Martin Bradley What is it with the Greeks? When they make a film about their own country or their islands, it's usually wet, windy or snowing and set in winter and showing their countrymen up as sexist boors. When outsiders make a film set in Greece it's summer and baking hot. Argyris Papadimitropoulos' "Suntan" starts in the winter on a small island, (population 800), which may make the title seem a little incongrous. Still, we don't have to wait too long until the suntan lotion comes out and the Greek Tourist Board can start to smile...at least up to a point.Kostis is the new doctor on the island and he has his fair share of patients for such a small place. However, one look at him and you can see he's not happy. Summer may bring sunshine and the kind of young tourists who give the Greek islands a bad name so it isn't long before Kostis is frequenting the local nudist beach. When he develops a fixation on Anna, a girl he has treated for a motorbike accident, he seems happier but we know his problems are just beginning.You can tell from the opening shot there's going to be a heart of darkness to Papadimitropoulos' film. Kostis is the kind of sad sack whose very presence seems to conjure up bad vibes and you know that throwing himself into the local party scene can only end in tears. Very soon his reputation and his patients are suffering. Makis Papadimitriou is very good as Kostis but it's an underwritten role and the film itself feels slightly underwhelming. The scenery is fabulous and it will certainly make you want to go to the Greek islands though you may want to choose where and exactly what time of the year. You may also come out of this film in something of a downer.

MartinHafer When the story begins, Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou) has come to the Greek island of Antiparos to become the town's doctor. It's the middle of winter and the place is quiet and lonely. However, each summer the place is swamped with tourists…wild, young and fun-loving tourists. And the quiet town becomes a hive of clubs, clothing optional beaches, sex and drinking. As for Kostis, he's a dull, emotionally constricted middle-aged man and seems out of his element when a group of crazy young people arrive in his office after a minor accident. One of them, Anna (Elli Tringou), seems to have taken an inexplicable liking for the dull doctor and she invites him to join them at the beach some time. Soon, Kostis joins this same group at the beach but he looks very much out of place…and you wonder why they like him. While most of the bathers are young, tanned and naked, he's a pasty bald man…wearing a lot of clothes on a clothing optional beach. He certainly is a fish out of water, so to speak. Later, when they head to the clubs, he goes along…and, once again, seems really out of place and awkward. It really seems like Kostis is trying to live his 20s all over again…but is ill- equipped for this wild life. And, in some ways, it seems as though he is totally alone…even though he's surrounded by people.Over the following days, Kostis goes out bathing and partying with this same crazy group of young people again and again. However, it becomes obvious that although he hangs with this group he really is only interested in Anna. She is interested…but only in a fleeting way…but Kostis misinterprets this for love. Soon, he's obsessed and eventually this obsession leads to a complete disintegration of his life. This disintegration is tough to watch…and the picture is unflinching.This is a hard movie to categorize. It certainly is not a comedy. And, while it seems light and cheerful initially, later it becomes a very dark and ugly sort of story. This does not mean that the film is badly made….the acting is quite nice and the story engaging. But it also is a tough sell for the average viewer. Of course the film has a lot of nudity…such is life on many beaches in Greece. But it also ends on a very violent and disturbing note…and that I you should know that the film ends with a rather vivid rape scene. It could conjure up memories of past victimization and is a bit tough to watch…so viewers should beware. Overall, this is a well made film that becomes tougher and tougher to watch. Very well made, it manages to convey a lot with a minimal amount of dialog. It certainly is interesting….but also is not for all tastes.

tlyoung88 This film is not a nudist film, nor will the nudist culture embrace it because of it's dark turn in the last act.But it's exactly what a nudist film needs to be. Honest, unflinching, raw. This is an examination of what every American Nudist goes through. (to use the title of a failed film I was forced to make).We middle-aged nudists have to come to terms with millennials calling themselves Young Naturists, who are rewriting the rules of nudist etiquette. And while they thrive, embracing the "new hedonism" which actually is pretty mild, and naturally, beautiful realized in this film, older nude beach goers like our hero Kostis feel like a relic, who no longer fit in with the younger crowd no matter how hard they try to hang on to romantic notions of love.Kostis, a pathetic romantic fool, ends up like every unattractive romantic fool, neglecting his professional duties and spiraling downward in some misguided attempt to recapture something he never had.And it can only end tragically. Because ultimately, romance is selfish. Romantics are self absorbed egomaniacs who are unable to see the world as it truly is. And romantic naturists are the worst offenders.That being said, there are some weaker moments, Some scenes are repetitive and the fight choreography was awful. I was hoping it'd be even more violent, but that's my American attitude showing.Overall, I highly recommend this film because it's the direction that any indie filmmaker interested in using nudity in their art should go. It's bold, daring and immediately relevant to our lifestyle.

Markela Kontaratou I saw this movie at its premiere, at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2016. The plot is a really simple story of a disappointed 40-something year old man, Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou, "Chevalier"), who, while working as a doctor in Antiparos island, falls passionately in love with a young Anna (Elli Trigkou). The movie is set in the beautiful, yet crazy scenery of Antiparos, and it portrays its atmosphere and hedonistic frenzy in a vivid and realistic way. The drunkenness of summer and the liberal power of youth, as captured by the lens of Argyris Papadimitropoulos ("Wasted Youth"), are constantly being collated with the awkward phase of the middle aged body and the protagonist's useless struggle of overlooking it. The photography and visuals of the movie are stunning. Each frame is carefully set in a way that the characters inner selves are revealed through nature. The documentary-like feel of some of them serves as a catalyst in enclosing the atmosphere of the place through the unfolding of the plot. The body, and the ways we perceive it are also part of the plot, so be prepared for a lot of nudism and strong language. Makis Papadimitriou seems to be the best choice of portraying the disappointed, dissatisfied man who falls victim of his own passions. His performance is excellent, realistic and never over the top. Elli Trigkou is also convincing as Anna, and the rest of the cast seems to be carefully chosen. All in all, this movie is the vivid and painful hymn of the coming of middle age. A must see.