Apples

Apples, a 2020 Greek film directed by Christos Nikou, tells the story of Aris, played by Aris Servetalis, a man who wakes up one morning with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He finds himself in the middle of a pandemic where people are losing their memory. In order to help him recover his memories, a young doctor named Anna, played by Sofia Georgovassili, assigns him a task of taking Polaroid pictures of himself, which he does with the guidance of the Polaroid camera given by the doctor.

The film's premise is intriguing, by showcasing the challenges of humans grappling with memory loss, which is an element that hits close to home during this pandemic. The film's muted color palette and minimal dialogue beautifully capture the mood of its protagonist’s memory loss, showcasing how disconnected he is from reality. The understated and controlled performance by Aris Servetalis perfectly captures the confusion, emptiness, and despair of the character he plays.

As Aris continues to search for his identity, he is exposed to a world that is increasingly insular, where social distancing has become a way of life, and everyone is required to wear masks. This environment only exacerbates Aris's sense of dislocation and isolation, and he forms a bond with Anna, the doctor who is helping him regain his memory. Through their interactions, he begins to discover hints of his past.

One of the strengths of the film is its ability to create a world that feels both familiar and surreal, which is particularly timely as the current pandemic has already caused many of us to feel the same way. The isolation forced upon everyone is similar to the quarantine we face today. By placing this concept in the movie, it draws parallels between the reality we live in and this fictional reality, wherein the movie we will see how arbitrary human memories are and how they become a common thread binding us all together.

The pacing of the movie is slow, but it perfectly captures the overall mood of the story. While the film raises interesting questions about memory, identity, and connections, it does not provide answers, leaving the audience to contemplate the film's themes long after the credits have rolled. The story speaks to a universal experience that many may have whether pandemic or not – the fragility of our memory.

Overall, Apples is a beautifully crafted film that captures the unsettling and eerie mood of a world that is slowly losing its memory during a pandemic, exploring the intricacies of memory, identity and the human experience. Through its minimal dialogue, and emotionally charged sequences, it creates a space that leaves a lasting emotional impact on its audience.