members.
8. Are obliged to take the Gymnastics Club Test, if necessary.
9. Must be over 14 years of age.
10. Should always be smart, clean, punctual, and in complete control.
11. Must never get emotionally involved with clients, or have intimate relations with them.
12. Cannot change their physical appearance without the Leader’s permission (e.g. dye hair, lose or gain weight, wear coloured contact lenses etc.)
13. Must be able to make convincing facial expressions (sadness, happiness, despair etc.)
14. Must honour the title of their membership, and be ready to kill or die for it.
15. Must never attack one another, and must believe in teamwork.
Mont Blanc, Leader of the Alps group
January 2008
Alps premieres at Venice Film Festival, which kicks off today while TIFF begins on September 8th.
What do you think of the first teaser?