When the world finally comes to an end, I suppose there are worse places to be than an island resort. A family is on vacation during civilization’s final days in Konstantinos Antonopoulos’ Postcards From the End of the World.
Dimitris (Yiorgos Gallos) and Dimitra (Angeliki Dimitrakopoulou) are on vacation with their two daughters on a resort island in the Mediterranean just off the coast of Greece. The voiceover narration tells us this is the couple’s 34th vacation, and that should say everything about the state of their marriage. The pair is just existing, and vacation feels like what they should do instead of making the most of it as a couple and a family.
In the morning, the worst thing that can happen on vacation happens… the internet goes down. Not just in their BnB, but everywhere. No one on the island can use their phone to gain access to the outside world. The talk amongst the locals indicates that the communication shutdown is a global crisis.
Panic ensues as fellow vacationers flock to the nearby port to escape, but Dimitris and Dimitria can’t get to the dock because all the cars are gone, and the locals are hoarding gas. They finally find a working vehicle, only to be hijacked by fellow vacationers armed with spear guns and flip-flops. Now the family is left with only their suitcases and two folding beach chairs.
“…the worst thing that can happen on vacation happens…the internet goes down.”
Postcards From the End of the World is a fantastic short film that’s worth your time to seek out. Its comedy comes from this family’s story, while the events around them are played with deadly seriousness and grounded in reality. As wild as things get, the craziness around them feels like it could happen, and our protagonists continually focus on the wrong priorities for survival, like the GD cellphones.
Writer/director Antonopoulos’ short is one long ironic story, and its point is not lost. Again, there are worse places you can be during an apocalypse than a resort island. Amid the panic, sometimes it just helps to stop and take in the current reality surrounding you. As the family accepts their plight and their “new normal,” the movie’s real message of family comes out, and then the final punch line at the end is absolutely perfect.
Postcards From the End of the World works because it has something to say, an ironic way to say it, and told without a single wink to the camera. Its storytelling is sheer perfection. Considering the film has already received “Oscar Qualifying” status, this is my choice to make it to the final round.
"…works because it has something to say, an ironic way to say it, and told without a single wink to the camera."
