Il passo sospeso della cicogna

Theo Angelopoulos's look at refugees in Greece looks timely nowadays, with large numbers of them fleeing to Europe, often entering through Greece. "To meteoro vima tou pelargou" ("The Suspended Step of the Stork" in English) focuses on a reporter who, while covering the refugees, comes across a politician who disappeared some years earlier.

This movie will definitely not be for everyone. There are only two recognizable names in it - Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau - and there are segments with little to no dialogue. What we do get is a work that reminds us of the problem of borders. These artificial constructs are simply ways of keeping out those seeking a better life, whether from Europe or from the United States.

I don't know if I would call it a masterpiece, but the direction and cinematography (as well as the moral questions that it raises) certainly make it a movie worth seeing. Check it out if you can find it.