Black Field (2009 Greek film)
A janissary and a hidden boy flee Ottoman Greece.
Black Field (Μαύρο Λιβάδι) is a 2009 Greek film directed by Vardis Marinakis. It stars Sofia Georgovassili and Christos Passalis. The film won the Hellenic Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography, as well as accolades at the Mumbai International Film Festival and Seville European Film Festival.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Vardis Marinakis
- Starring
- Christos Passalis; Sofia Georgovassili
- Cinematography
- Marcus Waterloo
- Editing
- Yannis Chalkiadakis
- Released
- 5 November 2009
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
- Country
- Greece
- Language
- Greek
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In 1654, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, a wounded janissary collapses alone outside a secluded Orthodox convent. The nuns take him in, and Areti, who has medical knowledge, treats his injuries with assistance from Anthi, a timid young nun. Both women are intrigued by the man's presence. As he recovers, Areti begins a sexual relationship with him, while Anthi struggles with confused feelings.
When the nuns discover he is a deserter with a bounty, they realize they cannot protect him and alert the authorities. As soldiers arrive to arrest him, Anthi flees with the janissary into the woods. There, a hidden truth emerges: Anthi is actually a boy, disguised and raised in the convent to escape the devsirme, the Ottoman practice of conscripting Orthodox children. The soldier is initially repulsed, but gradually forms a rough bond with the awkward youth.
Eventually, they are recaptured. Anthi is returned to the monastery, where Areti, now pregnant, hangs herself in despair. Anthi escapes again and finds the janissary, who has killed his guards. The two disappear together back into the forest.
More in Films Set in the Ottoman Empire
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced