BFI FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Konstantinos Doxiadis
Morphes
FESTIVAL SCREENING
Saturday 22 February 2025 15:00
FEB, 16, 2025
Morphes is an experimental short film exploring a man's relationship with his past, and his attempt to reconcile with his impending death. It is a very abstract film, using its setting (the man's house) as a central character to propel the narrative. The film itself is shot in my grandparents' house, and many of the scenes/images are fragmented memories I myself had growing up in their house.
Hi Konstantinos, how does it feel being at the BFI Future Film Festival with your short film Morphes?
The BFI has been present in my life since I embarked upon my filmmaking journey. I’ve spent countless hours in the Reuben Library, watching films from the archives, as well as the programmes that are on at Southbank. To have the opportunity to watch my own work as part of the programme is a slightly surreal experience!
How important are festivals like BFI Future Film Festival, in creating a platform for short films and filmmakers?
A short film often has a very limited audience, and screens for a very short period of time. Festivals, especially ones with extensive programming, coordination and credibility, give filmmaking teams the validation that their work is being appreciated and understood. Especially since short films are often a precursor to larger, more ‘commercialised’ projects (e.g., feature films with distribution), having a platform of experienced viewers to provide feedback for a film is crucial.
More than anything else, seeing one’s film in a festival is a conclusive sign that the project is finished creatively, allowing the filmmaker to move onto new ventures.
Short films are a vital medium in the film industry, yet there are few opportunities for the public, outside of festivals, to see them. What more can be done to make short films more visible and accessible to the wider cinema audiences?
One thing I would really like to see would be consistent programming of short films as precursor to feature films in cinemas. Not only would this expose audiences to many new creators, but it might also allow for more interactive experiences. For example, cinemas could programme only local/regional shorts, and invite the filmmakers to give brief Q&As or comments following the film.
Can you tell me a little bit about how Morphes came about. What was the inspiration behind your short?
The film started as a series of disparate images and sounds that kept resurfacing whenever I visited my grandparents’ house. I spent a long time struggling on how to build a narrative around then, and slowly came to the realisation that perhaps the most appropriate would be to film the sequences exactly as they came to me, and avoid giving any narrative at all.
Had you always intended to shoot the film in your grandparents’ house?
Yes. The house was pretty much the only stable factor throughout the production process of Morphes, and the most crucial character.
How reflective is Morphes, and what was the message you wanted to convey with Morphes, and do you think you achieved it?
I would say that the film is more meditative rather than reflective, in the sense that there is no information that really needs to be explored or processed. If I had to describe it in terms of a message, I would say that my ambition was to show how memories are often processed in an entirely surreal and otherworldly manner, even if the emotions they convey are clearly understood.
What was the experience like working with Dimitris Katalifos and Filippos Eleftheropoulos?
Rehearsals for Morphes were incredibly interesting. On the one hand, Dimitris is one of the most experienced stage actors in Greece, and he had a very firm opinion on how to best bring out the mysticism of his interaction with Filippos. With Filippos, I had my first experience working with a child actor, and found the process to be enlightening. I discovered that oftentimes, it is more important to place an actor in the mental space of the character they are portraying, than to necessarily explain the symbolism and meaning of the character and scene.
How important is this creative collaboration between writer/director and your team?
Especially for a director without much experience (such as myself), the process of pre-production, preparation, and rehearsals was crucial. Not only did it help me clarify what I wanted to say, but it also gave me the confidence to go ahead with the production.
What were the biggest challenges you faced making this film?
Given the highly experimental, non-narrative nature of the film, my biggest challenge was to gain the confidence to approach people about actually shooting it. I had an incredible fear, that followed well into post-production, that no one really understood what we were creating.
What would you say has been the most valuable lesson you discovered about yourself as a filmmaker during the making of Morphes?
I learnt to trust myself even when an idea seems incredibly obscure and abstract. And I learnt that ultimately, especially in the early stages of the project, if the film is clear in my head, I should follow my instinct, even if I can’t always communicate it to others.
Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?
I became interested in filmmaking very recently, about a year before shooting Morphes, and entirely by chance. I was always interested in writing fiction, and only after an experience helping a friend edit a script, did I decide to try my hand at screenwriting.
Growing up who were the filmmakers that inspired you?
I have phases where I delve deep into the oeuvre of specific directors, but perhaps the one I’ve returned too most often, and with the greatest affection, is Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. He is the only director whose films have touched me deeply both as an adult and as a child.
You’ve just finished your next short Roots, can you give us a little preview about this new film?
Roots follows a man’s quest to reconnect with his past. It’s an existential drama that follows Karafil, a 70-year old Albanian man who has lived all his life in Greece, as he searches through the forests splitting the two countries for tree he planted when he crossed the borders as a child. At its core, Roots is a film about solitude, and about the dreams we often construct to make us feel less alone.
Roots was also an incredible experience for me as it was my first time working with such a large crew under strenuous conditions.
"... don’t be afraid to delay pre-production, the shoot, or even post-production if you’re unsure of something."
How different was your approach to Morphes compared to your previous short Still Life?
With Morphes I had gained the courage to trust myself more with my own directorial decisions.
Is there any advice you wish you had been given when you started your filmmaking journey?
To take my time with every stage of the process – especially the pre-production. A film’s process of creation is very linear, and very sequential; it is practically impossible to resolve problems that have arisen in early stages of the production process, so don’t be afraid to delay pre-production, the shoot, or even post-production if you’re unsure of something.
Moving forward, what themes and subjects are you looking to explore with future films?
Memory, solitude and belonging are notions that have always interested me. I also find myself often turning to children as a medium through which to explore these themes.
And finally, what message would you want your audiences to take away from Morphes?
Don’t always look for reason in your memories; sometimes you have to accept the emotions they give rise to as they are.