From Simi with love: a taste of Greek horror in London

A Greek horror film, “The 13th”, shot entirely in the lovely island of Simi, has been selected to feature in this year’s London Greek Film Festival. The prestigious film institution, which celebrates this year its 10th anniversary, selects only films produced by Greeks or filmed in Greece, therefore this constitutes a major honor.
The movie script has been written by James Collins, a British author that moved to Simi 15 years ago, falling in love with its Dodecanese charm and rich tradition. The story is based on Collins’ book “The Judas Inheritance” which was inspired by the settlement of Horio, a traditional, almost abandoned village of the 19th century that overlooks the bay. With its haunting beauty and atmosphere of another era, it used to host the mansions of the wealthy merchants, before the decline of the local economy. The plot was also influenced by the local custom of Judas Burning during the Holy Week. From this aspect, Judas is regarded a demon that failed to disrupt God’s plan and unable to return to Hell, wonders excluded, affecting the locals who interfere with his evil plans.
The story revolves around Chris, a young man that returns to Simi after the death of his estranged father only to find himself trapped into a story full of dark secrets, fatal connections and challenges he has to confront in order to reach the truth of his own past. The cast includes prominent actors such as Kurtis Stacey, Richard Syms, Lorna Doyle and Wookie Mayer, while many locals have assisted the filming crew during the creation of the movie.
Regarding the participation of the film in the LGFF, Collins said that “The festival is an extremely important event which promotes Greece and its culture to London, a major cultural metropolis of Europe. I am delighted that Simi is going to feature prominently this year.”.
We are more than proud for this selection and sincerely hope that the film continues its successful course!