A Whole Person Almost
| A Whole Person Almost | |
|---|---|
| Ένας ολόκληρος άνθρωπος σχεδόν | |
| Directed by | Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Yorgos Tsourgiannis |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Christos Voudouris |
| Edited by | Livia Neroutsopoulou |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Greek |
A Whole Person Almost (Greek: Ένας ολόκληρος άνθρωπος σχεδόν, Enas olokliros anthropos schedon) is a 2026 psychological drama and the feature directorial debut of Greek-German filmmaker Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis. Co-written by Kosemund-Sanidis and Elizampetta Ilia Georgiadou, the film stars Anastasis Georgoulas as Ilias, a young man in debt who arrives on a remote Greek island to claim the inheritance of his late father, and Flomaria Papadaki as Kalliopi, a local woman with dreams of leaving the island.[1][2] A five-country co-production between Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Cyprus and Romania, it was photographed by Christos Voudouris.[2][3]
The film had its world premiere in the Proxima Competition of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2026, where Kosemund-Sanidis won the Proxima Best Director Award.[4][5]
Plot
Ilias, a young man in debt, crosses the sea to a remote Greek island hoping to claim the inheritance of his estranged late father, a doctor. He discovers that no will exists and, worse, is soon struck by a mysterious numbness in his limbs. Unwilling to return empty-handed to his creditors, he confines himself to the rental rooms where his father once lived and confronts a small community of locals centred around Karina, the owner of the rentals and his father's former lover, and Kalliopi, a young local woman who works there and dreams of leaving the island. As inexplicable illnesses begin to spread across the community, Ilias develops a connection with Kalliopi and slowly enters the memory of a father and a life unknown to him.[3][2]
Cast
- Anastasis Georgoulas as Ilias
- Flomaria Papadaki as Kalliopi
- Elena Topalidou as Karina
- Konstadinos Avarikiotis
Production
The film is Kosemund-Sanidis's feature directorial debut following a series of short films: Il (2014), Unbuilt Light (Άκτιστο Φως, 2017), Astrometal (2017) and All the Fires the Fire (Όλες οι φωτιές η φωτιά, 2019).[6] The screenplay is co-credited to Kosemund-Sanidis and Elizampetta Ilia Georgiadou.[2]
The film was produced by Yorgos Tsourgiannis for Horsefly Films (Greece) in co-production with Red Carpet Films (Bulgaria), Wunderlust (Germany), Felony Film Productions (Cyprus) and Tangaj Production (Romania). Additional support came from the Greek Film Centre, the Bulgarian National Film Centre, the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture, EKOME, ERT, Panta Rhei, Onassis Culture, ZDF/ARTE, SEE Cinema Network, Faliro House Productions and Creative Europe MEDIA.[2][1] Principal photography took place in Greece, largely on the island of Lesbos.[7] The film was photographed by Christos Voudouris and edited by Livia Neroutsopoulou.[1][2]
Kosemund-Sanidis has described the film as concerned with human touch and physical connection as means of emotional healing, with the immobilizing condition that afflicts his characters offering "time to think and to feel."[3]
Release and reception
A Whole Person Almost world-premiered on 3 July 2026 in the Proxima Competition of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which ran 3–11 July 2026.[6][1]
Ahead of the film's Karlovy Vary premiere, The Hollywood Reporter presented exclusive clips from the film — including a scene involving a Trump-shaped cloud — describing it as a "personal and emotional Odyssey."[1] Reviewing the film for the Portuguese cinema publication C7nema, a critic described it as a psychological drama in which a young man's return home to a Greek island triggers memories, encounters, and inexplicable physical conditions that establish a parallel between the characters' inner lives and the strangeness of their surroundings.[7]
At the close of the festival on 11 July 2026, Kosemund-Sanidis was awarded the Proxima Best Director Award. Accepting the prize, he said he hoped the film would remind viewers that "vulnerability is not the opposite of strength, but one of its manifestations."[4][5]
Awards
- Proxima Best Director Award — Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis, 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2026)[4][5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "'A Whole Person Almost' Is a Cinematic Odyssey. And Hey, Does This Cloud Look Like Trump?! (Exclusive Clips)". The Hollywood Reporter. June 19, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "FNE at KVIFF 2026: Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis' A Whole Person Almost Heads for Proxima Competition World Premiere". FilmNewEurope. June 14, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "EXCLUSIVE: Trailer for Karlovy Vary entry A Whole Person Almost". Cineuropa. June 22, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Bulgarian Co-Production 'A Whole Person Almost' Wins Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary Film Festival". Bulgarian News Agency. July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Karlovy Vary Film Festival Awards Given Out". Awards Radar. July 11, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 "A Whole Person Almost". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 "'A Whole Person Almost' e a ilha que toma conta dos corpos" ['A Whole Person Almost' and the island that takes over the bodies]. C7nema (in Portuguese). July 8, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.